Backstage is a Ballet Science bonus series featuring short reflections on lessons learned as a professional ballerina and ballet teacher, and how biomechanics and research later helped explain them. Quick insights at the intersection of studio experience and science.

If ballet obviously improves balance… why do we need to study it in research?

This is a question I receive often, especially when discussing research on ballet, balance, and fall prevention. Honestly, I understand the reaction. If you’ve trained in ballet or watched dancers move, the benefits can feel self-evident.

In this episode, I explain why “obvious” isn’t the same as evidence... and why dance science research is essential if we want ballet to be respected in healthcare, injury prevention, aging research, and beyond.

We cover:

• Why common sense isn’t scientific proof
• What research reveals about how ballet improves balance
• Why data matters in medicine and public health
• How research protects dancers from myths and injury
• Why ballet needs measurable evidence to scale its impact

As both a former professional ballerina and a PhD in biomechanics, I’ve lived on both sides... the studio and the lab. I truly believe ballet deserves a seat at the scientific table.

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Hosted by Caroline Simpkins, Ph.D., the Ballet Science podcast brings science into the studio to help dancers of all ages and abilities give their best performances both onstage and off, and reveals how the science of ballet can benefit anyone who moves.

Each week, we explore the intersection of science and ballet... from injury prevention and biomechanics to nutrition, mindset, and everything in between. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, and share it with your friends and dance community. You can also follow Ballet Science on social media and visit our website for additional information.

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