engleski

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND INJURIES IN CLASSICAL BALLET ENSEMBLE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Introduction/Purpose Classical ballet places a high physical demand on dancers throughout the season and dancers are prone to injuries. Physical fitness was put forward among factors influencing injury occurrence (Koutedakis & Jamurtas, 2004). A difference in the daily workload according to dancers’ ranking in ensemble was also observed, suggesting a possible difference in fitness level and injury occurrence between soloists and corps de ballet (Twitchett et al., 2010). The purpose of this study was to test the differences in components of physical fitness between: a) dancers who were injured during the previous year and those who were not, b) soloists and corps de ballet. Methods The participants were classical ballet dancers of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (n=40 ; 26 females – age (mean±SD) 32.2±7.9 yrs, height 166.1±4.3 cm, weight 52.6±5.4 kg ; 14 males – 29.7±7.4 yrs, 177.9±4.8 cm, 69.5±7.0 kg). Data on injuries (Liederbach et al., 2012) sustained during the previous year were collected via questionnaire. Muscular fitness was measured by curl-up repetition test, back extension height test, plank. Body composition was calculated using the Jackson-Pollock 7-site-skinfold equation. Sit-and-reach and range of hip internal/external rotation and ankle dorsal/plantar flexion were measured to determine flexibility. An independent-samples t-test was used to compare physical fitness components for injured and non- injured dancers and for soloists and corps de ballet. A Chi-square test for independence was used to explore the association between position in the ensemble and injury occurrence. Results There were no significant differences in any of the measured components of physical fitness between injured and noninjured dancers (p>.05 for all). Soloists performed significantly better only on plank ((mean±SD) 46.8±17.6 sec in initial proper alignment) than corps de ballet (36.0±14.9 sec) ; t(38)=-2.1, p=.04. There was no significant association between position in the ensemble and injury occurrence (Χ2=.00, p=1.00). Conclusions The dancers injured in the previous year did not differ from the non-injured ones in the measured components of physical fitness. However, the study is retrospective, a recall bias cannot be excluded and physical fitness can differ depending on the demands of a particular theatre season. The topic should be further investigated in prospective studies. Key words: dance, muscular fitness, flexibility, injury References Koutedakis, Y., & Jamurtas, A. (2004). The dancer as a performing athlete: physiological considerations. Sports Medicine, 34(10), 651-661. Liederbach, M., Hagins, M., Gamboa, J.M., & Welsh, T.M. (2012). Assessing and Reporting Dancer Capacities, Risk Factors, and Injuries: Recommendations from the IADMS Standard Measures Consensus Initiative. Journal of dance medicine & science, 16(4), 139-153. Twitchett, E., Angioi, M., Koutedakis, Y., & Wyon, M. (2010). The demands of a working day among female professional ballet dancers. Journal of dance medicine & science, 14(4), 127-132.

dance, muscular fitness, flexibility, injury

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