Royal Ballet turns to Nasa science to keep stars en pointe

THE Royal Ballet is using Nasa technology to protect its ballerinas from injury, with weary dancers now able to soothe their tired limbs by wearing bandages developed using spacesuit technology.

The hi-tech leg wraps, made by sports equipment company Game Ready, deliver tissue-repairing therapy with cold compressions and are part of the company’s drive to protect its dancers by harnessing the latest developments in sports science.

Heavy physical exertion leaves ballerinas facing an injury rate comparable to American footballers, with a mean of 6.8 injuries per dancer per year. Male dancers suffer shoulder, knee and Achilles injuries from lifts, while 60 to 70 per cent of female injuries are below the knee, often from performing punishing pirouettes and pliés en pointe.

To combat the likelihood of injury, the company has set up a suite of 17 sports science and healthcare experts at the Royal Opera House in London to monitor its 97 dancers.

Ballerinas are monitored using the latest sports technology. Their oxygen uptake and muscle activity is measured using wireless electromyography and face masks, infrared LED lights analyse their jumps and sensors determine their posture sway during pliés and pirouettes.

Gregory Retter, clinical director of ballet health care at the company, said: “Our facilities are now similar to those of a Premier League football club. This is a completely new concept in dance.”