Caroline Simpkins, Ph.D., is a former professional ballerina and ballet instructor turned biomechanics and dance-science specialist. She is also the host of the Ballet Science Podcast, available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Can dance improve mental and physical health during menopause?
In this episode, we explore research examining the effects of dance interventions on perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women. Researchers analyzed multiple studies involving dance styles such as Zumba, jazz dance, traditional cultural dances, sports dance, and dance movement therapy.
Whether you’re a dancer, healthcare professional, teacher, student, or simply interested in healthy aging, this episode highlights how movement and dance may support well-being throughout life.
Why do ballerinas destroy brand new pointe shoes before dancing in them? In this video, we explore the fascinating science, biomechanics, and artistry behind breaking in pointe shoes.
From bending the shank and crushing the box to darning, rosin, jet glue, and sewing ribbons with dental floss, professional ballet dancers completely customize their shoes to match their feet and performance needs. What looks like destruction is actually a highly specialized process that transforms a stiff, generic shoe into a personalized high-performance tool.
Whether you’re a dancer, ballet parent, teacher, or simply curious about the science of ballet, this episode reveals the engineering and anatomy behind one of ballet’s most iconic traditions.
What is it really like to train at one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world? In this episode, I sit down with Joy Womack (the first American woman to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy) to discuss the realities of elite ballet training, injury, mental health, body image, performance pressure, and the physical demands of professional dance.
Joy shares her incredible journey from early training in the United States to studying in Russia at just 15 years old, dancing professionally across multiple countries and ballet systems, and eventually building a freelance career and nonprofit organization in France.
We also discuss: 🩰 The differences between Russian, French, and American ballet training 🧠 The mental health challenges dancers face transitioning into company life ⚡ Stress fractures, overtraining, and recovery 💪 Strength training and conditioning in ballet 🎭 Ballet identity and life beyond the stage ✨ What today’s young dancers need most
Whether you are a dancer, teacher, parent, healthcare professional, or simply fascinated by human performance, this is an incredibly insightful and honest conversation about the realities of ballet at the highest level.
Have you ever watched a ballet dancer perform a flawless pirouette and wondered how it’s possible?
In this video, we break down the fascinating physics behind ballet turns… from angular momentum and torque to spotting, balance, friction, and fouettés.
You’ll learn how dancers use the same physical principles that govern figure skaters, tornadoes, and spinning planets to create speed, control, and stability during turns. From the initial push-off to the iconic passé position, every pirouette is a masterclass in biomechanics and physics.
Why are ballet dancers so flexible? Is it genetics… or training? In this video, we break down the real science behind flexibility. Learn how dancers develop incredible range of motion, why the nervous system plays such a major role in stretching, and how strength and flexibility work together in ballet training.
This video covers: 🩰 The science of flexibility 🩰 Static vs. dynamic flexibility 🩰 Why dancers need strength for flexibility 🩰 How the nervous system controls stretching 🩰 Why warming up matters before stretching 🩰 How long stretches should actually be held 🩰 Why oversplits are NOT the goal 🩰 Safe flexibility training for adults and beginners
What if one of the biggest predictors of injury in ballet isn’t weak ankles or poor technique… but your brain? In this video, we dive into the science of mental fatigue in ballet dancers and how it impacts performance, learning, and injury risk. Based on recent research on professional ballet dancers, this video explores how cognitive overload, choreography demands, and sustained focus contribute to fatigue, and why that may lead to injuries like sprained ankles.
Key topics covered:
What mental fatigue actually is (and why it’s not just “being tired”)
Why ballet is as cognitively demanding as it is physical
The link between mental fatigue and injury risk
How dancers experience mental fatigue in rehearsal and performance
Practical strategies dancers use to manage fatigue
Why this research matters for dancers, teachers, and training environments
This episode is especially important for anyone interested in dance science, injury prevention, and performance optimization.
How do ballet dancers balance on their toes in pointe shoes? Learn the science and anatomy of pointe work, including ballet biomechanics, pointe shoe mechanics, and how dancers safely balance their center of mass on their toes in ballet technique.
If you’ve ever tried standing on your toes, you know it feels impossible. But the truth is, it’s not just strong feet or natural talent… it’s physics, biomechanics, and years of neuromuscular training that allow ballerinas to control extreme forces on such a small surface area.
In this video, we break down: 🩰 Why pointe work creates extremely high pressure 🩰 How alignment reduces injury risk 🩰 What pointe shoes actually do (and don’t do) 🩰 The full-body muscle coordination required for balance 🩰 Why pointe training takes years… not months
What if dance could do more than build technique… what if it could change how we connect with others? In this video, we break down scientific research examining how dance impacts individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
We explore:
Whether dance improves overall ASD symptoms
The powerful effects on social interaction and communication
Why empathy did not significantly change
The neuroscience behind movement, connection, and learning
What this means for dancers, teachers, clinicians, and families
Learn whether dance actually improves balance in people with Parkinson’s disease and if certain dance styles work better than others. Discover why dance training duration matters, and what these findings mean for real-world fall risk and independence.
I break down one of my own research studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials examining how dance impacts balance in Parkinson’s disease.. and the results might surprise you!
If you’re a dancer, teacher, clinician, or just curious about how movement impacts the body and brain, this video is for you.
What if dance could actually change your brain? Not just how you feel… but how your brain functions over time. In this video, we break down a systematic review and meta-analysis (one of the highest levels of scientific evidence) to answer a powerful question:
Can dance improve cognitive function and help protect against decline as we age?
We’ll cover: 👉 What the research says about memory, attention, and executive function 👉 Why dance may stimulate neuroplasticity 👉 Whether dance is actually better than other forms of exercise 👉 What this means for dancers, adults, and aging populations
This isn’t just “exercise is good for you.” This is measurable, clinical data on how movement impacts the brain.
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