Ballet Moves for Adult Creative Health —
In 2017, Queensland Ballet (QB) undertook research on the health and wellbeing benefits of ballet for mature adults.
Supported by the Queensland Government's Advance Queensland initiative and in partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) - Creative Industries, QB's research project was led by Dr Anja Ali-Haapala, a graduate of QUT's Doctor of Philosophy (Creative Industries) program.
QB's research project drew from clinical studies of participatory dance, research on health and wellbeing in mature adults, and current approaches to recreational ballet classes.
From July to October 2017, QB's Ballet for Seniors class was involved in the development and testing of an evidence-based ballet class for active older adults. Following this phase of development and testing, modifications were made to the existing teaching practice. These modifications were linked to emotional wellbeing outcomes; specifically, that more challenging content led to a greater sense of achievement and happiness.
This research process was profiled alongside leading international arts and health practitioners at Griffith University's Creative Ageing Symposium in October 2017. Read the research report here.
