tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/safe-dance-practice-36529/articlesSafe dance practice – The Conversation2016-03-30T10:54:02Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/564692016-03-30T10:54:02Z2016-03-30T10:54:02ZBallet training could learn a thing or two from football and rugby<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/116406/original/image-20160324-17838-1btivxy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Master1305/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine negotiating the challenges that come with puberty while training to become a ballet dancer. You must attempt to remain coordinated, slim and graceful, despite the changes you are experiencing – and deal with the constant self-evaluation of your morphing body reflected in mirrors, dressed in leotard and tights. Not to mention cope with the inevitable physical and psychological obstacles, including periods of injury caused by imbalances associated with growth, and the self-consciousness triggered by very visibly maturing ahead of or later than your peers.</p>
<p>You soon recognise the features that are desirable and conducive to becoming professional, as my own training experience taught me. You are acutely aware, from a young age, of the desired aesthetic, and that those who more readily conform to the physical, social and psychological ideals are the dancers who tend to progress.</p>
<p>Young dancers can enter full-time, vocational training from when they are just 11 years old, training up to six days per week. Dancers in vocational training are grouped by age, but the age at which they reach puberty obviously varies. As a consequence, differences in the timing of maturity have important implications for health, talent identification and development, and those who mature later tend to be privileged in the current system.</p>
<p>Studies to date consistently show a trend towards later menarche among ballet students – between the ages of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.20718/abstract">13.1</a> and <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jmrp/jdms/2011/00000015/00000002/art00001">13.9</a>, compared to 12.4 in the general population. And <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jmrp/jdms/1997/00000001/00000004/art00002">studies</a> also show earlier maturation to be characteristic of those who did not complete their professional training.</p>
<p>If not handled correctly, onset of puberty places young dancers at increased risk of eating disorders, body image issues, physical injury and can significantly reduce the likelihood of completing training. But our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197115002870">new research</a> suggests that some of these problems could be addressed if ballet training followed the lead of rugby and introduced bio-banding. This technique involves grouping athletes according to physical size or, in this case, biological maturity. </p>
<h2>The ballet ‘look’</h2>
<p>One reason for the bias towards late maturing girls is that such girls tend to have slimmer, more linear physiques, lower body fat, and comparatively longer legs relative to their torso – all desirable features among ballet dancers. The psychological characteristics of later maturing individuals are also comparatively advantageous, with earlier maturation being more strongly associated with negative body image, low self-esteem and disordered eating issues. So when it comes to selection into dance programmes and the chances of completing them, later maturing individuals have several apparent advantages.</p>
<p>The bias of formal selection processes in favouring the physique of late maturing individuals and the self-selection of late maturing individuals into ballet are well documented. Researchers have <a href="http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/25/2/243.short">suggested</a> that delayed maturation is an indirect “product” of intensive dance training, with intensive dance training leading to weight control and subsequent delayed maturation. But intensive training itself has been shown to have <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03014460600635951">no negative effect</a> on growth and maturation in dancers.</p>
<p>Although this bias against early maturing girls may seem to be part and parcel of ballet, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197115002870">our latest study</a> suggests that this doesn’t have to be the case. The structure of current training and selection practices could be altered so that earlier maturing individuals would be less likely to be assessed out of training.</p>
<p>The dance teachers interviewed in our study held differing beliefs about the advantages and disadvantages of early and late maturation. Some agreed with previous findings, arguing that later maturation gives a nicer “look”. But others perceived earlier maturation to be a potential advantage in terms of getting a lot of the “growing done” before serious training begins. </p>
<p>Teachers also highlighted that late maturation in itself was not necessarily an advantage as these individuals experience the most rapid phases of growth (and any injuries associated with that growth) at the time when training and testing intensifies. This suggests that while there is clearly a trend, and in many ways an advantage, towards later maturing individuals in ballet, there are also potential merits to earlier maturation which don’t tend to be explored.</p>
<h2>Bio-banding</h2>
