PEAK PERFORMANCE

The use of cutting-edge sports science in elite ballet dancing

- Elisabeth Pain

In the ballet The Nutcracker, the magician Drosselmeyer draws Clara into a magical adventure. She breaks the spell that turned Hans-Peter into the Nutcracker Doll. As Clara and a liberated Hans-Peter enter the magical "Land of Snow," snow falls in an enchanted forest in celebration of the boy's return.

As 16 dancers dressed as Snowflakes create the twirling illusion of snow onstage, Clara and Hans-Peter engage in a pas-de-deux, or dance for two. They make seemingly weightless leaps into the air. The seven-minute "snow scene" leaves the audience dazzled as the curtain falls to close Act I. Some are blissfully unaware of the mental and physical prowess such rigorous ballet dancing requires.

Behind the scenes, these ballet dancers have turned to sports science to help them achieve their peak performances and protect themselves from injury. A growing number of elite ballet dancers now see themselves as not just performing artists but also dancing athletes.

A Centuries-Old Tradition

Part of the magical beauty of classical ballet is that it looks effortless. But nothing could be further from the truth. Building on a centuries-old tradition, dancers typically spend much of their childhood in intense ballet training to develop slender muscular bodies and maximize their coordination and flexibility. They learn to balance on their toes, defy gravity as they jump, and make endless pirouettes-spinning on one foot. Then, as professionals, ballet dancers spend all day long in classes and rehearsals. They practice multiple roles and choreographed dance routines, until everything looks perfect for the evening performance.