Classical Ballet Research Articles

Virtual Democracy: Online Ballet and Contemporary Dance Classes During the Covid-19 Crisis

This article considers the politics and dynamics of online ballet and contemporary dance classes during the Covid-19 lockdown on geo-political, economic, and cultural implications of dance classes in digital media. Using a post-colonial lens and popular dance studies, this research analyzes the effect of the online ballet and contemporary classes colonizing digital spaces and the effect of this phenomenon on creating a more democratic and participatory access to dance that has built a more global and inclusive engagement with the arts for geographically peripheral spaces. This essay investigates the kind of common created by kinaesthetic experience of the dancers teaching and participating in the classes in digital media providing a key strategy to analyze the participatory embodiment of dancers as a radical, material, corporeal challenge to the hierarchies of the dance world, and furthermore, the economic dynamics that shape it.

Body Image and Mirror Exposure: The Impact of Partial versus Full Mirror Use on Beginner-level Ballet Students

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of partial versus full mirror use on body image in a beginner-level ballet class. At the end of a seven-week period, researchers distributed an online survey inclusive of qualitative questions to two groups of female collegiate students enrolled in separate beginner-level ballet courses taught by the same professor. One group had full access to the mirror during class, while the other only had access to the mirror during center work. Results show that differences occurred between the two groups regarding how comfortable students felt in their ballet attire, how they sensed their bodies changing over the course of the semester, how they utilized the mirror during class, and how they understood the mirror’s purpose in relationship to their embodied practices. Ultimately, students with less mirror time experienced more holistic, full-body transformations by the end of the seven-week period.

Is the health risk and consequence of generalised joint hypermobility understood within a classical ballet narrative? Concerns for dance practitioners

ABSTRACT Generalised Joint Hypermobility (GJH) is a heritable disorder of the connective tissue that manifests as extreme range of motion in the joints; it is considered both an asset and health risk to the dancer. Recently, links between GJH, anxiety, emotional and mental wellbeing have been established. The experiences of GJH in professional dance artists (five male, four female; mean age = 32.3 yrs; range = 25–40 yrs) and Ballet masters (3 female & 1 male, mean experience 30.8 yrs.) were exploredthrough semi-structured interviews (45-60 min). A biopsychosocial filter and qualitative reflective thematic approach were appliedto the analysis. Emerging themes include; hypermobile aesthetic, professional values and preconceptions, choreographic trends, company strategies, intellectual curiosity, pedagogy and leadership. Participants agreed dancers with GJH characteristics met the direction and desired aesthetic for today’s dance companies and choreographers. They showed a good understanding of the strengths and challenges of GJH but did not directly associate any psychosocial traits . The findings demonstrate that whilst commonly exploited for choreographic gains, the health risks and experience of GJH are not understood in the professional dance environment. Finally, we translate the practical implications of our findings for teaching dance in developmental environments.

Relationships Between Lateral Limb Bias, Turnout, and Lower Limb Injury in a Female Pre-Professional Ballet Dancer Population.

Dancers are known to have specific limb preferences when they dance and commonly experience lower limb injury, especially early in their training. The primary aim of this study was to determine and examine the relationships between lateral limb bias, perceived turnout profile, and lower limb injury history in female pre-professional ballet dancers using current definitions of lateral bias, leg dominance, and the concept of "working" and "supporting" legs in dance. A cross-sectional survey design with retrospective recall of 12-month injury history was employed. An online questionnaire was distributed to female dancers between the ages of 16 and 21 years who were training in classical ballet at the pre-professional level in Australia. The questionnaire gathered information regarding laterality, perceived turnout asymmetry, and self-reported 12-month injury profile. Descriptive and correlation analyses were employed to describe dancer profiles and determine relationships between the three variables. Thirty-two dancers participated. The majority of participants (67%) had right-side dominance and most indicated the right leg as their preferred supporting leg (86.7%) and working leg (60%). A total of 17 participants (53.1%) reported at least one injury in the preceding 12-month period and the side injured was significantly correlated with leg dominance (rS = 0.595, p = 0.012), with the majority of injuries also affecting the preferred supporting and working leg. Dancer perceptions regarding turnout range were correlated with their perceptions of leg dominance (rS = 0.556, p = 0.001), but no statistically significant associations were found between perceptions of turnout range and injury side. In pre-professional dancers, the dominant and the preferred supporting or working leg tend to be the same leg, and the results suggest that the dominant and preferred supporting and working leg of dancers are at greatest risk of injury.

