Folk Dancers Research Articles

Does body appreciation and eating awareness change in artists who perform different dance styles: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Dancers’ dissatisfaction with body appreciation leads to a change in their awareness of eating and an increase in health risks associated with malnutrition. Identifying the causes of these problems can help improve performance and general well-being levels in dancers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the body appreciation levels of the dancers and analyse their eating awareness. In addition, it is intended to reveal whether there is difference between dance styles. A total of 791 dancers at 18–40 age range participated in the study. There were 252 break dancers, 304 folk dancers, 235 modern dancers. They were evaluated by the cross-sectional method. Eating awareness of the dancers was at a moderate level. Although eating control was high, eating disciplines were low. It was found that they were affected by interference. Their body appreciation level was high. According to the results obtained from Body appreciation scale, levels of participants who performed modern dance were higher than those who performed folk dance and break dance. These results show that there are useful determinations in dancers to explore more about eating awareness and body appreciation. The study can guide the development of more effective intervention strategies.

Comprehensive linear and nonlinear analysis of the effects of spinning on dynamic balancing ability in Hungarian folk dancers

PurposeIn the case of Hungarian folk dancers, it is crucial to maintain correct posture and promptly respond to imbalances. However, traditional dances often lack specific training to develop these skills.MethodsIn this present study, twelve dancers (8 male, 4 female, age: 21.7 ± 3.6 years) and ten non-dancers subjects forming a control group (6 male, 4 female, age: 21.6 ± 2.87 years) participated. During the measurements a 60-second long bipedal balancing test on the balance board was completed two times, and a spinning intervention was inserted in between the two sessions. The balance capabilities of the two groups were assessed through the characterization of motion on an unstable board, and the analysis of subject’s center of mass and head movements.ResultsDancers applied a more sophisticated and resource-intensive strategy to address the balancing task, yielding a better balancing performance in terms of balance board parameters. By preferring a solid stability in the medio-lateral direction, a greater fluctuation in the anterior-posterior direction can be observed (e.g., significantly lower SampEn values). The overall more successful performance is further evidenced by within-subject comparison since significant differences were observed mostly within the control group. Based on the results, the advanced balancing ability of the folk dancer group is more likely to be acquired through years of experience.ConclusionThe results indicate that additional specialized training could further enhance this ability, encouraging the reliance on poorly memorized corrective movements and reducing the risk of injury.

Body Posture and Low Back Pain: Differences between Folk and Ballroom Dancers.

(1) Background: Dance is extremely diverse in its styles. Each of them presents different training, dynamics, and figures that may impact the body posture and the occurrence of low back pain. This observational study aimed to compare the sagittal curvatures and the range of motion (ROM) of the spine, as well as the low back pain occurrence and its intensity between folk and ballroom dancers. (2) Methods: Fifty-one participants took part in the study (nineteen folk dancers, fifteen ballroom dancers, and seventeen non-dancers) aged 18-32. Study groups did not differ in anthropometric parameters as well as in dancing experience and training frequency. Study procedures included a self-administered questionnaire and a physical examination of the sagittal spine curvatures and ROM. The questionnaire included questions about epidemiological data and the occurrence of chronic pain and its intensity using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). (3) Results: There was a significant difference in thoracic kyphosis angle between study groups (p = 0.02). The greatest angle was found in folk dancers and the lowest in ballroom dancers (40 vs. 33 respectively). We have found no significant differences in spine ROM, low back pain occurrence, and intensity between study groups (p > 0.05). We have found no correlation between low back pain and spine curvatures and ROM in dancers (p > 0.05), however, we found a very strong and negative correlation between thoracic spine range of motion and the pain intensity in non-dancers (R= -0.95, p = 0.003). The analysis also revealed that only in folk dancers, but not in ballroom dancers, the BMI correlates positively with dancing experience (R = 0.67, p = 0.002). (4) Conclusions: There are no differences in low back pain occurrence and pain intensity between folk and ballroom dancers, however, the prevalence of low back pain in dancers is very high. Folk dancers seem to have more flexed body posture compared to ballroom dancers.

