The Spine 119pull and produce 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms)
of pressure on the lumbosacral disc (Bradford and
Spurling, 1945).
So, to reduce the potential forces borne by the
spine, dancers should directly face their partner,
bring the partner close to them, keep the torso as
vertical as possible, and emphasize lifting by extend-
ing the hips and knees rather than the back whenever
the choreography allows. One can encourage the
latter desired mechanics by suggesting that danc-
ers think of pushing down into the ground with
the feet, knees, and hips as they straighten, rather
than lifting the back. Also, it is helpful to emphasize
looking straight ahead versus down to encourage
a more upright position of the
spine. Strengthening the hips
and knees with exercises such
as squats, lunges, or leg presses
(chapter 4) will allow a dancer to
lift a partner more readily using
this upright body alignment.
The dancer should also avoid
excessive lumbar lordosis and
utilize adequate trunk stabiliza-
tion when lifting another dancer
as shown in figure 3.39. Focusing
on firmly tightening the abdomi-
nal muscles, pulling the abdomi-
nal wall in toward the spine and
the ribs down toward the pelvis so
that the torso is directly over the
pelvis just prior to and during the
lift, will help utilize the protective
effects of IAP and prevent the
large shear forces associated with
excessive arching of the back. In
addition, balanced co-contrac-
tion of the spinal extensors is key
for stabilizing the spine and pre-
venting the weight of the partner
from pulling the trunk forward.
Although the ideal desired posi-
tion of the lumbar spine at the
beginning of a lift is still an area
of great controversy (Gracovetsky
et al., 1989; Hall, 1999; LaFre-
niere, 1985; McGill, 2001), there
is generally agreement that it
should be neutral or just momen-
tarily slightly flexed, with both
hyperextension or exaggerated
or sustained flexion avoided.
Strengthening the abdominal
muscles and back extensors and
performing trunk stabilization exercises can improve
this aspect of lifting. However, in some cases, exces-
sive arching of the low back and leaning the torso
back during lifting are a compensation due to inad-
equate shoulder flexibility (necessary to allow an
overhead position) or inadequate upper extremity
strength. In such cases, strengthening and stretching
key upper extremity muscles used in partnering can
also help protect the back (chapter 7).
While applying the principles just discussed can
help reduce the stress to the spine, there are many
cases in which the choreography will not allow
application of all of them. For example, often chore-
ography requires that the partner be lifted with theFIGURE 3.39 Maintaining proper spinal alignment and adequate stabilization is key for
reducing injury risk during partnering.
© Angela Sterling Photography. Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers Patricia Barker, Stanko Milov, and Casey Herd.