Injury Characteristics in Pre-Professional Modern Dancers - Prospective Study of Differences Due to Sex, Training Year, and External Causal Mechanisms.

As efforts to improve surveillance and decrease injury rates in pre-professional dancer's progress, it is important to identify injury patterns and contexts. The aim of this study was to examine sex, training-based injury characteristics, and external causal mechanisms of injury among pre-professional modern dancers. Using a prospective cohort study design, 180 dancers (females = 140, males = 40, age 18.15 ± 0.68 years) were screened at freshman enrollment and followed for the 4 years of their college training. Injury, defined as medical attention injury (MAI) or time-loss injury (TLI), was classified by diagnosis, tissue category, body region, and incident event (action and dance environment). Negative binomial log-linear analyses evaluated injury rates by sex and training year. Multinomial regression compared injury characteristics and incident events, p < 0.05. Sex characteristics differed in height, mass, years of dance training, and previous injury (p ≤ 0.037). Total, traumatic, and overuse injuries per 1,000 hours decreased across training years for both injury definitions, p < 0.001, with no sex differences. In year 1, dancers were more likely to sustain muscle, tendon, and bone injuries (p ≤ 0.008) and to injure leg, ankle, foot, and hip, thigh, and knee regions (p ≤ 0.001). Jumping and running was the most commonly cited action mechanism in MAI and TLI in both sexes. Females were more likely to report alignment in MAI and TLI and jumping and running in TLI. Males were 1.4 times more likely to sustain muscle or tendon MAI (p = 0.006), while reporting partnering in MAI. Ballet class and rehearsals accounted for the majority of attributed dance environment mechanisms in MAI and TLI. Injury rates in pre-professional modern dancers decreased with training. Understanding sex, training, and external causal mechanisms will allow teachers to tailor programs to reduce injuries during training.

Wellness Monitoring for Professional Ballet Dancers - A Pilot Study.

Self-report wellness measures are used extensively in elite sport as valid indicators of the adaptive responses to training and performance of an athlete. Wellness parameters such as quality and quantity of sleep, muscle soreness, fatigue, and stress are monitored in professional sport via Athlete Management Systems (AMS) and self-report monitoring applications (App). However, the use of a monitoring App specifically for professional classical ballet dancers has not been tested. This study piloted a self-report App to measure wellness constructs in a professional ballet company. Three male and two female dancers volunteered to take part in the mixed-method study, entering daily wellness data, frequency of work-related activities, and injury status into an App on their smart phones. Via a focus group interview session, perceptions of wellness and experiences using the App were found to be favorable, with dancers reporting that the App enhanced awareness of their well-being. To further develop monitoring tools in professional ballet companies, it is recommended that the App be made specific to the wellness needs of dancers.

Bolshoi Theater School in Rio De Janeiro: Integration Between Art, Education, Architecture

The present project is the result of reflection on themes such as classical ballet, art, traditional teaching in Brazil and architecture, how each one is related and how to insert them in the composition of an architectural project, having been presented as a requirement for obtaining a degree from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at UFRJ. A concept was sought that could bring together all the design intentions and that would make the correlation between the art of classical ballet, the art of architecture and the program of needs for the enterprise. The art of designing should not simply follow rigid patterns, parameters and forms and, in this context, we sought to develop a fluid, light architecture that had characteristics of the arts and classical ballet. For this, it was verified the way that the dancer’s body performs the ballet steps and how the axis of this body allows the movements and the fluidity of the steps of the choreography. There is no “right or wrong” when carrying out a project, what needs to be taken into account are the guidelines, needs and specifications for each public, physical space or local culture. The Bolshoi Ballet School project in Rio de Janeiro adds knowledge in dance, with practical and theoretical classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, flamenco, tap and folk dances to high school training held in Brazil. Students learn video and music techniques, in addition to having practical and theoretical music classes, which further expands their dance training, making them more complete dancers.

