There are 3 Planes of the Body in Dance:
Lateral (Frontal Plane): Away from midline of body; outer side
Sagittal: Lies vertically and divides the body into left and right.
Transverse: Cuts the body in half horizontally; top (superior) bottom (inferior) parts
Anterior (frontal view)/Posterior (back view)
Medial: Middle line of the body used as a reference point for movement.
Abduction: to take away from the midline of reference such as the middle line of the body. Example,
using port de bras from en bas to 2nd position. In en bas, the arms travel away from the medial line to
2nd position.
Adduction: to add to the midline of reference. Example, returning the arms from 2 nd position to en bas
in port de bras.
Articulation: is the joint
Flexion: decreases the angle of the joint. Take arm from straight out at 180 degrees to 90 degrees.
Flex foot from ankle. Bend leg from knee during walking.
Extension: increase the angle of the joint. Take arm from 90 degrees to 180 degrees. Extend the
toes and foot at the ankle. Straightening the leg during walking into extension. Standing is an
extension of the legs.
Rotation-2 types:
medial rotation-inward towards medial line; sickling foot
Lateral rotation-outward rotation from medial line; turned out foot
Stabilization- isolating bones or muscles to stabilize movement. Working leg is free to move and
perform BECAUSE the supporting side uses stabilization. Assists in balance good lines and strong
technique.
For example during Chainee turns the joint does not move. Chainee requires stabilized shoulders
and abs during the turn.
Elevation: Posterior view scapula moves shoulders upward towards ears. UP
Depression: Scapula moves down to keep shoulders downward. DOWN
Retraction: pinching the scapulars together towards midline.
Protraction: pulling away from the midline keeping the scapulars flat and pulled away.
206 Bones in the body-By age 25-26
5 purposes of bones:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Protection (organs, heart, lungs etc.)
Provides framework for soft tissue
Factory (makes red blood cells act)
Storage House (minerals like calcium)
Skeleton and bones are important to dance because it provides the dancer with a system of levers.
2 types-
axial skeleton (skull, ribcage, spine vertebras, sternum)
Appendicular skeleton (everything else that hangs off of the axial skeleton) limbs
shoulder and pelvic girdles etc.
Sternum- connects ribcage. The lower part of the Sternum is the xyphoid process…this is what
dancers should use a reference point. Middle or ring fingers should be lined up in First or Fourth
Position.
Vertebrae- Mr. Bones is a sway back. The human body is designed with a natural “S” curve. We do
not want to take the entire curve out of the spine and we don’t want to “tuck” the sacrum. The
spine’s job is to provide the dancer with shock absorption. (This is why a dancer should always use
proper technique and follow the theory of elevation when jumping. Otherwise they are putting their
body at the risk for injury.)
2 special vertebras right at the top where the skull attaches:
1. Cervical Vertebra- 1-7; Two special are :
Atlas-holds head up
Axis sort of a donut shaped hole; allows for yes and no
movement.
Everyone has a unique shape to their skeleton. This is why some dancers can go into full
backbend/camber and others have difficulty. It is easy to see why one dancer can have a perfect
back and another can have a more bumps and it will inhibit movement. The spine is a gliding joint
which allows the torso and body frame to twist, curl, flatten, and bend.
2. Thoracic Vertebra-You can see it lines up with ribs and continue around to the front of the
body.
3. Lumbar Vertebra- most curve and absorb the most shock; Make up the longest part of the
spine.
4. Sacrum- provides no movement and very fragile; 2-4 tiny vertebra; All fused together; Coccyx
is the tail bone and is very vulnerable to injury if a dancer falls or fractures the tail bone.
Particularly be careful when executing large kicks, slipping and falling could mean you fall right
on the tailbone because of the compromise the sacrum is in during kicks.
Shoulder Girdle- used for arm movement such as Port de Bras; contract and release of torso; and rib
isolations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Clavicle (collar) bone
Attached to Scapula (shoulder blades) sounds like “Dracula” bat wings.
Humorous (funny bone) forms the ball and socket joint.
Radius- bone attached to the thumb. (Hitchhiking thumb-once in care- turn on “radio” sounds
like “radius”.
5. Ulna- attached to pinky finger (look for the bony indention and the “U” shape in the bone.
6. Phalanges (fingers). Thumbs always tucked inside palm during ballet.
Pelvic Girdle- pelvis is one of the most important parts of a dancer’s alignment and frame. Commonly
called the “salad bowl” It is flat and sharp to the feel/touch.
