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Appendix to Chapter 4 Better Dancing through Better Body Balance Lulu E. Sweigard Among dancers, equally blessed with all other qualities which contribute to their success, and subjected to equally good teaching, the dancer with the best posture will progress faster, reach a higher degree of attainment, and last longer in his profession. In fact, there is probably no activity in which one’s body alignment, or posture, is more important than in the dance. The term posture is defined here as that body alignment which persists whenever an individual stands with his weight, as judged by him, distributed on both feet. There is only one posture pattern for each individual, and this must not be confused with body positions, of which there are many. One’s body alignment is most stable and consistent in the central area of the body, including the pelvis, lumbar spine, and upper thighs. As the body sways in maintaining its balance in standing, the change in the pattern of alignment in relation to the line of gravity will be greater as distance of the center of gravity increases. The posture pattern improves and becomes more efficient the more the skeleton itself conforms with principles of mechanical balance. Yet it must be recognized that the skeletal design, with its many relatively small parts which must support weight, is such that perfect mechanical balance in the upright position can never be attained. There will always be some muscle work. Ideally this muscle work should be confined mainly to a constantly changing reflex coordination of deep muscles, with large muscles free for work as needed in off-center positions and in movement. This coordination cannot be directed, though this is surely implied by those who believe posture can be improved by mere exercises and by holding parts of the body in supposedly good positions. Such “corrective” procedures may result in better looks, but both flexibility and efficiency have been sacrificed. Three of the many reasons why the dancer’s posture plays a significant part in his success are discussed here. Posture and Flexibility. Posture and flexibility are interdependent. The clue to their interdependence lies in the varying degrees of muscle tone or tightness which acReprinted , by kind permission, from the Journal of Health, Physical Education and Recreation [JOHPER], May 1965: 22, 23, and 56. i-xiv_1-130_Will.indd 69 7/8/11 12:28 PM companies one’s body alignment. As everyone knows, muscle tone is increased by work. As the skeleton habitually deviates from good alignment, some muscles must proportionately and constantly work more than others to maintain equilibrium in the upright position. These muscles develop a greater degree of tone—more often than not a tightness which is maintained, even in rest. Thus a pattern of hypertonicity of muscles (a pattern) occurs in accordance with one’s deviations from good alignment. Hypertonic muscles, when they act as antagonists in movement, do not lengthen as readily or as completely as muscles of normal tone, and they respond more quickly to the stretch reflex; the more they are pulled in movement, the tighter they become and the more resistant to movement. Hence they constantly restrict in one or more directions the range of movement which is allowed by the nature of joints and their surrounding ligaments. This is the reason why a poorly aligned body is limited in the flexibility which is so essential to the dancer. It follows also that more muscle power must be applied to overcome restriction in movement by tight muscles. This leads to muscular overdevelopment with distortion of body contour, especially in the thighs. Body Mechanics in the Dance. Principles of mechanics of movement are not the major consideration in many of the techniques of movement of the dance. The dancer, always seeking new patterns of movement to express his ideas, cannot be limited to those which conform to good mechanics in the use of the body. This again emphasizes the need for good body alignment, with its innate values for freedom of movement. A typical example of poor application of principles of mechanics is the turn-out of the feet, a technique more commonly used in ballet than in modern dance. Poor teaching of the turn-out of the feet, plus overemphasis on the degree of turn-out, can be the cause of many muscular problems in the dancer, especially should he start his training with a poor posture. Since the turn-out of the feet is such a fundamental technique...

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