Upper body posture in Latin American dancers: a quantitative cross-sectional study comparing different postures.

BACKGROUND: In Latin American dance sport (LD), the shoulder girdle and the torso area are particularly stressed due to the dance style specific requirements. The aim of the study was to define differences in various dance specific upper body postures in Latin American dancers and to show gender-specific differences. METHODS: Three dimensional back scans were performed in n = 49 dancers (28 f/21 m). Five typical trunk positions in Latin American dance (habitual standing and 4 dance specific positions, P1-P5) were compared with each other. Statistical differences were calculated using the Man-Whitney U test, Friedmann test, Conover-Iman test and a Bonferroni-Holm correction. RESULTS: Significant gender differences were found in P2, P3 and P4 (p ≤ 0.01-0.001). In P5, the frontal trunk decline, the axis deviation, the standard deviation of the rotation, the kyphosis angle and the shoulder as well as the pelvic rotation were also significantly different. The comparison of the postures showed significant differences between postures 1-5 (p ≤ 0.01-0.001) in the males, (scapular height, right and left scapular angles and pelvic torsion). Similar results were observed for the female dancers, with only the parameters of frontal trunk decline with the lordosis angle as well as the right and left scapular angles being non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study is an approach to better understand the involved muscular structures in LD. Performing LD changes the static parameters of the upper body statics. Further projects are needed to analyse the field of dance even more thoroughly.

Partnership between Chinese Dance Sport Couples: A Consensual Qualitative Research Analysis.

The aim of our study was to explore the conceptions related to partnership between dance sport couples. We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 registered athletes of the Chinese Dance Sports Federation (CDSF) about partnership between dance couples, using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method. Results revealed that partnership tended to stem from seven domains: (1) mutual understanding, (2) instant intimacy, (3) long-term affection, (4) obligational ties, (5) instrumental ties, (6) tacit factors, and (7) mutual self-disclosure. Each domain included several categories of core ideas, most of which were general and typical across the respondents. The general and most typical core ideas were related to mutual understanding in all aspects (17T), pleasure (18T), sense of substitution (15T), intimacy (20G), harmony (20G), mutual help (20G), mutual tolerance (20G), mutual attraction (15T), responsibility (20G), training plan (12T), consistent goals (20G), skills improvement (20G), image matching (16T), mutual self-disclosure (18T), which suggested a general belief in the equity perspective regarding partnership between Chinese dance sport couples. Future studies need to examine diverse samples of athlete-athlete dyads to advance interpersonal theory in sports and add to emerging theories of performance behavior and expertise in sport.

Percepção subjetiva da criatividade na Dança Esportiva: perspectiva de árbitros e treinadores experientes / Subjective perception of creativity in Dance Sport in the judges' and experienced coaches' perspectives

Este estudo quali-quantitativo investigou o julgamento da criatividade, na visão de técnicos e árbitros de Dança Esportiva. A pesquisa exploratória foi desenvolvida por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada, aplicada individualmente a uma amostra intencional selecionada por conveniência, composta por seis árbitros e quatro técnicos de Dança Esportiva. Todos, ex-atletas da modalidade, ambos os sexos, com faixa etária entre 28 e 59 anos e experiência de três a 11 anos arbitrando em competições de Dança Esportiva, ou no treinamento de atletas para eventos competitivos no Brasil. A Análise de Conteúdo indicou que a criatividade depende de conhecimento, da habilidade para resolver problemas, assim como das formas diferenciadas utilizadas para se manifestar e expressar uma ideia envolvendo aspectos cognitivos e emocionais. Almejada por árbitros e técnicos da modalidade, a criatividade é uma capacidade percebida especialmente entre atletas de alto rendimento. O potencial criativo é importante para esses entrevistados, para que os atletas não apresentem performances iguais. Para eles, a dança requer expressividade, sendo a criatividade o que orienta esse desempenho, caso contrário, a dança seria descaracterizada. Para os técnicos, é o que vai diferenciar uma coreografia e para os árbitros, é o que pode subir a pontuação de um casal. A criatividade foi reconhecida, neste estudo, como uma forma diferente e inovadora para resolução de problemas e para imprimir aspectos artísticos e expressivos à Dança Esportiva. Na avaliação, isso é percebido subjetivamente, sendo dependente de acerto, bem como, de qualidades técnicas e rítmicas em harmonia. Devido à escassez de estudos a respeito, essa pesquisa salienta a necessidade de maior atenção por parte do meio acadêmico, pois vem sendo reconhecida como um esporte com potencial a ser inserido nas próximas olimpíadas e, portanto, tende a ganhar novos adeptos, podendo vir a desvelar outros aspectos relacionados à criatividade no âmbito esportivo....(AU)

