Dance Science Research Articles

Prevalence of low bone mineral density in female dancers.

While some authors report that dancers have reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of osteoporosis, others have stressed the positive effects of dance training on developing healthy BMD. Given the existing controversy, the aim of this systematic review was to examine the best evidence-based information available in relation to female dancers. Four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus) and two dance science journals (Journal of Dance Medicine and Science and Medical Problems of Performing Artists) were searched for relevant material using the keywords "dance", "ballet", "BMD", "bone density", "osteoporosis" and "female athlete triad syndrome". A total of 257 abstracts were screened using selected inclusion (studies involving bone measurements in dancers) and exclusion (editorials, opinion papers, chapters in books, narrative reviews and non-English language papers) criteria according to PRISMA guidelines. Following the above screening, a total of 108 abstracts were identified as potentially relevant. After the exclusion of conference proceedings, review papers, studies focusing only in male dancers and studies in which dancers' information were combined with other athletes, the eligible papers were subsequently assessed using the GRADE system and grouped according to: (1) prevalence of low BMD and associated factors, (2) incidence of low BMD and risk factors, (3) prevention/treatment of low BMD in dancers, and (4) other studies. Of the 257 abstracts that were initially screened, only 35 studies were finally considered. Only one of these 35 was of high quality, while the remaining 34 were of relatively low quality. Seven studies reported prevalence of low BMD and associated factors, 10 reported associated factors with no prevalence data, while one reported prevalence with no associated factors data. One study cited risk factors, while another one elaborated on the treatment of low BMD in dancers. The remaining 15 studies were classified as "other studies". It remains unclear whether low BMD is prevalent in female dancers. The present review highlights the need for high-quality BMD research in this area.

Overuse, Tissue Fatigue, and Injuries

Research has provided abundant evidence that overtraining is associated with fatigue and subsequent injury. For many years, it has been axiomatic that the vast majority of dance injuries are the result of overuse, and that dancers frequently persist in movement activities in the presence of microscopic injury--i.e., "dance through" injuries. While it is well-established fact that rest and adequate nutrition are vital components of training and conditioning, for various reasons it remains problematic for dancers to assimilate these requirements into their daily regimen. This review article provides some physiologically and biomechanically based information about the causes, inter-relationships, and consequences of these fundamental premises in dance science.

Exercise-Induced Central Fatigue: A Review of the Literature with Implications for Dance Science Research

The complex interplay between cortical and subcortical networks essential to motor performance is altered when muscles fatigue. The construct of exercise-induced human muscle fatigue has been attributed largely to the loss of a peripheral muscle's ability to produce force. Far less understood is "central fatigue," the result of alterations in central nervous system function. Central fatigue manifests as inadequate motor drive to the muscles and can occur even at sub-maximal levels of voluntary force. This study reviews the literature on exercise-induced central fatigue and its impact on motor performance. In reviewing conditions that may contributed to central fatigue, it addresses perceived exertion and repetitive strain and their relationship to central fatigue. Evidence supporting possible training protocols designed to offset central fatigue, while speculative, will be cited as potential areas of investigation for dance scientists.

Introduction: Dance Art and Science

Introduction: Dance Art and Science

Performing Arts Medicine--Past, Present and Future

We have a lot to be proud of as we look back on the last three decades, as we look around at what is happening in the field of performing arts medicine now, and as we look forward to the potential that the future holds. From the early 1980s, when Dr. Brandfonbrener decided it was time to focus on improving the health of musicians by organizing the first Aspen meeting, to the first issue of this journal and the founding of the Performing Arts Medicine Association over the next 5 years, the founding of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science in 1990, and the Health Promotion in Schools of Music initiative in the last decade, performing arts medicine has enjoyed steady growth. As we work to design the future of performing artist health, it may be useful to look at a “sister” specialty that got an earlier start—-sports medicine.

Integrating somatics and science

After four decades of exploring various avenues of exchange, dance science and somatic education (somatics) face new challenges in integrating theory with practice. In earlier decades of interchange, these challenges largely revolved around finding compatibility between the somatic personal narrative and the positivist models prevalent in science. Today human movement science embraces phenomenology, neurophysiology and cognitive science, providing models for embodied learning. These fields of study have forged new pathways for dialogue and have offered new paradigms through which we can revisit and reimage long-held beliefs bearing on somatics and science in dance training. One emergent paradigm – embodied cognition – affords possibilities for integrating somatics with dance science. In this article, three academic educators raise questions bearing on the current potential for advancing the integration of somatics within dance science. They consider embodied cognition as one viable model of rigorous yet flexible study of somatics and science in dance.

