Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

500 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

moving may be shared by many dance forms, others

differ between and within given dance forms. Some

examples of aesthetic issues that may be important

are movement quality, movement economy, lack of

visible undesired compensations associated with

limb movements, placement or alignment of various

body segments, desired “shaping” of various joints

or body parts in standard vocabulary (e.g., plantar

flexed and everted foot, neutral foot, dorsiflexed

and inverted foot), emotional expressiveness, and

the desired relationship of the movement in time

(rhythmicity).

However, despite these difficulties, it is essential

that more research be performed on dance move-

ments and that information gained from research

on similar movements be applied to dance. While

the qualitative anatomical analysis and knowledge

of joint mechanics presented in this text can pro-

vide a very beneficial basic understanding of dance

movements, specific research will test our assump-

tions and deepen and clarify our knowledge. This

knowledge can then be used to help the dancer

accomplish technical proficiency within the context

of the desired aesthetic. While the variety of aesthet-

ics present in the dance world will likely preclude

a single model for optimal performance of a given

movement, research should help reveal fundamental

principles that can be adjusted in accordance with

the specific aesthetic, as well as clarify key aspects

that distinguish aesthetics.

Movement Cues

There is a need to take the knowledge of movement

obtained from anatomical and biomechanical analy-

sis and apply it in the classroom in a manner that

can be readily used by dancers to achieve desired

movement outcomes. One common approach is for

teachers to use movement cues when describing or

correcting movements. Some of these cues have a

biomechanical basis that is logical. For example, cues

described in chapter 3 oriented toward utilizing suf-

ficient abdominal stabilization could reduce undue

stress on the low back and improve spinal-pelvic

alignment. Other cues are more oriented toward the

laws of motion. Such cues may foster skill improve-

ment through taking fuller advantage of physics and

Newton’s laws of motion. For example, the cue to

emphasize pressing down into the floor just prior

to rising to relevé can increase the upward vertical

force (vertical component of the ground reaction

force), making it easier to rise.

Some cues, however, have been passed down

through generations of teaching but do not stand

up to scientific scrutiny. They may suggest that

dancers do things that are not possible or that do

not actually occur with a given movement. Some-

times such cues persist because parts of them fit

with sensation or a dancer’s sense of truth while

some other part of the description is inaccurate.

For example, as described in chapter 4, for a kick

to the side (battement à la seconde), the cue to

lift the leg from underneath is inaccurate in that

the hamstrings cannot lift the leg. However, when

the movement is performed correctly, there is a

sensation of the proximal femur (greater trochan-

ter) coming down and under just before the distal

femur and leg rises up. A cue that describes this

drop of the trochanter without implying that the

hamstrings lift the leg would be more accurate and

less confusing to students. So, teachers and students

are encouraged to closely evaluate the anatomical

and mechanical basis and accuracy of cues used in

dance, and teachers should be sure that they do not

perpetuate misconceptions or ask students to do

something that is not physically possible. Examples

of cues have been given throughout this text. Often a

subtle change in wording will allow the cue to evoke

the desired sensation or action and at the same time

be supported by, versus countered by, anatomical and

biomechanical principles.

Summary

Despite the wide array and complexity of dance

movements, current technology makes analysis of

movement tremendously easier than it was just a

decade or two ago. There is a dire need to supple-

ment qualitative anatomical analysis with information

gained from well-designed research studies address-

ing a wide variety of dance movements so that we

can better understand the relevant muscles, forces,

and neural factors involved in a given movement. In

turn, this information can be used for evaluation of

current teaching cues and strategies and the design

of new approaches, where relevant. Such information

will also be useful for better understanding of injury

mechanisms and prevention.