Can Ballet Help Prevent Falls? New Research Says Yes

Australia, like much of the world, is home to an ageing population — and with longer lifespans comes a new focus on healthy ageing. Staying active, independent, and confident in movement becomes more important than ever.

Yet one of the biggest challenges older adults face is falls. They can lead to serious injuries, hospitalisation, and a loss of confidence that affects every part of life. But what if a graceful solution could come from the world of dance?

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology (2024) explored whether ballet training can improve the body’s ability to react to a sudden loss of balance — and the results are both fascinating and encouraging.

Seniors participate in a ballet class- can assist in falls prevention. Image by Wix

Why This Research Matters

Traditional balance or strength programs can help, but many people find them repetitive or hard to stick with over time.

That’s where dance comes in. Ballet, in particular, challenges both the body and the brain — demanding strength, coordination, posture control, and precise footwork. It also engages attention, rhythm, and spatial awareness. All key factors in preventing falls.

Until now, though, we didn’t know if these benefits translated to real-life slip recovery — the kind of quick, automatic reaction needed to stop a fall before it happens.

What the Study Tested

Researchers from the University of Illinois recruited 43 older adults — 20 who regularly practised ballet and 23 who did not.

Participants stood on a special treadmill designed to deliver an unexpected backward “slip” — a realistic simulation of losing your footing.

The researchers then measured:

• Whether participants fell, based on how much they relied on a safety harness.

• How quickly and effectively they recovered — including step timing, balance control, and muscle activation.

• How the body responded neurologically, using EMG sensors to track how fast key leg muscles switched on after the slip.

What They Found

• Only 45% of the dancers fell, compared to 83% of non-dancers — a dramatic reduction in fall risk.

• Dancers recovered faster, taking quicker, shorter, and more controlled steps to catch themselves.

• Their muscles fired earlier, showing more efficient communication between the brain and body when balance was challenged.

• They also kept their centre of mass (the body’s balance point) in a safer position throughout the slip, reducing instability.

Here’s a snapshot of the key findings:

Outcome	Dancers	Non-dancers	Interpretation
Fall rate	45% fell (9/20)	83% fell (19/23)	Dancers were far less likely to fall
Dynamic stability at liftoff	Higher	Lower	Better balance control mid-recovery
Step latency	Shorter	Longer	Dancers reacted faster to the slip
Step duration	Shorter	Longer	Faster and more efficient recovery step
Step speed	Faster	Slower	Quicker movement to regain balance
Slip distance	Shorter	Longer	Dancers limited uncontrolled movement
Muscle activation (EMG latency)	Activated earlier (multiple muscles)	Slower activation	Faster brain-to-muscle response

Adapted from Simpkins & Yang (2024).

In simpler terms: dancers were faster, more coordinated, and more stable when things went wrong. Their bodies didn’t freeze — they reacted.

What We Can Take Away

This research reminds us that movement quality matters just as much as quantity. It’s not only about getting stronger — it’s about teaching the body to react, stabilise, and move with confidence.

Ballet offers a unique way to do that, blending strength, coordination, and creativity while helping to prevent one of the biggest health risks of ageing.

For an ageing population, it’s a powerful reminder that movement doesn’t need to stop — it just needs to evolve. Sometimes, the best fall-prevention training happens to the rhythm of music.

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Reference: Simpkins, C., & Yang, F. (2024). Ballet practice improves neuromuscular and biomechanical responses to an unexpected standing-slip in older adults. Journal of neurophysiology, 132(4), 1115–1125. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00219.2024