Ballet Science Blog

In this episode (Part 2 of 3), we dive into the pilot study I conducted on fall prevention in professional ballet dancers.

We explore: how ballet dancers respond to unexpected standing slips, differences between dancers and non-dancers in balance, trunk control, and recovery steps, what a pilot study is and why it’s important for larger research, and how ballet training may enhance reactive balance and reduce fall risk. This research provides early evidence that ballet training strengthens stability, trunk control, and adaptive balance responses, which could benefit anyone at risk of falls, including older adults.

Next episode (Part 3): We’ll apply these findings to older adult ballet dancers and share insights from my dissertation research on ballet for fall prevention across the lifespan. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2pu0LRFk3M

Watch Part 1 first if you haven’t already, to understand the foundations of ballet and fall prevention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhYa6YV5Avw&t=68s

Publications discussed in this episode:

Simpkins, C., Ahn, J., Shin, S., & Yang, F. (2022). Recovery from an unexpected standing-slip in professional ballet dancers. Journal of Biomechanics, 145, 111366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111366

Simpkins, C., & Yang, F. (2023). Adaptation to repeated standing-slips in professional ballet dancers. Journal of biomechanics, 152, 111572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111572