12. Managing the Changes in the 21st Century Performing Art. Methods of Eliminating Social Barriers in the Consumption of Classical Music Performances

Abstract In the unfortunate circumstances of the current declining consume of classical music, the intention to facilitate the access of the young, uneducated audience to classical music is becoming increasingly visible in the practices of the local, national and international cultural operators. Identifying the optimal methods around which unconventional, innovating artistic events can develop is essential in order to shape the audience of the future. The consumer needs to be educated progressively in order to accept what some call “elite art”. The mediation of the education process must be initiated from a point that places the audience in a comfortable position, even though this may, on the other hand, represent a compromise for the artists. From this perspective, the classical artistic product must become flexible, must outgrow patterns as well as traditional social constraints and adapt in order to be closer to the community. The research relies on a survey involving a sample group of 571 people, study aimed to measure the individuals’ propensity to consume symphonic music, opera and classical ballet. The mission consisted in highlighting the reasons that cause consumers to move away from classical music as well as searching for solutions to lure them and win their loyalty, in order to be transformed into an educated audience capable of understanding and processing artistic emotions.

Sagittal Integral Morphotype of Female Classical Ballet Dancers and Predictors of Sciatica and Low Back Pain.

The aims of this study were to describe the sagittal integral morphotype (SIM) of classical ballet (CB) dancers, and to establish predictor factors and their cut off values for high risk of experiencing sciatica or low back pain (LBP). This retrospective cohort study was performed in 33 female professional CB dancers. Data related to anthropometric parameters, CB dance experience, sciatica or LBP history, and sagittal spine curvatures were collected. A binary logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic analysis were performed. The main spine misalignments observed in the SIM of CB dancers were thoracic functional hyperkyphosis, hypomobile kyphosis, and hypokyphosis, and those for the lumbar curvature were hyperlordotic attitude and functional hyperkyphosis. The lumbar curvature in slump sitting and trunk forward bending positions, together with the stature, were significant predictor factors of sciatica history, while the years of dance experience was a significant predictor factor of LBP history. The cut off values analysis revealed that dancers with a stature of 161 cm or less, and those with 14 years of experience or more, have a greater probability of experiencing sciatica or LBP history, respectively.

발레수업에서의 라이브사운드기법(LST)을 적용한 발레전공자의 경험적 탐색

This study attempted to empirically explore ballet majors who applied the live sound technique(LST) from ballet class. The results obtained in this study through this process are as follows. First, as a result of dividing and categorizing the process of psychological changes following participation in the LST application program into 28 areas, 13 sub-factors of relaxation, stability, excitement, confidence, emotional expression, empathy, emotional utilization, internal expression, external expression, concentration, body immersion, new immersion experience, and degree of experience were derived as sub-topics. The major topics including these sub-factors were categorized and systematized into the three categories of positive emotion, expressive ability, and immersion. Second, as a result of dividing and categorizing the processes of physical and technical change after participation in the LST application program into 26 areas, 5 sub-factors of movement performance, body condition, movement skill, movement expression, and musicality were derived as sub-topics. The major topics including these sub-factors were categorized and systematized into two categories of physical and technical areas.

The Impact of Dance-Specific Neuromuscular Conditioning and Injury Prevention Training on Motor Control, Stability, Balance, Function and Injury in Professional Ballet Dancers: A Mixed-Methods Quasi-Experimental Study.

