146 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology
Exercise nameDescription
(Technique cues) Progression
Muscle group: Spinal rotators
Muscles emphasized: Lumbar and thoracic spinal extensors and oblique abdominals
Joint position: Spinal rotation
F. Supine spine twist Lie supine with one leg
outstretched and the other knee
bent directly above the hip with
the lower leg parallel to the floor.
Rotate the spine by using the
opposite hand to pull the knee
toward the floor while keeping the
upper back in place.
(Focus on rotating the spine along
its length while contracting the
abdominals to keep the pelvis
slightly tucked and the lower ribs in
good alignment with the pelvis.)- Bring the knee and upper side
of the pelvis further toward the
floor without letting the shoulder
lift off the floor.
TABLE 3.7 Selected Stretches for the Spine (continued)movements, including ligaments, discs, and bony pro-
cesses. Hence, when one is performing stretches for
the back, particular care must be taken that the body
is adequately warmed, the stretch is slowly applied
without excessive momentum or force, and close
attention is paid to proper positioning of the body. It
is also important to realize that there is extreme indi-
vidual variability in spinal motions, some of which is
structural in nature. For example, in the elite athletes
tested by the author, the range of spinal hyperexten-
sion has ranged between 8° (elite male race walker)
and 124° (elite female ballet dancer). Thus, it is
important to work carefully to increase or maintain
the range afforded by one’s particular structure rather
than trying to forcibly match someone who may have
a markedly different structure. Furthermore, when
extreme range of motion is present, supplemental
stretching outside of class is generally not necessary.
Instead, strengthening exercises that work to dynami-
cally maintain range while building strength to sup-
port the increased mobility are recommended.Spinal Extensor (Spinal Flexion) Stretches
Adequate flexibility of the spinal extensors is impor-
tant for allowing full forward bending of the spine
(spinal flexion), for posterior tilting of the pelvis
needed for lifting the leg very high to the front, and
for prevention of lumbar hyperlordosis posture. The
spinal extensors are postural muscles and so often
become fatigued and “tight” with dance training, and
stretching can help relieve associated soreness and
tightness. The double knee to chest stretch (table3.7A) provides a gentle stretch for the lower back,
creating a posterior tilting of the pelvis and a decrease
in the lordosis in the lumbar spine. Although it may be
too mild for the more flexible dancer to feel a stretch,
it offers a position in which the pressure within the
intervertebral discs is low and is commonly recom-
mended with low back pain. Similarly, performing
this stretch in a kneeling position (figure 3.25C,
p. 97), sometimes termed the rest position, can pro-
vide relief for tight or fatigued low back extensors.
The sitting forward bend stretch (table 3.7B) pro-
vides a more rigorous variation, and a similar position
of the spine can also be readily added to stretches for
the hamstrings or hip adductors (see chapter 4). How-
ever, when performing any of these types of stretches,
because the thoracic spine is concave anteriorly and
often very flexible, many dancers end up primarily
stretching the upper back versus the desired low
back area. Maintaining the upper back in extension
and pulling the abdominal muscles back toward the
spine and keeping a more vertical pelvis while the
torso rounds forward can be used as an alternative to
achieve a more isolated stretch in the lumbar area.Spinal Flexor (Spinal Hyperextension) Stretches
Adequate flexibility in the spinal flexors (abdominal
muscles) is necessary to allow for the full arching
of the back (spinal hyperextension) used in vari-
ous dance movements. It also appears that having
adequate spinal hyperextension range is important
for a healthy back, particularly in males (Burton,
Tillotson, and Troup, 1989a, 1989b; Klausen, Nielsen,