<p>Current formal selection strategies for ballet involve assessment which coincides with the physical changes of puberty. For those who mature earlier this may result in being assessed out of training due to less “conducive” physical developments. While for those who mature later, physical testing and increases in training load occur at a time when they experience the most rapid changes in growth. Arguably, neither circumstance is conducive to the healthy physical and psychological development of young dancers. </p>
<p>Researchers have recommended monitoring the intensity and volume of training to avoid overuse injuries during periods of rapid growth. But as yet no clear solution has been presented which addresses the significant differences between individuals in the same age group. </p>
<p>But the process of bio-banding, recently employed in <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2015-16/sep/170915-premier-league-bio-banding-helping-late-developers.html">football</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP_YsxgGjqg">rugby</a>, may address some of the challenges experienced by the adolescent dancer. If grouped in terms of biological maturity, the problems of puberty experienced by dancers could be better addressed.</p>
<p>While it is equally important to consider a dancer’s technical and psychological development, the process of bio-banding has the potential to benefit both early and late maturing girls – allowing them to be assessed and experience increases in training loads at the time that is most developmentally appropriate. The need to consider individual differences in growth and maturation may be equally important in boys, especially with regards to reducing the risk of growth related injuries.</p>
<p>The application of some of these principles to dance training, tailoring programmes relative to the dancer’s stage of development, may provide a way to optimise training, minimise risk of injury, and enable schools to identify and keep the most talented dancers within the system. And ultimately, this would benefit both early and late maturing girls.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56469/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Siobhan Mitchell receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. This article does not reflect the views of the research councils.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sean Cumming receives funding from Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, and Barclay's Premier League. This article does not reflect the views of the research councils.</span></em></p>Late maturing girls tend to be privileged in ballet training. This doesn’t have to be the case.Siobhan Mitchell, PhD Candidate, University of BathSean Cumming, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/463852015-08-24T05:22:10Z2015-08-24T05:22:10ZLab coats and leggings: when science and dance connect it’s quite a show<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92669/original/image-20150821-8381-z964ao.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What can leggings and leotards teach us about about physics and neuroscience?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-148152353/stock-photo-ballet-dancers-in-repetition-monochrome.html?src=pp-same_artist-148152341-3&ws=1">www.shuttershock.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dancing is an activity most people associate with after-hours exploits: parties, weddings, the lounge rooms of friends with great vinyl collections, a night out at the ballet – or television shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars or Got To Dance. </p>
<p>But what about dancing in the classroom to teach biology to high-school students about mitosis and mitochondria? And what could leotards and leggings possibly have to do with neuroscience and physics? </p>
<p>For a growing number of artists, academics, researchers and scientists, dance represents a promising new frontier of exploration. Placing this intriguing nexus between dance and science in the spotlight is <a href="http://www.danscience.com.au/">Queensland University of Technology’s DANscienCE Festival</a>, which was held on the weekend as part of <a href="http://www.scienceweek.net.au/">National Science Week</a>. It showcased the work, research and practice of academics and dancers from around the world in fields as diverse as the environment, physics, robotics, gamification and health. </p>
<p>Initiated in 2013 by Liz Lea and Cris Kennedy at CSIRO in Canberra, the DANscienCE Festival provides a platform for delving into how dance can be help scientists understand more about brain function and how our bodies respond to movement. It also examines how dance can serve as a powerful teaching tool for helping those outside academia understand sophisticated academic ideas. </p>
<p>It’s an intersection of disciplines that’s led to fascinating collaborations with fruitful results. One of these is <a href="http://danceforparkinsonsaustralia.org/">Queensland Ballet’s Dance for PD (Parkinson’s Disease) project</a>, which involved a team of movement neuroscientists, psychologists, physiotherapists and dancers developing exercises to improve cognitive performance and reaction times in individuals with PD. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92674/original/image-20150821-8360-1rnedul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jazz dance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/39486997@N00/1804807649/in/photolist-3Ku7rg-4UHiNJ-5gAjsu-8ZhVvB-PAYi4-iG61S-u1dy2w-o1Y5M7-eA3iyg-6z1H3w-6d67np-kCS8uM-7RvdRA-6XGy86-tS5ZUG-mpZDg-3Qf1yY-4k3hTe-eeqQMx-gYrgeA-9pXC8Z-ak7dep-atAZ26-aqrUpa-271ce8-7NpgW7-hfmGrc-e99Bhh-sQiv5p-66qpLe-bAsu5f-r5xEGj-6JPm3n-oBWt87-25PpMf-8wduoP-efhDEQ-hH4dn9-4rPuJT-7zhHKe-gZ4bQW-9xB8Sj-bHVm5T-84kGHR-4BLgbq-fJi3Jt-bVUL7-H5cSM-4ZbFrj-9nw9Xn">teo_ladodicivideo/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Significant progress has already been achieved in the application of exercise science, medicine and related allied health fields to dance, in what we would call the traditional “dance science” field. Think of the use of <a href="http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/health-a-medicine/item/3094-motion-capture-examines-dance-techniques/3094-motion-capture-examines-dance-techniques">motion-capture technology to prevent injuries</a>, or the use of exercise physiology to determine how choreography impacts upon the dancer and what they need to do to be best prepared to perform it. </p>
