Baila Blog, Ballet, Ballet, Dancer, Dance
Ballet dancers: do they compare to other athletes?
June
How ballet dancers compare to other athletes
Ballet dancers are often known for their grace, confidence, and dedication. But professional dancers are often fitter and stronger than other traditional athletes.
A study conducted by the University of Hertfordshire found that the overall ability of ballet dancers exceeds that of international swimmers.
The study compared members of the Royal Ballet and a group of swimmers, including members of the Olympic team, and compared a series of tests that tested measures of physical fitness, such as strength, balance, endurance, flexibility and psychological state. Of these measures, the ballet dancers scored higher in seven of the 10 most important of them, taking into account body size. One of these measures included grip strength – which in ballet dancers was 25% higher.
A separate study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine pitted ballet dancers against a group of athletes to measure each group's lower body strength.
For the study, 40 dancers and 40 athletes from the team performed an initial test by jumping from a 30-centimeter platform. They then performed step repetitions and jumps to induce fatigue before jumping from the platform again.
Ballet dancers took significantly longer than team athletes to fatigue, according to the study. And in terms of muscle groups, it's not just the legs that require focus. Ballet dancers rely on their back and core muscles for stability and to keep those muscles coordinated throughout every movement—whether on the barre or on stage.
Source: thenewspaper.co.za