Anatomy for Dance: An Expanded Design

The field of dance science offers a wealth of information that can enhance a dancer's training, contribute to a dancer's overall health maintenance, and assist in recovery from injury. Most dance curricula today require some study in anatomy and kinesiology as a way to help young dancers take advantage of knowledge gained from research in dance medicine and science. However, anatomy education often does not continue into the dance technique class. This article proposes that anatomy be taught in conjunction with the dance technique class so that dance students are better able to transfer scientific information into their dancing. The following discusses the scientific and philosophical reasons for this design, outlines a model and one possible way to integrate the proposed model into existing curricula, addresses possible curricular implications, and recommends that further research is needed to gain valuable support for this method.

Natural selection and the audition process: dance science in context. Monaco Dance Forum/Association Danse Médecine Recherche Colloquium, Monaco, 1–4 April 2010

The Monaco Dance Forum (MDF), a biennale of dance that takes place in the beautiful and affluent surroundings of Monte Carlo, has chosen this time to celebrate as its theme the centenary of the Bal...

Teaching at the Interface of Dance Science and Somatics

This article introduces a combined scientific and somatic approach to teaching and learning about the body, and explains how it can be of benefit to dancers and dance educators. The study of the science of movement (kinesiology) and a somatic approach to teaching are initially defined and described as distinct entities; following this, a model for integration of the two is presented. The authors advocate for such a combination in order to enhance dancing.

Development of the “Performance Competence Evaluation Measure”

The aim of this study was to develop a measurement tool, the “Performance Competence Evaluation Measure” (PCEM), for the evaluation of qualitative aspects of dance performance. The project had two phases. In the first phase a literature review was conducted to examine 1. the previous development of similar measurement tools, 2. descriptions of dance technique and dance performance applicable to the development of a qualitative measurement tool, and 3. theoretical models from somatic practices that evaluate and assess qualitative aspects of movement and dance activity. The second phase involved the development of a system for using PCEM, and testing its validity and reliability. Three judges from the professional dance community volunteered to test PCEM with a sample of 20 subjects from low-intermediate to advanced classes at a university dance program. The subjects learned a dance combination and were videotaped performing it on two separate occasions, eight weeks apart. The judges reviewed the videos in random order. Logical validity of PCEM was established through assessment by two faculty members of the university dance department and the three judges. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability demonstrated correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.94, respectively. It was concluded that PCEM can serve as a useful measurement tool for future dance science research.

Teaching and Technique in Dance Medicine and Science: A Descriptive Study with Implications for Dance Educators

The scientific basis of human movement has been studied by dance students, teachers, and researchers in the United States since Margaret H'Doubler established the first dance major at the University of Wisconsin in 1926. Since then, students, faculty, practitioners, and researchers have applied a scientific line of inquiry toward dance movement and training. In the 1980s, medical practitioners and researchers involved with dance populations joined this scientific approach movement. This article is a descriptive study that catalogs and details peer-reviewed articles under the topic headings of teaching and technique. With 229 listed publications, teaching and technique are popular topics. This study delimits analysis of these publications to those in peer-reviewed journals, narrowing the field to 59 articles. In this study, research was organized three ways: 1. by the type of research (descriptive studies, analytical studies, experimental studies), 2. by the identification of interests (area of interest and agent of change, item of interest and type of analysis, dependent and independent variables), and 3. into four main themes (participant health, teaching effectiveness, quality of learning and performance, and the field of dance education). Findings are organized into tables for easy navigation and reference. It is hoped that accessibility to and easy navigation through this research will provide teachers with information and support toward informed choices and healthy classrooms. The ultimate aim is to provide a starting place from which dance students, educators, and researchers can develop their own dance medicine and science inquiries into teaching and technique.

