There are 7 key physical requirements which dancers should develop and maintain to become successful.
In this post I shall look at the physiological and
skill requirements which a dancers bodies require and why they are essential to
the dancer’s career.
Alignment
Alignment, also known as ‘placement’ in dance
terminology, must be learnt to enable the dancer to move efficiently. Movement
efficiency is essential for a dancer to create an effortless look whilst
possibly dealing with unusual new choreography. By moving efficiently a dancer
is able to make the best use of energy for challenging performances. An example
of alignment is balancing an arabesque on pointe ensuring there is enough
muscular strength to sustain balance with minimum effort. This is greatly
challenging to the dancer due to the pull of gravity, thus takes many years to
acquire the skill and still constantly challenges the professional.
Additionally, proper alignment can reduce the stress
on joints and muscles necessary for controlled movement whereas faulty
alignment may lead to a risk of injury and chronic conditions such as
tendonitis.
Coordination
Neuromuscular coordination is the ability to
efficiently recruit a muscle or group of muscles required to perform a
particular movement. Due to the ever changing, evolving choreography dancers
need to constantly develop new skills and movement patterns. Through a high
level of coordination, complex movements are developed.
Developing coordination is a key aspect of technique
class, however additional training can develop the movement efficiency further.
This training will focus on motor learning and motor control to develop the
dancer to become skilled to a level which enhances the quality of the learned
movement such as pirouettes, balances and large jumps through increased
smoothness, coordination and accuracy.
Flexibility
Flexibility is an important component to physical
fitness which is generally included within exercise programmes. Some activities
such as dance demands much greater levels of flexibility and so are a specific
concern for the development of their physical fitness. Dancers must be able to
move their joints through the full range of motion required in particular
choreography. And this movement must be done with ease and control.
The three types of tissue (muscle, tendons and
ligaments) play a part in the flexibility dancers are required to achieve.
1. The muscle must be long and strong to
allow control and movement through extreme ranges of motion, such as a high
développé.
2. Tendons which connect muscle to bone,
must be long enough to allow free movement and be elastic to provide shock
absorption when the joint is moved quickly within its range.
3. Ligaments, which connect bone to bone
are required to keep the joints stable, thus should not be overstretched as
this would put the joint at risk of injury such as dislocations and sprains.
Once a ligament is stretched it may never return to its original length.
Muscle and tendon length, strength and elasticity may
be developed though stretching and careful controlled work within each joints
range of motion.
Some dancers are guilty of pushing their flexibility
beyond that which their body is physically able, or needed to perform well. Excessive flexibility training can
lead dancers more open to injury and there is research to suggest that
intensive stretching can compromise performance through a decrease in strength
and power, such as jumping during hour long activities.
Strength
Strength, defined as the ‘ability to overcome external
resistance or counter external forces using muscle’ is essential for slow
controlled movements in dance such as a développé and grand rond de jambs.
Strength is categorised into three groups: muscular
strength, muscular endurance and power.
Power, the ability to perform movement using force and
speed is vital for jumps such as a pas de chat or batterie. If a male dancer
can lift his partner twelve times but cannot press her to the top on the beat,
he lacks power. This is an area of weakness the dancer must identify in order
to improve in supplementary training.
Muscular strength, the maximum amount of force that a
muscle can produce is essential in dance. For example the male dancer must be
able to lift and hold his partner. If he is unable to lift his partner and
return her safely and gracefully to the floor then he lacks sufficient muscular
strength. If the dancer is required to lift his partner twelve times however is
only able to perform the lift 6 times then he lacks muscular endurance. This
dancer would then be required to train this quality so that he could lift over
the number required in the choreography. This would build endurance for when
the dancer might be sick or fatigued.
A strength and conditioning programme can develop all
three aspects of strength through a variety of training methods for the
individual.
Aerobic endurance
Dancing is generally stop and start, which utilises
the anaerobic system, thus not engaging the aerobic system. Aerobic endurance
involves the efficient use of the lungs, muscles and oxygen, which is trained
through aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular training. A lowered
aerobic capacity increases the rate of fatigue onset, which has been shown to
be a leading factor in the causes of injury.
In order to improve the aerobic system, an activity
must be performed which uses a high volume of oxygen for an extended period.
Current dance training is insufficient to train this system due to other
priorities.
Benefits of aerobic endurance include:
- Enhanced stamina, allowing for greater
ability for the oxygen to move to muscles efficiently, consequently improving
performance.
- Reduced risk of fatigue,
- Reduced risk of injury,
- Increased concentration,
- Reduced stress levels,
- Improved general health.
Therefore it is important for the dancer to take
this type of training into their own hands.
Relaxation
Relaxation in dance allows the dancer to release
unnecessary muscular tension to increase movement efficiency.
If you watch beginners, you shall see tension in the
hands, arms, shoulders, neck and face. However as the dancer progresses in
their career they learn to relax muscles which are not needed for specific
movements.
By managing the relaxation of selective muscle groups,
it allows the muscle to remain fresh, ready to engage should it be needed and
may reduce the risk of overuse injuries. This relaxation comes through practice
during training.
Body composition
Aesthetics is key to dance performance, as there is a
requirement to have a certain body type and shape which needs to be sustained
to please choreographers, critics and audiences. Fitness and health are
limitations to body composition and dancers should always aim to be healthy
first and foremost. It is important to note when implementing supplementary
training that the dancer’s body composition must be ‘just right’ as being too
lean or too heavy can threaten a dancer’s career or health.
 |
I think Misty Copeland of American Ballet Theatre
has an amazing physique - so strong and well defined.
|
As Martha Grantham put
it, dancers are “an athlete of God” who must optimise diverse physical
capacities to reduce injury risk and improve performance through increased
movement efficiency. Careful supplementary training can improve all these
qualities with hard work and dedication.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have found this informative and are
inspired to take action in your dancing career! Please feel free to leave
comments or questions for me to answer on here or Twitter. Also, please follow
me on Instagram @performancesportstherapy for updates on my personal lifestyle
and fitness.
-E
Start strong, finish stronger!
References
Brown, A. C., Wells, T. J., Schade, M. L., Smith, D.
L., & Fehling, P. C. (2007). Effects of plyometric training versus
traditional weight training on strength, power, and aesthetic jumping ability
in female collegiate dancers. Journal
of Dance Medicine & Science, 11(2),
38-44.
Grossman, G., & Wilmerding, M. (2000). The
effect of conditioning on the height of dancer's extension in a la seconde. Journal of Dance Medicine &
Science, 4(4), 117-121.
Koutedakis, Y., Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou, A., &
Metsios, G. (2005). The significance of muscular strength in dance. Journal of Dance Medicine &
Science, 9(1), 29-34.
Rubini, E. C., Souza, A. C., Mello, M. L., Bacurau,
R. F., Cabral, L. F., & Farinatti, P. T. (2011). Immediate Effect of Static
and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Hip Adductor
Flexibility in Female Ballet Dancers. Journal
of Dance Medicine & Science, 15(4),
177-181.
Welsh, T. (2009). Conditioning
for dancers. University Press of Florida.
