What happens when Australia's most renowned ballet company joins forces with a university known for research excellence? A partnership that's making gravity-defying leaps in the realms of exercise, health and performance.
Thomas Swords, who completed an Honours degree in Exercise Sports Science with La Trobe, says doing his research project with The Australian Ballet was a dream come true.
“I’ve always had a passion for dance, so it was mind-blowing to conduct research with The Australian Ballet. It gave me access to top-level performers, artists and athletes. It also meant that I had the opportunity to work with like-minded people who are as passionate as I am about dancer health and performance.”
“As part of my research, I wanted to examine how we could bring biomechanics from a lab setting into the classical ballet studio, so I conducted a feasibility study on the role of wearable technology in measuring the jumping load of dancers,” he explains.
Thomas’s experience is just one of many examples of research collaboration with The Australian Ballet, according to Dr Ebonie Rio, Senior Clinical Research Fellow with The Australian Ballet.
“Our partnership with The Australian Ballet is a unique collaboration between two world-leading organisations where the combined skills and expertise of each partner offers wide-ranging benefits across sectors.”
“This unique partnership offers incredible opportunities for students to develop practical, hands-on experience that will benefit their future careers,” she says.
Thomas is now working as a research assistant with The Australian Ballet. He says he would not be where he is today without the partnership.
“I thought would take at least ten years to work up to a role in an organisation like The Australian Ballet, and I ended up doing it in my first year out of uni.”
“I have always been clear that whatever I do with my sports science degree would involve dance and classical ballet. This partnership has helped me realise that dream.”
Find out more about La Trobe’s partnership with The Australian Ballet.
Photo courtesy of The Australian Ballet. Photographer: Daniel Boud.