Inflecting Particles: Locating generative indexes for performance in the interstices of dance and computer science

Opening Particles move across a screen with luscious consistency, spilling inky trails behind them, twisting, swirling traces of their motions and a partial record of their performance… her fingers reach out, slice into the air behind her pulling other bones and joints and tissues along in quick succession, falling through space, a fleeting spiral in the air around her… hours pass as he writes algorithmic functions, connects many boxes with many lines, inserts randomness, tweaks, and adjusts numbers, solves innumerable problems and finally can perform the results… letters and numbers cascade down the screen, ragged columns showing the way through a tangle of information, reducing and directing, pointing, gesturing toward possible understanding… and a space opens up, it is a space of wet and dry, of breath and code, of practice and theory, of performance and possibility…

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga for Treating Type 2 Diabetes: A Preliminary Study

Alternative and Complementary TherapiesVol. 10, No. 4 ArticlesSudarshan Kriya Yoga for Treating Type 2 Diabetes: A Preliminary StudyVaishali V. Agte and Kirtan TarwadiVaishali V. AgteSearch for more papers by this author and Kirtan TarwadiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:25 Aug 2004https://doi.org/10.1089/1076280041580323AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byThe Effect of Yoga on the Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials14 July 2022 | Frontiers in Nutrition, Vol. 9Yoga for Primary and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease27 May 2022Role of Yoga in Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Its Complications27 May 2022The effects of yoga among adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysisPreventive Medicine, Vol. 105The effect of yoga practice on glycemic control and other health parameters in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A systematic review and meta-analysisComplementary Therapies in Medicine, Vol. 28Role of yoga for patients with type II diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysisComplementary Therapies in Medicine, Vol. 25Yoga for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Controlled TrialsJournal of Diabetes Research, Vol. 2016The Effect of Yoga Training on the Body Composition and Serum Lipids and Blood Inflammatory Markers of Obese Middle-aged WomenOfficial Journal of the Koeran Society of Dance Science, Vol. 32, No. 3Effect of Nutrition and Exercise Modification Therapy on Metabolism Efficiency of Middle-aged Women Through ConvergenceJournal of Digital Convergence, Vol. 13, No. 5Effects of yoga on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysisInternational Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 173, No. 2Yoga for Preventive, Curative, and Promotive Health and Performance22 July 2014Efficacy of yoga based life style modification program on medication score and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes—a randomized control study1 August 2012 | International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, Vol. 32, No. 3Comprehensive yogic breathing program improves quality of life in patients with diabetesIndian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol. 16, No. 3Hatha Yoga Practices: Energy Expenditure, Respiratory Changes and Intensity of ExerciseEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 2011“I Could Move Mountains”16 September 2010 | The Diabetes Educator, Vol. 36, No. 6Exercise prescription and the patient with type 2 diabetes: A clinical approach to optimizing patient outcomesJournal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 22, No. 4Effect of exercise therapy on lipid profile and oxidative stress indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes13 May 2008 | BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 8, No. 1Contextualizing the Effects of Yoga Therapy on Diabetes ManagementFamily & Community Health, Vol. 31, No. 3Sudarshan Kriya Yoga for Improving Antioxidant Status and Reducing Anxiety in Adults Vaishali Vilas Agte and Shashi Ajit Chiplonkar18 April 2008 | Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Vol. 14, No. 2Diabetes and complementary therapies: mapping the evidence1 January 2007 | Practical Diabetes International, Vol. 24, No. 7 Volume 10Issue 4Aug 2004 Information© 2004 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Vaishali V. Agte and Kirtan Tarwadi.Sudarshan Kriya Yoga for Treating Type 2 Diabetes: A Preliminary Study.Alternative and Complementary Therapies.Aug 2004.220-222.http://doi.org/10.1089/1076280041580323Published in Volume: 10 Issue 4: August 25, 2004PDF download

“Critical Thinking” in Dance Science Education

High expectations for the transformative influence of dance science education on dance training exist among experts in the field. In order to realize these goals, dance science educators must foster the development of critical thinking skills in their students. Dance science teaching methodology is presented that is based on the premise that learning to think critically involves the integration of three forms of knowledge: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognition.

