Supervisor:  Jill Miwa

Classical mechanics is a fundamental branch of physics that focuses on the motion of bodies influenced by external forces. In this talk, I will describe how external forces affect the movement of a body specifically in relation to ballet. Basic terminology used in classical mechanics such as static equilibrium, acceleration and torque will be introduced to enable a complete description of different balances, jumps and pirouettes known from ballet. Moreover, I will show that classical mechanics is necessary to describe many of the seemingly impossible movements performed by ballet dancers, for instance the floating illusion as well as the nearly endless number of turns during a series of fouetté en tournant.

Ballet is a beautiful sport filled with awe-inspiring movements that can be used to illustrate many fundamental principles in classical mechanics.