Investigation of Intercultural Sensitivity Levels of Folk Dancers and Ballroom Dancers in Terms of Some Variables

Bu araştırmada, halk oyuncular ve salon dansçılarının kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeylerini incelemek ve çeşitli değişkenlere göre kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyleri arasındaki farklılığı ortaya çıkarmak amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç bağlamında yapılan araştırma, tarama modeli niteliğindedir. Araştırma kapsamında katılımcıların kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeylerini tespit etmek için Chen ve Starosta (2000) tarafından geliştirilen ve Üstün (2011) tarafından Türkçe’ye uyarlanan “Kültürlerarası Duyarlılık Ölçeği (KDÖ)” kullanılmıştır. Veri toplama aracında aynı zamanda katılımcıların dans türü, cinsiyet, yaşamının büyük bir çoğunluğunu geçirdiği yer, anne ve baba eğitim düzeyi ve kendini tanımladığı gelir düzeyi olmak üzere altı maddelik kişisel bilgi formu bulunmaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında katılımcılardan toplanan veriler SPSS-25 programı ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmaya 129 kadın 52 erkek olmak üzere 181 kişi katılmıştır. Katılımcıların KDÖ’ne ilişkin dağılımın Levene homojenlik testi incelendiğinde normal dağıldığı ve test varyanslarının homojen olduğu görülmektedir. Katılımcıların dans türü ve cinsiyet değişkenleri ile kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyleri arasındaki farklılıkları tespit etmek için t-testi uygulanmış olup diğer değişkenler olan yaşamının büyük çoğunluğunu geçirdiği yer, anne eğitim düzeyi, baba eğitim düzeyi ve kendini tanımladığı gelir düzeyini test etmek için ANOVA kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre, katılımcıların kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyleri incelendiğinde yüksek düzeyde duyarlılığa sahip oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Katılımcıların dans türü, cinsiyet, yaşamının büyük çoğunluğunu geçirdiği yer, anne ve baba eğitim düzeyi ve kendini tanımladığı gelir düzeyi değişkenleri ile kültürlerarası duyarlılık düzeyleri arasında istatistiksel açıdan herhangi bir anlamlı farklılık tespit edilmemiştir.

Halk Oyuncuların Serbest Zaman Doyum ve Mutluluk Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

The aim of this research conducted with folk dancers is to examine the leisure time, satisfaction and happiness levels of folk dancers. In this context, the universe sample group of the relevant research was 75 folk dancers in Alanya. The relevant data was collected from folk dancers through Google forms. In the study, short Oxford happiness and leisure time satisfaction scale was used as a data collection medium. SPSS 26.0 program was used in the analysis of the data obtained within the scope of the study. In the study, the normality of the data was examined by looking at the skewness and kurtosis values before the analysis. Since the skewness and kurtosis values of the data obtained from folk dancers are between -1.5 + 1.5 reference values, the normal distribution is accepted (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2013). Therefore, sample t test, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis independent of parametric tests were performed in the study. 
 As a result of this research, which was carried out to examine the leisure time and happiness levels of folk dancers, it was found that the leisure time satisfaction levels of male folk dancers were higher than female folk dancers, and as the education level decreased, happiness was affected accordingly.

