Ballet Science Blog

Blisters are often treated like a rite of passage in ballet… but from a biomechanics perspective, they’re actually important feedback about how your foot is interacting with your shoe. If you’ve ever tried to dance with a painful blister, you know how much it can affect balance, confidence, and technique.

Instead of just “toughing it out,” this episode helps dancers understand blisters as a modifiable mechanical issue, not a weakness.

In this episode of the Ballet Science Podcast, you will learn:

• What blisters actually are (biologically and mechanically)
• Why ballet dancers get blisters so frequently
• Key differences between toe blisters and heel blisters
• How friction, moisture, repetition, and shoe design contribute
• Safe blister treatment strategies for dancers
• Why pointe shoe fit is one of the biggest predictors of blister formation
• Practical prevention techniques, including toe taping, corn pads, and moisture management

In 2025, I released 31 episodes of the Ballet Science Podcast covering anatomy, biomechanics, injury prevention, performance psychology, strength training, and research on ballet across the lifespan.

In this year-in-review episode, I connect the dots among interviews, anatomy deep dives, and research discussions to show how they fit together. Think of this episode as a guided tour of Ballet Science… perfect if you’re new here and helpful if you’ve been listening all year.

We revisit conversations with experts in dance medicine (Miko Fogarty), strength & conditioning (Shane Wuerthner & Kendall Baab), sports psychology (Lauren Ostrander McArdle), pointe shoe biomechanics (Jessica Aquino), and pointe shoe fitting (Josephine Lee), along with an anatomy series on the foot & ankle, knee, hip, and spine, and research on ballet and fall prevention, neurological health, gait, and nutrition.

This episode is also a moment of gratitude. Ballet Science launched in June 2025, and the response from dancers, teachers, clinicians, researchers, and movement lovers has been incredibly meaningful.

A herniated disc can sound terrifying for dancers, but it is not a career-ender.

In this final episode of the Ballet Science spine series, Dr. Caroline Simpkins (former professional ballerina, PhD in biomechanics) breaks down what a herniated disc actually is, why it often develops gradually rather than from one dramatic movement, and (most importantly) why dancers can and do recover successfully.

I went from spending my days in a ballet studio to a biomechanics lab. While those worlds may seem completely different, getting a PhD taught me some surprising lessons… not just about science, but about my body, learning, failure, and performance.

In this video, I share five things I learned from getting a PhD as a former professional ballerina, and how those lessons completely changed how I think about ballet training and movement.

Your spine doesn’t move on its own. An entire team of muscles, tendons, and ligaments makes ballet possible, and most dancers are only using half of them.

In Part 2 of the Ballet Science spine series, Dr. Caroline Simpkins (former professional ballerina, PhD in biomechanics) breaks down how the spinal support system actually works in ballet.

We examine the distinction between deep stabilizing muscles and global movers, why dancers tend to grip their backs and abdominals, and how this imbalance can limit technique and increase the risk of injury.

When I tell people that I went to college while dancing professionally as a ballerina, the reaction is almost always the same: How did you make that work?

In this video, I break down the five strategies that enabled me to balance school with a professional ballet career, including what my daily schedule looked like, the sacrifices it entailed, and what I learned along the way.

Your spine isn’t meant to be stiff, straight, or locked in place. It’s designed to move, absorb load, and adapt, and understanding its natural curves can instantly change your ballet technique.

In this episode of the Ballet Science Podcast, former professional ballerina and biomechanics Ph.D. Caroline Simpkins breaks down the bones of the spine and explains how each region… the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine… supports the technical demands of ballet.

Our research found that older adults who take ballet recreationally tend to be stronger, more powerful, and more balanced than non-dancers. These abilities… leg strength, power, balance, and coordination… are major components of fall prevention. But why might ballet make such a difference?

In this episode, we break down why ballet may support healthier aging through a unique blend of strength training, balance challenges, rhythm, coordination, memory, and attention.

Ballet naturally trains multiple fall-risk factors at once:

• Squats/pliés
• Calf raises/relevés
• Single-leg balance
• Multi-directional steps
• Whole-body coordination
• Cognitive challenge through sequencing and music

We also explain why fall history did not differ between dancers and non-dancers, and why that doesn’t contradict the functional advantages dancers showed. Factors like recent start dates, self-reported data, sample size, and influences such as vision, medications, and home environment all contribute to fall outcomes.

There’s growing interest in how ballet can support healthy aging, but surprisingly little research has focused on independent, healthy older adults who choose to take ballet classes on their own.

While previous studies have shown improvements in balance, strength, and gait in adults aged 50+, many have lacked comparison groups or were based on virtual classes.

This left an important question unanswered: Do older adults who regularly take ballet classes function differently, especially in ways related to fall risk, compared to non-dancers?

Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults worldwide. As our population ages, finding effective, sustainable ways to improve balance, mobility, and overall physical function has never been more important.

While walking programs, strength training, and traditional balance classes can help reduce fall risk, many older adults struggle to stay consistent. So what type of movement do people actually enjoy enough to continue long-term?

That’s where dance, especially ballet, stands out.