BackgroundProfessional ballet dancers suffer high injury rates and are less likely than other athletes to specifically train to improve muscular strength, coordination, agility, speed and motor control because of heavy training demands, aesthetic appearances and financial barriers.Hypothesis/PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a supplemental conditioning program on professional and pre-professional contemporary ballet dancers. The authors hypothesized that those participating in a training program would reduce injury rate by improving their motor control, stability, balance and physical function. The authors aimed to observe the feasibility and qualitative phenomena related to a conditioning program from the dancer’s perspective.Study DesignA mixed-methods study; within subject quasi-experimental design and qualitative interviews.MethodsSix professional classical and contemporary ballet dancers completed the five-week conditioning and injury prevention training program. Non-parametric analysis of baseline, posttest and four-month follow-up physical performance measures, subjective outcomes, and qualitative follow-up interviews, were reported.ResultsSignificant post-test improvements included: The Dance Functional Outcome Survey (Z= -2.2, p= 0.04), composite Modified Star Excursion Balance Test (Z= -2.2, p= 0.03 bilaterally), Single Leg Hop for Distance (Z= -2.02, p= 0.04), and Upper Extremity Closed Kinetic Chain Test (Z=-2.03, p= 0.04). Significant changes from baseline to the four-month follow up remained for: (1) Dance Functional Outcome Survey (Z= -2.2, p= 0.03), (2) Single Leg Hop for Distance (Z= -2.2, p= 0.03), and (3) Modified Star Excursion Balance Test composite maximum reach for the left lower extremity (Z= -2.2, p= 0.03).ConclusionCompleting a conditioning and prevention program for professional ballet dancers was related to improved function, balance, hop distance/stability and upper extremity stability. Dancers found the program beneficial, identified barriers to participation, and elucidated factors making the program feasible and successful. More research is necessary to determine the effect of such programs on injury incidence.Level of evidence3b

An Updated Systematic Review of Turnout Position Assessment Protocols Used in Dance Medicine and Science Research.

Turnout, or external rotation of the lower limbs, is an integral part of classical ballet technique. Contributions of lower limb structures to turnout can be separated into HER (hip external rotation) and NHCTO (non-hip contributions to turnout). This study aimed to review systematically methods used to measure turnout in dance medicine and science research, thereby updating the literature since the Champion and Chatfield review of 2008. CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched in January 2018 by two independent reviewers. Peer-reviewed studies measuring turnout in dance were included, except those published prior to March 23, 2006, as that was the last date of publication included in the previous review. Abstracts, theses, and editorials were excluded. From each study, study design, population (sample size, sex, age, genre of dance, and level of training), details of the protocol used, and result of turnout measurement were extracted, as well as reliability data. All included studies were assessed for risk of bias, using either Newcastle-Ottawa scale, AXIS tool, or PEDro scale as appropriate for each study design. A total of 41 studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight studies measured HER, nine measured NCHTO, and 22 measured total turnout (TTO). An increased number of studies investigated TTO (N = 22; N = 4 passive TTO) and NHCTO (N = 9) since 2006. All studies scored above half the points attainable from their respective tools. Results suggest HER remains the most common protocol for measuring turnout (N = 28), despite the fact it disregards input from structures below the hip. It is concluded that researchers should focus on quality of reporting of protocols to ensure repeatability and facilitate comparison of results. Future studies should include absolute reliability and validity testing of all currently used protocols so that standardization can be fully achieved.

Egy táncművészeti módszertani program bevezetésének vizsgálata a közoktatásban

In the EFOP-3.2.6-16 Tender framework to Facilitate the Development of Student’ Skills in the Public Education System, the Hungarian Dance University developed a program with methodological guides and teacher training programs for ballroom dance, classical ballet, commercial dance, folk dance, and modern dance education. The training, held in 2018 and 2019, was attended by 126 graduate dance teachers from 57 public education institutions, mainly primary art schools. In this research, those teachers’ experiences are examined who included the methodological program in the 2019/2020 school year. For data collecting, an online questionnaire of 27 items was used. The questions covered three major topics: (1) opinion of teachers about the training; (2) incorporating new methodological materials into everyday practice; (3) the relationship between differentiation, talent management, and disadvantage compensation with the new methodology. Most teachers (n=103) have already incorporated the new methods into their practice, primarily for diversity, innovation, and experiential pedagogy. Still, there have also been teachers who have modified the original methodology to implement differentiation, talent management, and disadvantage compensation more effectively.

Vitamin D and Stress Fractures in Sport: Preventive and Therapeutic Measures-A Narrative Review.

