Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

478 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

work as prime movers to swing the thigh forward and

that the hip extensors work as prime movers to swing

the thigh backward. Rather, it just demonstrates

additional contribution of muscles revealed from

EMG studies of rapidly reversing reciprocal motions

that would not necessarily be predicted from a pure

anatomical analysis of the movement.

In addition to speed, dance often utilizes very

subtle and specific execution directives that can

influence muscle use. For example, many movements

can be purposely varied to provide an “accent,” or

emphasis, at different times during the movement,

as in emphasizing the “out” or “in” phase of the

movement when performing a high kick to the front

(grand battement). If the emphasis is “in,” the hip

extensors (hamstrings) can be felt working concen-

trically sooner to close the leg back in to the starting

position on the down-phase of the movement; when

the accent is “out,” the hip flexors can be felt work-

ing eccentrically longer in the down-phase of the

movement. Similarly, other differences in qualities

or efforts of movement can influence muscle use.

Laban (Hodgson, 2001) uses words such as “light”

and “strong” or “free” and “bound” to describe the

“efforts” associated with movement. With bound

movements, internal resistance is often created

Influence of Movement Quality on Muscle Use

While standing or sitting in a chair, perform shoulder flexion and extension with your right arm accord-

ing to the following directions.

• Slow raise and lower. Slowly raise your arm to the front to shoulder height, pause, and then
  slowly lower it. Note the predominance of muscle activity in the anterior shoulder muscles (including
  the anterior deltoid), working concentrically when raising and eccentrically when lowering the arm.


• Resisted raise and lower. Slowly raise and then lower your arm as if moving through tar or
  molasses. Note the muscle work on both sides of the shoulder (including the anterior and posterior
  deltoid) as the antagonist creates internal resistance (eccentric contraction) while the agonist acts
  concentrically as the prime mover.


• Slow raise and released lower. Slowly raise your arm to shoulder height, pause, and then relax
  the muscles and just let the arm drop as gravity effects the movement. Now, just add a very small
  amount of muscle contraction to decelerate and control the movement toward the end of the drop.

CONCEPT DEMONSTRATION 8.2

“Use Your Bones, Not Your Muscles”

I

n contemporary dance techniques emphasizing a “released quality of movement,” teachers will some-

times cue students to “use your bones, not your muscles.” This cue is not consistent with anatomical

principles since bones cannot produce movement, and if the muscles were not used during movement

the dancer would collapse to the floor. One possible interpretation of the intent of this cue is to relax

muscles during portions of a movement, allowing gravity and momentum to play a more prominent

role in generation of movement of the limb or body part utilized. However, some muscle contraction

would be necessary toward the end of a given movement to decelerate the body segment to prevent

collapsing or to change the direction of movement. Rewording the movement cue to incorporate

muscle contribution with phrases such as “release and recover” or “fall and recover” would be more

consistent with anatomical and biomechanical principles.

DANCE CUES 8.1