Dance

TeachingandLearning:DanceSkills

DanceScience

(Source:Rist,R.(1991)DanceScience,TheDancingTimes,Dec.1991,p.243.)

Howhavethingschangedsinceweweretrained?PartI
Doyourememberbeingtoldanyofthesethings?
Ithastohurttodoanygood.
Pushyourturnout,ifyoukeeppushing,youwillgetmoreturnout.
Bounceforwardsoverthelegstowarmup.
Pullup!
Youmustnotdrinkliquidstraightafterclass.
Ihadtodoit,soyouhavetodoit!
Intheyearssinceweweretrainedasdancersanddanceteachers,therehavebeen
manyadvancesanddevelopmentsespeciallyintheareaofsportsmedicine.Our
athletesaresupportedbythelatesttechnologiesandunderstandingof
biomechanics.Awellfundeddancecompanymayalsohaveaccesstohighlevel
medicalbackupandtrainingmethods,butthepeoplewhoaremostresponsiblefor
trainingyoungdancershavelittleaccesstohelpandadviceandinmanycases,
superficialunderstandingofmuscleactionandjointstructure.Anatomyisnowan
integralpartofteachertraining,buttheremustbegenerationsofdanceteacherswho
didnothaveanopportunitytolearnaboutthebody,andwhocontinuetotake
responsibilityforgrowingdancers.Danceisanexpressiveart,andwithourcurrent
understandingofphysics,physiologyandanatomyitcanalsobelookedatfroma
scientificview.Thismaymeansomechanges.
Theideathatthetheoriesofourpredecessorsaresacredandmustneverbe
questionedpreventsourdevelopmentasteachersandtrainersofthegrowingyoung
bodiesandmindsinourcare.Ittakescouragetoquestiontheheritageofmany
yearsofthedevelopmentofdancetechnique,butinordertofullyunderstandhowa
bodybestrespondstotraining,itisnecessarytocontinuallyreevaluatetraining
methods.

Ithastohurttodoanygood.
Itdoesnthavetohurttodoanygood.Dancersshouldbeencouragedtoknowthe
differencebetweentheacheofmusclesunusedtowork(whatwetermGoodPain)
andtheothersortofinjurypain(whatwetermBadPain).Inmyexperience,this
distinctionhasprovedtobeusefulandeasytounderstandforalllevelsoftraining.
Adolescentsshouldbeencouragedtolearnaboutthenaturalrestrictionsoftheir
bodiesandRESPECTthem.Oftenadancermaybetoofrightenedoftheteacher,
oroflookingweakintheeyesoffellowstudents,toadmittohavingpain.Painisthe
onlywaythebodyhasofcommunicatingthatsomethingiswrong.Thesourceofpain
shouldbefoundandthestudentreassured.

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Pushyourturnout
Nooneeverthinkstheyhaveenoughturnout.Iremembersittinginfrogsforhours
totrytogainmore.Ihearofhorrorstoriesofpeoplewhositoneachothersthighsto
getmoreturnout.Turnoutdependsonmanyfactors,mostlypredeterminedones:
1 Thedepthofthesocketinthepelvis.
2 Thelengthoftheneckofthefemur.
3 Theangleatwhichthefemurisplacedinthesocket.
4 TheelasticityoftheYshapedligamentatthefrontofthehipjoint.
5 Theageatwhichdancetrainingisbegun(ie.howearlythisYshapedligamentis
encouragedtostretch).
Thesearemostlycongenitalfactorsoverwhichadancerhasnocontrol,ratherlike
havingblueeyes,orbrownhair.Theonethingthatthedancercandoisstrengthen
themusclesofturnout,andthisshouldbeencouraged.Damagecausedbyforcing
turnoutissevereandlonglastingandcanaffectthespine,hips,kneesandfeet.I
haveseenhugebunionsonyoungchildren,combinedwithdroppedarchesandsore
knees;alltoooftentheresultofoverenthusiasticturningoutfromthefeet.
Abunion,orHalluxValgus,iscausedbythelayingdownofboneoverthejointsof
thefirsttoeinresponsetothestressofbodyweightincorrectlyplacedoverthefront
ofthefoot(ie.notmaintainingturnoutfromthehips).Thisispermanentbonegrowth
andcannotberemoved(exceptbysurgery)soayoungdancerwhosealignmentis
notcorrectedmaytakealegacyofmisshapenfeetintoadulthood,possiblylongafter
havinggivenupdancetraining.

Bounceforwardstowarmup
Bouncingforwardoverthelegstowarmup,orinanattempttostretchthemuscles,
haslittleeffect,andinsomecasescancausedamage.Inordertounderstandwhy,it
isnecessarytounderstandthe stretchreflexofskeletalmuscles.Muscleshavean
inbuiltsafetymechanismtopreventsuddenoverstretching.Insimpleterms,this
worksonthesameprincipleasthereactiontoplacingyourhandonaveryhot
surfacewhenyourhandisautomaticallytakenoffthesurfacebeforeyouconsciously
realisethatitistoohot.Themuscleshaveasimilarmechanismcalledthestretch
reflex.Whenasuddenstretchandtensionisputonamuscle,itcontractstoprevent
damage.Thusallthosehoursspentbouncingforwardsoverlegstogainmore
stretchhaveprobablyhadaminimaleffectbecausethebodyismakingverysure
thatyoudonot stretchthemuscles!
Inordertoovercomethestretchreflex,adifferentapproachisnecessary.Byplacing
agentleandsteadystretchonamuscleandmaintainingthatforaminimumoffive
seconds,thestretchreflexisovercomeandthemusclemaybestretcheda
comfortableamount.However,anevenmoreeffectivemechanismthanpassive
stretchingiscalledProprioceptiveNeuromuscularFacilitation.Thishasbeenfound
tobethreetimesmoreeffectivethanpassivestretchingandfivetimesmoreeffective
thanballisticbouncing.Itissafe,andcanbeusedasawarmupforthelarge
muscles,orattheendofrangeofmovementtogainmorestretch.Thestudentworks
themusclegroupisometricallyagainstpressureappliedverygradually(byanother
person)maintainingthemuscleatthesamelengthforaminimumoffiveseconds.As
themusclerelaxesafterthecontraction,itlengthensintoaslightlyimprovedendof
rangeThehamstringsseemtorespondverywelltothistypeofmusclework,and
thismethodcanbeusedwiththelegforwards,sidewaysorbackwardsThe
stretchcanthenberepeatedinthenewlengthenedposition.Thishasprovedtobe
verypopularwithallwhohaveusedthismethodasthereisavisiblechangeinthe
musclelengthwithminimalsubsequentstiffness.Thestretchgainedseemstostay
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withthedancerlongerthanwithothermethods.Theotherbenefitisthestrength
gainedattheendofrangeofmovement.Flexibilitywithoutstabilityisdangerous.
Note:RachelAnneRist,authorofTheInjuredDancer,teachesandlectureson
danceandanatomy.