Journal of Dance Medicine & Science

Many professionals who treat and train dancers believe that good alignment at the pelvis can facilitate movement efficiency and reduce injury risk in a variety of dance genres. This study evaluated the effects of a remote cueing technique on pelvic alignment for dancers in a university-based professional training program. Two female dancers participated in 20-minute individualized observation and training sessions twice a week for eight weeks. Pelvic alignment improved to criterion levels for both dancers, suggesting that individualized approaches may have special utility in training dancers.

Dancers frequently sustain hip injuries, including labral tears, coxa saltans, stress fractures, tendinosis, and joint disease. High velocity kicks (grand battement), with extreme abduction and external rotation (ER), may stress the hip, sacroiliac joint, and surrounding soft tissue. However, three-dimensional kinematic dance descriptions are limited. The purpose of this study was to describe the kinematics of the pelvis and hip in grand battement movements in healthy dancers. Seventeen advanced-level college dancers performed three battement conditions: battement devant to the front, à la seconde to the side, and derrière to the back. Data were collected with a 5-camera motion capture system. Repeated measures ANOVA (p < 0.05) compared peak pelvis and hip angular displacement and hip and toe velocity for all conditions and planes. Three-dimensional hip to pelvic ratios were calculated. There were differences in pelvic angular displacement between conditions in all planes (p < 0.00). Battement devant posterior pelvic tilt exceeded that of battement seconde. Both were opposite in direction from the anterior pelvic tilt of battement derrière. All conditions demonstrated pelvic obliquity toward the stance limb, with battement derrière greater than devant and seconde. Battement derrière transverse plane pelvic displacement exceeded that found in devant and seconde. There were also differences in hip angular displacement between conditions in all planes (p < 0.00). Battement derrière hip extension differed from battement devant and seconde flexion. The hip abducted in all conditions, with battement seconde exceeding devant and derrière. In the transverse plane, the hip rotated internally in battement seconde and externally in battement derrière and devant. In battement devant and seconde, peak hip ER decreased relative to baseline, while increasing at the peak of battement derrière. Battement peak velocities were relatively low. The ratio of hip to pelvic angular sagittal plane motion was 4.1, 2.6, and 0.5 in battement devant, seconde, and derrière respectively; 0.9, 2.6, and 1.5 in the frontal plane; and 0.6, 8.5, and 0.2 in the transverse plane. This confirms that pelvic motion provides a large proportion of the battement movement.

This study investigates body composition (BC), bone mineral density (BMD), eating behaviors, and menstrual dysfunction in collegiate modern dancers. Thirty-one female collegiate modern dance majors (D), 18 to 25 years of age, and 30 age-matched controls (C) participated in the study. BC and BMD were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Upper and lower body strength was assessed by chest and leg press one-repetition maximum tests. Participants completed three-day food records, and the diet was analyzed using nutritional software. Menstrual dysfunction (MD) and history of eating disorder (ED) data were collected via questionnaires. BC and BMD variables were analyzed using MANCOVA and frequency of ED and MD by Chi-Square analysis. BMD was greater in D than C at the spine (1.302 ± 0.135 g/cm² vs. 1.245 ± 0.098 g/cm²), and both the right hip (1.163 ± 0.111 g/ cm² vs. 1.099 ± 0.106 g/cm²) and left hip (1.160±0.114 g/cm² vs. 1.101 ±0.104 g/ cm²; p ≤ 0.05). Total body fat percentage was lower in D than C (25.9 ± 4.2% vs. 32.0 ± 5.9%; p ≤ 0.05), and percent of fat distributed in the android region was also lower in D than C (28.0 ± 6.2% vs. 37.6 ± 8.6%; p ≤ 0.05). With regard to diet composition, only percent fat intake was lower in D than C (27.54 ± 6.8% vs. 31.5 ± 7.4%, ≤ 0.05). A greater incidence of ED was reported by D than C (12.9% vs. 0%; ≤ 0.05), as well as a greater incidence of secondary amenorrhea (41.9% vs 13.3%; p ≤ 0.05). No differences were found for incidence of primary amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, or use of birth control. Strength values were higher in D than C for both chest press (30.1 ± 0.9 kg vs. 28.4 ± 1.0 kg; ≤ 0.05) and leg press (170.7 ± 4.2 kg vs. 163.1 ± 3.9 kg; ≤ 0.05). It is concluded that the dancers in our study had a healthy body weight, yet reported a higher incidence of eating disorders and menstrual dysfunction, than non-dancers. These dancers’ higher BMD may be attributable to the mechanical loading and increased strength associated with practicing modern dance. Further, modern dancers had lower centrally located body fat, which decreases the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

It has been reported that manual therapy directed at the thoracic spine followed by exercise may improve outcomes in patients with mechanical neck pain. At this point, there is little available data on dancers with neck pain, and it is unclear whether this type of treatment is appropriate for restoring the rigorous level of activity required of the dancer. The purpose of this study was to review the evaluation, clinical decision-making process, and treatment of two dancers—one with acute and the other with chronic neck pain—who fell into the classification of patients who might benefit from an intervention to the thoracic spine. The two participants were a musical theater dancer with an acute onset of neck pain and a retired dancer who was an active dance company director with an 11 -year history of chronic neck pain. Both participants went through a standard examination and were treated with mobilizations to the upper thoracic spine followed by therapeutic exercises. In both cases, successful outcomes were achieved immediately after treatment and up to six months after discharge from physical therapy.