Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

190 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

open kinematic chain action when contracting

concentrically against gravity or resistance to move

the femur toward the midline in exercises such as

the single leg pull and side leg pull (table 4.5, J and

K, p. 218), the frog kick in swimming, and keeping

the swinging limb closer to the midline in walking.

In functional movement, hip adduction is often

combined with slight hip flexion or hip extension

to allow the limb to cross the midline without hit-

ting the other limb. Examples of this use of the hip

adductors from dance include grapevine-type steps,

the final phase of a dégagé when the leg closes

into fifth with an “in” emphasis, and the motion of

pulling the inner thighs “together and up” at the

top of a jump (with or without beats) as shown in

figure 4.27.

When the foot remains fixed and in contact with

the ground (closed kinematic chain movements),

customary hip adduction occurs against gravity as the

legs are brought together from an abducted position,

for example on the up-phase of a turned-out plié.

Posturally, closed kinematic chain adduction can be

used to laterally tilt or side-shift the pelvis relative to

the support leg, which is an important mechanism

used in locomotion and dance for assisting balance,

increasing economy of gait, and helping stabilize

the pelvis. This is one of the mechanisms involved

in meeting the directive used in dance of “being

over your leg.”

During upright standing, adduction of the gesture

leg will be in the same direction as gravity and so will

generally involve use of the antagonist muscles. For

example, when the leg is lowered in a controlled

manner from being lifted high to the side, eccentric

contraction of the hip abductors is used to control

the lowering of the leg, at least in the beginning of

the lowering.

FIGURE 4.26 Sample dance movement showing hip abduction.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Van Osta. CSULB dancer Dwayne Worthington.

FIGURE 4.27 Sample dance movement showing hip

adduction.

Photo: Roy Blakey. Dancer: Douglas Nielsen in “Spirit of Gravity.”