Differences in Peripheral Vision Between Contemporary Dancers, Folk Dancers and Non-Dancers

Abstract Introduction. In stage performances, dancing requires synchronous connections, choosing paths in space, forming, balancing shapes, adjusting tempo and energy, as well as partnering. Therefore, in addition to proprioceptive abilities and central vision, peripheral vision is used to a large extent. Will the role of peripheral vision be relevant in selected dance styles and techniques? The aim of this study was to compare peripheral perception between contemporary dancers, folk dancers and non-dancers. Material and Methods. The study included 126 individuals. This group consisted of 48 contemporary dancers, 19 folk dancers and 58 non-dancers (the control group – students who did sports other than dance). The Vienna Test System was used to assess peripheral perception. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. Interpretation and analysis of the test results indicate that the dancers’ visual range is relatively large, averaging 175.3° for contemporary dancers and 175.58° for folk dancers. As for the control group, the visual range was 172.64°. In the case of peripheral vision, statistically significant differences were noted between the control group and the contemporary dance group (p < 0.01) as well as between the control group and the folk dance group (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Contemporary and folk dancers did not show variation in peripheral vision. However, differences occurred between dancers and non-dancers. It was noted that the studied groups of contemporary and folk dancers had a better range of visual functions related to the peripheral visual field than the control group.

Performing “Bifurcated Homelands”: Touring the Chinese Diasporas in Bangkok and Singapore, 1945-1960s

From the end of the Second World War to the Cold War era, Chinese theatre troupes and performers endorsed by “bifurcated homelands” – the Republic of China (ROC) in Taipei and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing – travelled to Southeast Asia to battle for the hearts and minds of the Chinese diaspora through one potent means: dance, which has so far not garnered the attention it deserves. This article locates the performative linkages in two scenarios: (1) the Chinese Communist Party-affiliated theatre troupe Zhong Yi and its diasporic tours in Singapore and Bangkok in the immediate postwar era; (2) the experiences of the Taiwanese folk dancer Lee Shu Fen and her dancing legacy in Southeast Asia during the Cold War era. Situated in the burgeoning field of the “Chinese cultural Cold War,” this article argues for a “performative” angle that examines both the tours and the performing arts in the context of the shifting power realignment as a manifestation of Cold War geopolitics in Asia. While stressing the competing nature of the idea of “bifurcation,” this article goes further to prove the mutual influences and mirroring effects in the imaginings of Chineseness by both the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Relationship Between Sport Injury Anxiety and Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Folk Dancers: An Analysis of Body Parts

Purpose: Anxiety and musculoskeletal discomfort can affect dancers separately both physically and psychologically throughout their dance life. Knowing the relationship between level of anxiety and musculoskeletal discomfort in Turkish dancers could be beneficial for the development of approaches to prevent injuries that occur different body parts. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between sport injury anxiety and musculoskeletal discomfort in folk dancers and to analyze body parts with this point of view.
 Material and Methods: Fifty-four folk dancers whose mean age was 22.0 years participated the study (37 males, 17 females). Sport injury anxiety was assessed using the Sports Injury Anxiety Scale while the frequency and severity of musculoskeletal discomfort were assessed with the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire. The correlation coefficients were calculated using Spearman test. 
 Results: Overall musculoskeletal discomfort positively and moderately correlated with total sport injury anxiety in folk dancers (p=0.001, r=0.442). On the other hand, sport injury anxiety was significantly related to musculoskeletal discomfort in neck, both legs and left foot alone when body part analyzed (p

Ballet and the Renegotiation of Identity among Jewish Orthodox Women in Israel

This article explores how competing images of Jewish corporeality and gendered identity are emerging in Israel through classical ballet by religious girls and women. It traces the cultural, political, and religious implications of this in the context of masculine Zionist ideals of the valorization of the corporeal. Focusing on a group of pioneering Israeli women it traces how they have reshaped the study of ballet into a liberatory yet modest practice for Orthodox women across a range of Israeli religious communities. The revolutionary efforts that linked the founding of the state of Israel with a new body are viewed through a revised feminist perspective, one within the paradigm of a religious counterrevolution. Just as the laboring body of the secular folk dancer of the Yishuv has stood for socialism, egalitarianism, and muscular Judaism while relegating the religious body to the sidelines, it is possible now to read an image of the return of the religious, via the feminized body of classical ballet, as emblematic of the new Jewish woman of Orthodox communities. I argue that through the study of ballet a politics of piety is operating among Orthodox Jewish women making it a medium through which they are changing assumptions about agency, patriarchal norms, and nationalist politics.

