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The dancer has to be flexible,
his muscles and locomotive organs has to be well developed. He has to be
expressive and able to stand the psychological stresses of the performance
situation. This is what we think in general, but how are we, dancers, in
fact? We have tried to unravel and measure this by scientific methods during
a few recent years. In what stage of his teaching
can thedance teacher observe the student's qualifications for becoming
a dancer? How does he do it? And by what means could he do
it?
General Physical Demands
Dance in generally is suitable as well to
the elementary school age-child as to adult with normal physical condition
and health. But those are not enough if one wants to become a professionaldancer
in classic ballet. Good physical condition, strong and well trained musculatureare
needed then, as well as absence of remarkable musclo-sceletar abnormalities.
Dancer's health &
strength qualities
The level of dancer's physical condition
is due to the sort of dance, the nature of role and choreography.
Several dancers have problems with their endurance. Because strain in dance
may be similar as the heaviest sports events, a regular aerobic training
outof doors is necessary for many dancers. Very many dancers have problem
with their strength. One muscle is too weak and the other perhaps too strong.
Stomach muscles are generally too weak compared to dorsal muscles.
Also rotation in body with each other can be unbalanced. Appropriate strength
training would be necessary. Dancer's
explosive power is not often good enough. Therefore a special jumping training
is needed. The mobility of joins in dancers
(especially in females) is good. Some muscles like in ballet dancers m.
piriformis may be stricht.
The Evaluation & control
of methods of relaxation
Mental tension is necessary for good performance,
but too high activation lowers the level of performance.Too high
mental tension before or during a performance is very common phenomenon.
Activation in performances could be recorded by physiological measurements.Mental
and physiological activation did not correlate highly. Many expections
are observed in inverted U-shape between performance and activation during
dancers' shows. Relaxation trainnings
decrease activation. The aerobic running training does not lower activation
duringperformance, but increases an ability to cope stress. A careful preparing
for performancesdecrease too high mental tension. Relaxation trainnings
- transcendental meditation, autogenic training, progressive training an
many biofeedback-methods -have been established effective to lower activation.
However, the useful relaxation effect is reached best after the regular
training. |
