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Ballerina with ALS performs live using brainwave-controlled avatar
A Washington state dancer diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has returned to the stage-this time through a digital avatar controlled by her brainwaves. Breanna Olson, a 38-year-old mother of three, performed in Amsterdam last December in what organizers called the first live dance of its kind.
Diagnosis and decline
Olson received her ALS diagnosis two and a half years ago. ALS, the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND), progressively weakens muscles, impairing movement, speech, swallowing, and eventually breathing. Despite the prognosis, Olson, who has trained in ballet, contemporary, and jazz since childhood, refused to abandon her passion.
How the technology works
The performance at Amsterdam's OBA Theatre relied on an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset developed by Japanese tech firm Dentsu Lab in partnership with data company NTT. The device captured Olson's brain activity as she imagined specific dance movements, translating those signals into real-time commands for her mixed-reality avatar.
"You have to isolate your muscles and block out external noise," Olson told the BBC. "It's challenging, but the focus required makes the connection feel even more powerful."
A new form of expression
For Olson, the experience was transformative. "I never dreamed I'd dance on stage again," she said. "It was exhilarating-magical, even. A moment I'll cherish forever." The project, titled Waves of Will, aims to explore how technology can restore personal expression and participation for people with motor-degenerative diseases.
"This is a new way of expression. To move differently, freely-it's liberating."
Breanna Olson, ALS patient and dancer
Broader implications for assistive tech
The performance is part of a growing movement to use brainwave interfaces and other innovations to help individuals with disabilities reclaim lost abilities. Noland Arbaugh, the first recipient of Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip, previously shared how the implant allowed him to play video games again. Meanwhile, 58-year-old Yvonne Johnson, who also has MND, credited AI voice tools with helping her regain a sense of identity.
Naoki Tanaka, chief creative officer at Dentsu Lab, emphasized the project's accessibility goals. "Most brainwave technologies are prohibitively expensive," he said. "Waves of Will was created to change that." Mariko Nakamura of NTT added that the technology could eventually be adapted for wheelchairs or remote controls.
Hope and legacy
Olson, who lives in Tacoma, Washington, hopes her story will inspire others with ALS. "We can do more than we think," she said. "This experience has shown me the incredible power of the mind-and I want to share that hope with others."