There are numerous risk factors for stress fractures that have been identified in literature. Among different risk factors, a prolonged lack of vitamin D (25(OH)D) can lead to stress fractures in athletes since 25(OH)D insufficiency is associated with an increased incidence of a fracture. A 25(OH)D value of <75.8 nmol/L is a risk factor for a stress fracture. 25(OH)D deficiency is, however, only one of several potential risk factors. Well-documented risk factors for a stress fracture include female sex, white ethnicity, older age, taller stature, lower aerobic fitness, prior physical inactivity, greater amounts of current physical training, thinner bones, 25(OH)D deficiency, iron deficiency, menstrual disturbances, and inadequate intake of 25(OH)D and/or calcium. Stress fractures are not uncommon in athletes and affect around 20% of all competitors. Most athletes with a stress fracture are under 25 years of age. Stress fractures can affect every sporty person, from weekend athletes to top athletes. Stress fractures are common in certain sports disciplines such as basketball, baseball, athletics, rowing, soccer, aerobics, and classical ballet. The lower extremity is increasingly affected for stress fractures with the locations of the tibia, metatarsalia and pelvis. Regarding prevention and therapy, 25(OH)D seems to play an important role. Athletes should have an evaluation of 25(OH)D -dependent calcium homeostasis based on laboratory tests of 25-OH-D3, calcium, creatinine, and parathyroid hormone. In case of a deficiency of 25(OH)D, normal blood levels of ≥30 ng/mL may be restored by optimizing the athlete’s lifestyle and, if appropriate, an oral substitution of 25(OH)D. Very recent studies suggested that the prevalence of stress fractures decreased when athletes are supplemented daily with 800 IU 25(OH)D and 2000 mg calcium. Recommendations of daily 25(OH)D intake may go up to 2000 IU of 25(OH)D per day.

Балетмейстер Ф. В. Лопухов: штрихи к портрету (к 135-летию со дня рождения)

135th anniversary of Honorary balletmaster of Russia Fedor V. Lopukhov is the reason for writing this article. Honoring the legacy of a choreographer and theorist of choreographic art, whose popularity was high in the 1920–1960s, a recognition of respect and worship to a person who sought new ways of developing the national classical ballet theatre is in great demand nowadays. From 1922 to 1930, F. V. Lopukhov held a position as the head of ballet at the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, currently known as the Mariinsky. Lopukhov created a variety of innovative ballets, among them famous productions of „Ice maiden”,„Pulcinella”,„A tale of a Fox, a Rooster, a Cat and a Ram”,„Nutcracker”,„Bolt”. Some of the productions were phenomenally successful and remained in the repertoire for many years, while other new works were not appreciated within a post-revolutionary culture. The stage elements and movements invented by Lopukhov influenced the further development of the entire art of ballet. The article shows how difficult the creative life of F. V. Lopukhov was full of “ups and downs” in a complicated historical and cultural era for everyone.

The Traditional and the Innovative in the Dramaturgy and Composition of Béla Bartók’s Ballets

This article investigates the development of the 20th century ballet genre on the example of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881—1945). The study aims to reveal the features of B. Bartók’s ballets in the context of trends in Western European art of the 20th century and to show the composer’s innovative techniques. The article identifies specific musical formative means that reflect the genre definition of “pantomime”, and emphasizes his innovation. The early 20th century ballet art is an extremely bright phenomenon associated with the active search for new ways of developing the genre, which took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Classical ballet, which had reached its peak in the works of the Russian ballet school and the works of M. Petipa, was suddenly recognized as outdated and unviable. The new generation of choreographers sought to refute, to a certain extent, the genre’s old laws. The idea of searching for new means of expression became the leading one, and the canon of classical choreography was replaced by pantomime and a new unusual dance technique, which later became known as modern dance. B. Bartók’s ballets “The Wooden Prince” (1917) and “The Miraculous Mandarin” (1919) are examples of the new type of ballet performance of the early 20th century. The article shows that the composer focused on creating a symphonic score corresponding to the ideas of pantomime. His appeal to this had been primarily dictated by the librettos themselves, in which B. Balázs and M. Lengyel had defined the work character in this way. Naturally, the rejection of classical ballet’s traditional forms influenced the works’ compositional features. The article demonstrates that the scores of “The Wooden Prince” and “The Miraculous Mandarin” are distinguished by a new approach to the musical structure, in which the principles of instrumental forms play a significant role. At the same time, each of the ballets expresses the dialectical pair of “canon and heuristic” in its own way: “The Wooden Prince” retains to a certain extent the flair of classical ballet; in “The Miraculous Mandarin”, this genre pattern is violated almost ostentatiously. In this work, B. Bartók’s appeal to such an anti-classical subject reflects the era’s new trends associated with the artistic movement of expressionism. In the Hungarian composer’s ballets, the dualism of the traditional and the innovative gives rise to a different type of ballet score itself.