<p>Other research has fed into guidelines released by organisations such as the <a href="http://www.iadms.org/">International Association for Dance Medicine & Science</a> and the <a href="http://www.aspah.org.au/web/">Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare</a>.</p>
<p>But there are many activities happening across the globe that focus not on the use of science in dance, but instead the use of dance in science. Ballet dancers are teaching us how to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/how-ballet-could-help-the-treatment-of-chronic-dizziness/6019722">address symptoms of dizziness</a> in older populations, and <a href="http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/item/mexican-dance-for-dementia">dementia sufferers who participate in dance classes </a> are shown to experience improvements in physical, social and emotional wellbeing.</p>
<p>Yet more research explores the psychological processes involved in creating, perceiving, and performing music and dance, and their application in the evaluation of complex systems and human-computer interactions. These interfaces involve testing learning and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/why-is-dancing-so-good-your-brain">memory function through physical movement</a>. Such examples only scratch the surface in what is becoming a rich area of research. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92677/original/image-20150821-8381-jr1fg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The good old-fashioned wedding dance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/1uk3/2565587586/in/photolist-4UHiNJ-5gAjsu-8ZhVvB-PAYi4-iG61S-u1dy2w-o1Y5M7-eA3iyg-6z1H3w-6d67np-kCS8uM-7RvdRA-6XGy86-tS5ZUG-mpZDg-3Qf1yY-4k3hTe-eeqQMx-gYrgeA-9pXC8Z-ak7dep-atAZ26-aqrUpa-271ce8-7NpgW7-hfmGrc-e99Bhh-sQiv5p-66qpLe-bAsu5f-r5xEGj-6JPm3n-oBWt87-25PpMf-8wduoP-efhDEQ-hH4dn9-4rPuJT-7zhHKe-gZ4bQW-9xB8Sj-bHVm5T-84kGHR-4BLgbq-fJi3Jt-bVUL7-H5cSM-4ZbFrj-9nw9Xn-5as3WX">LukeAddison/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Science is also utilising dance as a means of communication, with a regular <a href="https://theconversation.com/uwa-student-wins-international-dance-your-phd-competition-3956">Dance Your PhD</a> competition providing hard science with an artistic voice – 2014 winner Uma Nagendra’s film showed at DANscienCE. </p>
<p>As for <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2014/dec/28/biology-lessons-science-teacher">teaching biology through dance</a>, that involves embodying and embedding information into gestures and sequences of movement. This enables the brain to make associations with what’s being taught, in addition to linking it with fun and humour – which are also powerful ways in which to embed memory. In the words of <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/richard-spencer-the-man-who-could-become-britains-first-millionaire-classroom-teacher-10073118.html">Dr Richard Spencer</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Dance engages students as it links both body and mind, so is a holistic activity, and pairs it with music – something that all students love.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Robotics is another area that has been exploring the intersection of science with humans through dance, with the beautiful work of Huang Yi challenging people’s thinking regarding these relationships. <a href="http://www.robotronica.qut.edu.au/">QUT’s Robotronica</a>, linked to the DANscienCE Festival, showcases the full range of innovative and mind-blowing developments within this field including robots dancing too. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7moBSpAEkD4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Huang Yi & Kuka, A Duet of Human and Robot.</span></figcaption>
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<p>The connection of dance and science is one that holds significant potential in generating results that can expand far beyond the realms of the fields in which they originate. This nexus is an artform in and of itself and was showcased across both the DANscienCE Festival and QUT’s Robotronica this past weekend. </p>
<p>Participants and audience members alike were both challenged and inspired to consider the potential future this area of research and practice holds for all of us, dancers or otherwise.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46385/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gene Moyle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For a growing number of artists, academics, researchers and scientists, dance represents a promising new frontier of exploration. The annual DANscienCE festival shines a spotlight on their findings.Gene Moyle, Associate Professor in Creative Industries, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.