This qualitative and quantitative study investigated the judgment of creativity, in the Dance Sport coaches and judges' point of view. The exploratory research was conducted by semi-structured interview applied individually to an intentional sample selected by convenience, composed by 06 six judges and four coaches of Dance Sport. All of them were ex athletes of this sport, of both sexes, aged between 28 and 59 years and experience of three to 11 years arbitrating Dance Sport competitions or training athletes for Brasilian competitive events. The Content Analysis and indicated that creativity depends on knowledge and on the ability to solve problems, as well as on the diff erent forms used to express an idea involving cognitive and emotional aspects. Creativity is desired by GR judges and coaches and it is especially perceived among high-performance athletes. The creative potential is important for these interviewees in order to not to show the performance in the same way. For them, dance requires expressiveness and creativity is the guide of this performance, otherwise, the dance would be uncharacterized. For the coaches, it is what will diff erentiate the choreography and for the judges, it is what can increase the score of the couple. Creativity has been recognized in this study as a diff erent and innovative way to solve a problem and to print the artistic and expressive aspects to Dance Sports. In the evaluation, creativity is subjectively perceived and depends on the accuracy as well as on the technical and rhythmic qualities in harmony. Due to the lack of studies in this regard, this research highlights the need for greater attention and new academic discussions, because this sport has been recognized for its potential to be inserted in the next Olympic Games and therefore, tends to achieve new fans and can reveal other aspects in sports scope....(AU)

Functional muscle asymmetries and laterality in Latin American formation dancers.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high popularity of Latin American dance and the specific movement patterns characteristic of this dance discipline, studies on the physical effects of these dance style specific movement patterns are still lacking. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study is to analyze strength level differences and shortening of relevant muscle groups resulting from formation dance, taking performance standard and gender into consideration. Furthermore, the correlation between the findings of muscle function tests (MFT) and the occurrence of lumbar spine complaints is evaluated. METHODS: A total of 66 participants (m: n= 31, f: n= 35) volunteered for this cross-sectional study (examination group, n= 39, m: n= 19, f: n= 20). The control group consisted of n= 27 participants (m: n= 12, f: n= 15). Besides isometric maximal strength tests (Digi Max system, mechaTronic), relevant muscle groups were examined for shortenings (hip flexors, hamstrings). RESULTS: The male participants in dance sport reached a significantly higher strength level in the muscles of the spine region (p= 0.011) than the participants of the control group. The female elite dance athletes developed a significantly higher strength level in the knee flexors on the right side than the dancers of the advanced group (NL) (p= 0.021). At that, muscle shortening were observed that seem to be specific to dance sport. In addition, gender specific differences were observed both in strength levels and in tendency to shortenings. CONCLUSION: The specific requirements profile of Latin American formation dance seems to produce affects in the form of muscular imbalance on both sides of the body. These differences of muscular status were mainly observed between dance sport competitors and non-dancers rather than between performance levels. Future investigations with higher numbers of participants would be necessary here.

A time-motion analysis of turns performed by highly ranked viennese waltz dancers.

Twenty-four dance couples performing at the 2011 IDSF (International DanceSport Federation) International Slovenia Open were divided into two groups: the first twelve placed couples (top ranked) and the last twelve placed couples (lower ranked). Video recordings were processed automatically using computer vision tracking algorithms under operator supervision to calculate movement parameters. Time and speed of movement were analysed during single natural (right) and reverse (left) turns performed during the Viennese waltz. Both top and lower ranked dancers tended to perform similar proportionate frequencies of reverse (≈ 35%) and natural (≈ 65%) turns. Analysis of reverse turns showed that the top ranked dancers performed less turns on a curved trajectory (16%) than the lower ranked dancers (33%). The top ranked couples performed all turns at similar speeds (F = 1.31, df = 3, p = 0.27; mean = 2.09m/s) all of which were significantly quicker than the lower ranked couples (mean = 1.94m/s), the greatest differences found for reverse turns (12.43% faster for curved trajectories, 8.42% for straight trajectories). This suggests that the ability to maintain a high speed in the more difficult turns, particularly the reverse turns on a curved trajectory, results in the overall dance appearing more fluent as the speed of movement does not fluctuate as much. This aspect of performance needs to be improved by lower ranked dancers if they wish to improve rating of their performance. Future research should determine which factors relate to the speed of turns.