Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

178 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

seen in figure 4.15B. From a side view, a vertical plane

through the ASIS would fall behind the pubic sym-

physis. In dance this is often referred to as a “tucked”

position of the pelvis. Notice that when one is describ-

ing an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt the reference is

to the top of the pelvis. This is important to remember

since the bottom of the pelvis will be moving in the

opposite direction.

Lateral Pelvic Tilt

A lateral tilt is movement of the whole pelvis in

the frontal plane about an anteroposterior axis. It

involves a side tilt of the top of the pelvis such that

one iliac crest and ASIS drops below the opposite

iliac crest and ASIS. So, when viewed from the front,

the pelvis is not level, and one ASIS is lower than the

other as seen in figure 4.15C; and when viewed from

behind, one PSIS is lower than the other. Lateral

tilts are named in terms of which side of the pelvis

is low, so with a right lateral tilt the iliac crest, ASIS,

and PSIS are lower on the right side. Lateral tilt, or

pelvic obliquity, is commonly seen in dancers who

have one leg shorter than the other or in dancers

who have certain types of scoliosis.

Pelvic Rotation

Pelvic rotation is movement of the whole pelvis in

the transverse plane about a vertical axis. It involves

a rotation of the pelvis such that one ASIS is anterior

or posterior to the other ASIS. When viewed from the

front or side, one ASIS is in front of the other as seen

in figure 4.15D. Pelvic rotation is commonly observed

in dancers who have scoliosis that involves rotation in

the lumbar region. The rotation is named in terms

of the direction toward which the front of the pelvis

turns. So, if the left ASIS is behind the right ASIS,

this means that the front of the pelvis is rotating to

the left, and this is termed left pelvic rotation.

Angle of Femoral Inclination

The angle of femoral inclination is an angle formed

between the neck of the femur and the shaft of the

femur when viewed from the front, as seen in figure

4.16B. It occurs close to, but not strictly in, the frontal

plane, since the greater trochanter lies somewhat

posterior to the head of the femur. In the newborn

this angle is about 150°; it decreases to approximately

FIGURE 4.15 Pelvic alignment and movement. (A) Neutral, (B) anterior and posterior tilt, (C) lateral tilt, (D) rotation.