Digital influencers and beer-branding folk dancers: the class stratification of participatory marketing in Uganda

ABSTRACT Ugandans are being engaged in diverse participatory marketing projects in which they are asked to creatively promote brands to their friends and neighbours. This article compares two scenes of participatory marketing: a rural beer-branding campaign which took the form of a traditional dance competition, and the emergent field of digital influencers, who do freelance social media marketing. Both scenes strikingly demonstrate new modes and intensities of commercialization, the insertion of profit logics into formerly non-profit-oriented domains. The beer-branding competition represents a new phase in the commercialization of Ugandan cultural heritage, the influencer scene showcases the commercialization of diverse kinds of online sociality. An ideology of entrepreneurship-for-all shapes both projects, yet their prescribed entrepreneurial subjectivities are shown to be stratified in keeping with historical class divisions.

The assessment of the dynamic stability using Y-balance test in folk dancers

ABSTRACT Lower limb injuries in dancers are a very common complication preventing them from maximizing their performance or even causing one to end their dance career. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic stability using the Y-balance test (YBT) in professional folk dancers in comparison with the non-dancers. The study involved 30 folk dancers from the Urpin Folk Group and a control sample of 30 individuals from the general. Analysis of the results showed no statistically significant difference between the folklorist group and the control group in the anterior direction. However, the differences between groups were statistically significant for the posteromedial direction with the medium effect size for both legs and for the posterolateral direction with the strong effect size for both legs. The differences in the composite score for the right leg were not statistically significant with the small effect size, yet the difference in the left leg in the composite score was statistically significant with the strong effect. The results of the study indicate that folk dancers present poorer dynamic balance compared to the general population.

Investigating the Effects of Spinning on Dynamic Balancing Ability in Hungarian Folk Dancers

Investigating the Effects of Spinning on Dynamic Balancing Ability in Hungarian Folk Dancers

Static Balancing Ability and Lower Body Kinematics Examination of Hungarian Folk Dancers: A Pilot Study Investigating the “Kalocsai Mars” Dance Sequence

Folk dance is a collection of traditional dances that requires years of practicing to perform correctly. The aim of the present study was to develop a complex biomechanical measurement procedure that investigated Hungarian folk dancers’ balancing ability and lower body kinematics through a dance movement called “Kalocsai mars”. Therefore, 11 dancers’ motion (5 female and 6 male; age: 20.5 ± 2.5 years; height: 173.82 ± 7.82 cm; weight: 64.77 ± 8.67 kg) was recorded with an optical-based motion capture system and force platforms simultaneously. Before and after the dancing session, static balancing tests were performed, examining bipedal stance with eyes opened and closed conditions. The ANOVA results showed that the values of the range of motions of the knee joint flexion-extension angles and hip flexion averaged for sessions increased significantly (p=0.044, p=0.003, p=0.005) during the dancing sessions. The deviation in the joint angle was greater in the nondominant legs, suggesting that the nondominant side requires more attention to execute the dance steps correctly. The results of the balance tests showed that the oscillation in the posterior direction increased significantly after dancing (p=0.023). In comparison, the visual feedback had no significant effect on the dancers’ balancing ability.

