A Time-Motion Analysis of Turns Performed by Highly Ranked Viennese Waltz Dancers

Jerneja Prosen,Janez Perš,Lygeri Dimitriou,Nic James,Goran Vučković

doi:10.2478/hukin-2013-0025

Jerneja Prosen, Janez Perš + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2013-0025

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Abstract

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.

Highlights

Competitive dance (DanceSport) consists of Latin-American and ballroom disciplines, both of which include five dances that contribute to the final score attributed to dance couples
The top ranked dancers performed less of their reverse turns on a curved trajectory (16%; i.e. 5.7/(5.7+29.4)) than straight (84%), which was a lower proportion than the lower ranked dancers (33%; i.e. 12.1/(12.1+24.2))
Whilst both top and lower ranked dancers tended to perform similar proportionate frequencies of reverse (≈35%) and natural (≈ 65%) turns the top ranked dancers performed less reverse turns on a curved trajectory (16%) than the lower ranked dancers (33%). This suggests that top level dancers choreograph their routine in a way that reduces the frequency of the reverse turns on a curved trajectory, whereas lower level dancers were less able to do this

Summary

Introduction

Competitive dance (DanceSport) consists of Latin-American and ballroom disciplines, both of which include five dances that contribute to the final score attributed to dance couples. To be a successful dancer, a couple must move as one, trying to maintain fluid movements in time with the music, regardless of changes in direction and planned pathways (Kassing and Jay, 2003). This is undertaken in the presence of other dancers (Tremayne and Ballinger, 2008) who occupy the dance floor at the same time and trajectories cannot be completely planned in advance. The Viennese waltz is the classic original waltz involving continuous turns, where couples rotate around each other, danced at a tempo of 5860 bars (180 beats) per minute. This is characterized by powerful rotational body movements on the first beat of each bar, by swaying toward the centre of turns, with couples rising high on the toes of both feet during the

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