The Briarwood Ballet: An Artistic Expansion

Synopsis: Briarwood Ballet in Birmingham, Alabama, was a non-profit organization that provided classical ballet and contemporary dance classes under a mission of spreading the Christian gospel through dance. In late 2015 Executive Director Peggy Townes was considering whether Briarwood Ballet should attempt to target a wider, more secular audience through additional performances. A move in this direction would have administrative, artistic, staffing, and financial implications. It could also heighten the tension between the religious mission of the organization and Peggy’s desire to have Briarwood Ballet be viewed as a professional ballet troupe with quality equal to that of secular dance companies. Research Methodology: This field case was written based on first-person interviews conducted over a period of four months (January to April, 2015) with follow-up interviews (October and December, 2015). These interviews were conducted both in person and over the phone, with follow-up information provided through email. In addition, Briarwood Ballet provided source documents, including financial, marketing, and administrative material. The case authors also used the company’s external website (http://briarwood.org/ballet) as a source of information as well as secondary sources to gain insight into the overall industry and the Birmingham community. None of the information provided in the case is disguised. Relevant Courses and Levels: This case would be most appropriate for capstone courses in strategic/general management for undergraduate students. It would also be highly applicable for specialized business courses in nonprofit management and arts management. It can be positioned early on in a strategic management course to help students get familiar with case analysis while focusing on the role of a mission in an organization. It is designed to be used in a 75-90-minute class. Theoretical Basis: This case is focused on the role of mission and vision in nonprofits as linked to strategic analysis and planning. It builds on a number of theoretical models related to mission analysis and strategy creation as outlined in detail in the instructor’s manual.

Effects of dance on mood and potential of dance as a mental health intervention

Background Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in people having to find new ways to exercise. One such way is dance, an activity that can be undertaken at home and adapted to suit most people’s abilities. Dance has been shown to have physical and psychological benefits, but little is known about the effect of dance on mood according to dance style.Aim To explore the effect of dance on mood in two groups of participants – one engaging in ballet and the other in tap – compared with a control group, and to assess whether the effect of dance on mood differs depending on dance style.Methods Eighty-two participants (78 females) recruited from three dance schools and clubs in the Midlands and the north-east of England completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) mood scale. Participants in the intervention groups completed the PANAS before and after participating in a ballet class or a tap class. Participants in the control group completed the PANAS before and after a one-hour wait in a similar environment to the two dance groups.Results Participating in a dance class, whether ballet or tap, resulted in greater improvements in mood than being in the control group. Both age and dance class status predicted improved mood, but age was a stronger predictor than dance class status. There was no statistically significant difference in mood improvements between those attending a ballet class and those attending a tap class.Conclusion Dance may offer a way of enhancing mood, particularly for those who are restricted to exercising at home. Mental health nurses could consider using dance as a mental health intervention in addition to more traditional therapeutic approaches, potentially as a social prescription intervention.

Dance, Bravo! Magazine, the Education of the Public: cultural reverberations of pedagogical ideas

ABSTRACT In order to analyze the relationships between dance and education from a perspective not limited to teaching the artistic practice, this study examined articles on dance published in the cultural magazine Bravo! (1997 to 2013). From the categorization of three major themes - classical ballet and its disciplinary content; ethnic and popular aspects of Brazilian contemporary dance; and the building of an audience for dance - an analysis of the material verified the emergence of a pedagogical bias in the magazine’s discourse, expressed in a proliferation of imperatives aimed at educating the dance audience.

Тенденции эпохи в последнем балете Мариуса Петипа «Волшебное зеркало»

Based on well-known and research materials about the creation, preparation, premiere and perception of The Magic Mirror ballet (choreography by M. Petipa, music by A. Koreshchenko, 1903), a culturalogical perspective of this phenomenon is proposed. This perspective is also applied to many components of the synthetic whole — music, scenography. As well as for the analysis of significant trends in changes in ballet toposes and their interpretations, ballet pantomime and its (as, in general, the classical ballet’ poetics) hypothetical impact onto silent movies.