Relationship between Core Strength, Core Endurance and Balance in Folk Dancers – A Pilot Study

Background: Dance performance requires lower extremity muscle strength and endurance, sufficientcore stabilization, dynamic balance during dance movements. Diminished core strength and coreendurance has been shown lead to a higher incidence of lower extremity injuries and to low backinjuries. Greater core muscle strength, increased core endurance and good dynamic balance havebeen reported to be associated with reduced lower extremity injury risk. Still, the exact relationshipsamong these factors remain unclear. Most of studies have examined ballet and modern dancers but folkdance is not studied adequately in the literature as different genres of dance have different physicaldemands, it is important to examine whether the relationships among Core stability, balance, injuries,and performance are similar across the various dance genres.Objectives: Weak core and poor balance are said to be associated with lower limb and low back injuries.Thus the correlation between core stabilization and balance need to be evaluated in details to reducethe risk of injuries.Methods: It is a cross-sectional observational study, with a total of 30 folk dancers. Core endurancewas measured by using plank tests and core strength was measured by the Bent Knee Lowering Test(BKLT).Balance was measured via the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) which was co-related withcore strength and core endurance.Conclusion: There is no correlation between core strength and balance in folk dancers. Core enduranceis weakly correlated with balance.

Maintaining the Health of Professional Folk Dancers in Conditions of Physical Recreation

Research on the health issues of folk dancers has not been sufficiently developed. A sociological survey of the artists of the National Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance "Joc" from Moldova on the problems of a healthy lifestyle, diet, rest regime, physical and mental state, the attitude of respondents to physical activity in fitness clubs, readiness to engage in physical recreation to improve their condition, prevention diseases, allowed to determine the types of physical recreation and fitness programs recommended for dancers.

Tautas deju definēšanas problemātika mūsdienās Latvijā

The article “Problems of defining folk dance in Latvia today” examines the aspects that affect the current situation in Latvia, where folk dances are understood as both folk dances that have not been modified by choreographers, dances passed down through generations that can be danced every day, and stage folk dances, which are a type of art performed by folk dance ensembles, created by choreographers and dances adapted to the stage performance. The research aim is to identify and describe the problems that currently exist in the Latvian cultural space, where the definition of folk dances creates tension in the public space and ambiguous opinions among dancers. Nowadays, it is possible to identify such concepts as, for example, folk dance, ethnographic dance, authentic dance, traditional dance, folklore dance, folk dance, folk dance adaptation, field dance, folk ballet, etc. Consistent use of concepts is rarely seen in the documents and research of cultural policymakers and the historical and contemporary works of choreographers and researchers. Often they are only described in general terms. A survey conducted in 2019 shows that dancers consider stage folk dances to be folk dances, and often this separation of dances is not important for them. Another problem is the designation of folk dance ensembles where stage folk dance dancers are dancing. The term misleads; it suggests that folk dances are danced there. However, this designation is linked to its historical time of origin. It is not insignificant that the stage folk dance is more popular, more visible, and massively represented at the Song and Dance Festival. Thus, a part of the society associates it with our folk dances.

Classic and indicative methods in the analysis of the foot arch and foot loads in professional folklore dancers on the basis of stabilographic tests

Purpose: The proper shape of the foot determines its proper functioning and efficiency, which is significant as far as dancers are concerned. The aim of the study was to identify the arch of feet based on the Arch Index (AI), ability to maintain balance on the basis of stabilometric parameters and the distribution of loads acting on the feet of professional folk dancers. Methods: The study group was composed of 37 folk dancers and the reference group consisted of 56 healthy adults aged 19–45. Balance measurements were performed using the Zebris FDM-S measurement platform, Romberg test with eyes open. Test results were exported to the Matlab 2019b computing environment. The algorithm developed by the Authors in relation was used to calculate Arch Index for the right and left foot, for each test participant separately. Results: Statistical tests did not reveal statistically relevant differences between stabilometric parameters and loads affecting feet in the reference group and that of the dancers. The statistical tests revealed that the value of the AI differed significantly in the reference group and in the group of professional folk dancers (p = 0.05). The differences were also observed in the group of females (p = 0.003). No statistically relevant differences were observed in relation to the group of males (p = 0.116). The percentage of the feet with high arch in the group of dancers amounted to 26%; 33% of dancers’ feet were classified as the feet with low arch. Conclusions: The feet of professional folk dancers have a statistically more arched foot than the reference group.