The metabolic syndrome: a practical guide to origins and treatment: Part II.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of metabolic abnormalities with insulin resistance as a major characteristic, has gone by several names over the past two decades. The diagnostic criteria proposed by the Adult Treatment Program III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) have led to greater awareness of the components and treatment strategies.1 Five diagnostic traits are listed in the ATP III version of the MetS (Table; referred to as the “metabolic syndrome”), and the presence of any 3 of these factors is considered sufficient for diagnosis. This practical review will consider each in turn, providing advice for cardiologists, internists, and other health care providers who are diagnosing and treating persons with the syndrome in an effort to prevent a variety of clinical outcomes. View this table: Diagnostic Criteria for the Metabolic Syndrome The major adverse consequence of the MetS is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several of the metabolic abnormalities associated with the syndrome, in fact, are CVD risk factors. One of these abnormalities, insulin resistance, also predisposes to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In age-adjusted estimates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III in 1998 to 1994, approximately 24% of adult Americans had ≥3 of the 5 MetS criteria. Key determinants of greater prevalence were age and ethnicity. Prevalence rates were highest in Mexican Americans and were successively lower in white, African American and other racial groups.2 These published estimates included persons with diabetes mellitus who had met the 1998 fasting glucose criteria (≥126 mg/dL [8.0 mmol/L]) of the American Diabetes Association.3 This article will focus on the features of the MetS in persons without diabetes mellitus, although most persons with T2DM also have the MetS. Moreover, the therapeutic approaches to metabolic risk factors described here also can be applied to …

Strengths and Vífeaknesses of Current Methods for Evaluating the Aerobic Power of Dancers

The methods of measuring aerobic power in dance is reviewed. The underlying metabolic pathways used during dance class and performance are examined and, in conclusion, dance has been classified as an intermittent form of exercise. The relevancy of measuring maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in relation to intermit-tent exercise is discussed with regard to other sports. Previous dance VO2max data is examined in relationship to other exercise forms and it is shown to be comparable to results in other non-endurance sports. The limitations of graded exercise tests with regards to extrapolating oxygen data from heart rates during dance has been highlighted as a flaw in a number of previous research studies and a limitation to be aware of in future re-search. Due to the infancy of dance science, the availability of valid and reliable laboratory and field tests are limited and, therefore, until further research is done, there needs to be a reliance on tests de-veloped in the health and sport environ-ments. Such tests should be graded, either in speed or gradient, with stages of at least 3 minutes and be weight-bearing. Even though no research to date has shown that dancers with improved VO2max perform better, the review suggests that both the aerobic and anaerobic systems need to be stressed to a greater extent than seen presently within dance class.

Utterance 5 Mesh Performance Partnerships

Mesh Performance Partnerships [http://mesh.org.uk] works in the hybrid region of performance and new media technologies. The artists involved with Mesh have a variety of skills and backgrounds, including dance, theatre, media art, architecture, photography and computer science.

Somatic Authority and the Myth of the Ideal Body in Dance Education

Recently, the field of somatics has provided dance scholarship with a growing body of literature. Research has been conducted in the areas of dance science and education. Dance medicine and somatic education scholars have been able to help dance teachers find ways of using the body effectively in technique classes. For example, Glenna Batson (1990, 1993) and Sylvie Fortin (1993, 1995) have investigated the role of somatics in the improvement of technical dance skills. Further, Fortin (1995) has investigated learning and teaching theory as applied to somatics and dance pedagogy.As a somaticist and educator, I acknowledge and appreciate the impressive work conducted by these researchers and educators. However, my current work moves somatics into another direction. I am interested in looking at somatic theory and practice through a socio-cultural lens. I am particularly interested in investigating how the body is shaped by society and the dance world, in which performers constantly strive for perfection.

Dance Science Considerations for Dance Educators

(1998). Dance Science Considerations for Dance Educators. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 61-63.

Screening for Functional Capacity in Dancers Designing Standardized, Dance-Specific Injury Prevention Screening Tools

Well-designed screening tools that measure functional capacity in dancers can yield powerful objective data for the dance educator and clinician. Integrating concepts from the broader disciplines of epidemiology, outcomes, and ergonomics, dance science professionals can develop specific tests to establish normative values for their group in order to set injury-prevention, training adaptation, and skill-acquisition goals with individual dancers. Suggestions for standardization procedures to enhance comparisons within and between dance populations are presented along with examples of traditional and dance-specific screening tests.