The effect of Estonian folk dance practice on static balance performance in young females

The aim of the present study was to establish the changes that occur in dancers’ static body balance indicators during rest, in case of interfering factors and in stress condition. The sample consisted of 14 advanced female folk dancers at the age of 16–20 years. The participants’ static body balance was measured at the beginning (in the autumn) and at the end (in the spring) of the eight-month dancing period. Static body balance indicators were registered on a dynamographic platform within 30 seconds, standing on bipedal on stable and unstable support surface in eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions. The Flamingo test balance control, the balance control after spinning around and jumping tests were conducted only in EO condition. The following parameters were registered: the movements of the centre of pressure (CoP) in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) dimensions; the length, speed and area of the trajectory. According to the study, folk dancers’ CoP movements in the AP and ML dimensions, measured in different conditions (EO, EC), on stable and unstable support surface, did not change significantly after the eight-month dancing practice. The young folk dancers’ static body balance, assessed by CoP movement trajectory, speed and area, improved considerably over the eight-month training period. Flamingo test results indicate that practising folk dance develops the young female folk dancers’ right and left side static stability equally. In the context of Estonian folk dance practice, including preparation for performing at dance festival, the young female folk dancers’ balance performance improved both in vestibular instability (spins, standing on unstable support surface and in EO condition) and fatigue (jumping test) conditions.

РОЗВИТКУ СИЛОВИХ ЯКОСТЕЙ У ТАНЦЮРИСТІВ ЗАСОБАМИ ХОРЕОГРАФІЧНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ

The article presents the results of studying the peculiarities of the development of various strength abilities of dancers who are the representatives of folk-stage dance. The purpose of the work is to develop a program for the development of strength abilities using the choreography in folk dancers. A group of theoretical and empirical methods was used in the study. The pedagogical observations at training sessions with 12-15 year-old dancers and surveys of teachers and coaches on the peculiarities of the development of strength abilities were conducted; testing of indicators of different strength abilities in 12-15 year-old adolescents engaged in folk-stage dance in the Honored Dance Ensemble of Ukraine «Youth» and in the school of folk dance, folk dance ensemble «Serpanok» (Lviv) was also held. This made it possible to develop a program for the development of strength abilities, taking into account their varieties, which are necessary in folk-stage dances. The main means of developing strength abilities in the program were folk-stage dance exercises, the selection of which took into account their predominant influence on the development of a particular strength ability, the possibility of local, regional or general impact on the musculoskeletal system and the need for accurate dosing. The positive influence of the developed program on the development of various strength abilities of dancers is revealed. The obtained results can be used in the practice of teachers of choreographic groups of folk-stage dance.

Joint range of motion and balance in modern Turkish folk dancers‘The fire of Anatolia example’

ABSTRACT Modern folk dancers are required to maintain their coordination and motoric individuality in peak condition in order to not have difficulty in performance and also stay at the highest level aesthetically. The purpose of this study is to investigate the joint range of motion (JROM), flexibility and balance level which are very important for the performance of the female and male modern Turkish folk dancers. This study was performed with 40 dancers who consist of 20 female dancers (21.70 ± 3.61 years), 20 male dancers (22.10 ± 3.14 years) out of 150 dancers who are in a professional modern Turkish folk dance group called Fire of Anatolia. In this research, eight joint range of motion and trunk-lower limb flexibility were measured. Eyes opened-closed single leg balance tests were also applied. Consequently, it was found that the measurement of flexion-extension of the hip joint (U: 106-Z: -2.55 - p = 0.011), adduction-abduction of the hip joint (U: 65-Z: -3.65-p = 0.000) and plantar-dorsal flexion of the ankle joint (U: 68-Z: -3.58 - p = 0.000) was higher for the benefit of a female dancer and there is no significant difference amongst general flexibility and eyes opened-closed balance abilities in female/male participants.