1. Ilium> Iliac crest- bony curve to the top of the pelvis. Used for finding your “headlights”
when squaring off.
2. Ischium> Sit Bones. These are the two donut shaped holes at the base of pelvis. Sit
bones should be to the ceiling during a sagittal stretch, meaning your pelvis is upside down.
3. Pubic Sympysis- (Symphysis Pubis)
4. Acetabulum- cavity for ball and socket joint where the neck and head of Femur attach to
pelvis. This is the point of many injuries for dancers.
5. Greater & Lesser Trochanter- Many ligaments and tendons attach here.
Femur- Thigh Bone needed to turn out, perform and lift, swing, or extension of the leg. The
ball in the socket of the pelvis.
Knee Joint- made up of the head of the Femur, Tibia, and Fibular, and Patella.
Patella- Knee cap. During Flexion if floats around but does not attach. Dancers are very
susceptible to knee injury if they do not practice good technique during jumping, kicking,
floor work, and especially plies.
Tibia- Big lower leg bone.
Fibula- Little lowers leg bone.
SYNOVIAL JOINTS> a joint so articulated that it is free to move. Ex. All ball and socket
joints. They rotate medial/lateral; abduct/adduct/ flexion/extension. During Warm UP it is
important that joints are made warm to lubricate joints.
HINGE JOINTS> allow for flexion/extension. Some hinge joints allow for a tiny bit of medial
rotation which allow for movements such as Rond de Jambe en’lair.
ELLIPSIDAL JOINTS> allow for back and forth and side to side movement such as flexion,
extension, abduction, adduction, and circumduction. Ex. Atlas and axis vertebras
PIVOT JOINTS> freely moving joint with limit movement to rotation. Ex. Wrist, Elbow,
Ankle, Neck
GLIDING JOINTS> freely moving joint in which articulations only allow gliding. Ex. Small
bones of hands and feet, knee, spine.
It is important to know that bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments all have very different
properties. Muscle attaches to bones by way of tendons. Bones attach to other bones by
way of ligaments. We can change muscles and tendons-we cannot change ligaments-they
will just tear.
Muscles have 4 properties:
1. They stretch.
2. They are elastic. They return back to the original shape if not
over stretched.
3. They are irritable. They respond to stimuli. (your brain sends
“electricity” through your nervous system, and your muscles react as you want them to.)
4. They contract. (shorten when contracted; lengthened when
released.)
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
*Ligaments attach to BONE.
*Tendons attach to muscles.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
We can change tendons; We can change muscles; We CANNOT change ligaments
because they tear and do not stretch. We cannot change our bone structure.
For example, the hips have lots of tendons, ligaments, and muscles. So we have to know
what we can and cannot do when we move.
Muscles can stretch.
Tendons can stretch a little there is some “play” in them.
Ligaments and Bones do not stretch.
Important Muscles for dancers:
From the front (anterior view)
Pectoralis Major- part of the shoulder girdle and important to are movement.
Deltoid- 3 heads of it frontal-anterior-posterior head of deltoid, side lateral, back, posterior
head of deltoid. Shoulder attaches to humorous like a cap.
Biceps on top or frontal muscles when flexed. (Go to the “gun show”.)
Abdominals- important to us as dancers; 4 layers (we can always see them all)
Each layer has a different job.
1. Transverse Abdominus- sheath of muscle with fibrous layers deep within the
abdominal walls on the transverse plane. They wrap around like a “corset”.
2. Rectus Abdominus- long muscles down front “six pack”
3. Internal Obliques- sheath over whole wall of abdomen; fibers go towards the
midline of body at an upward angle
4. External Obliques- this the last sheath of muscle moving to midline of body at a
downward angle. (hands in your pockets)
Hip Muscles:
Sartorius-origin cross-ways and attaches to the median part near the knee
Quadtrecpts- 4 muscles travel down the front of the leg.
Adductors muscles- Squeezing tight inside or medial part of the leg.
Tibialis- in front of Tibia- starts at knee and travels down Tibia.
Muscles from the posterior (back view):
Trapezius- base of skull, fans out to make a diamond through thoracic vertebras and between
scapulars.
Lateral and posterior Deltoid- seen again. Responsible for all movement of arms.
Latisimus Dorsi- “Lats” from base of spine around middle of back under scapula around to under arm
pits.
Triceps-back side of the arm; counterpart to bicep
***Gluteus Maximus-the most important muscle to train in hips. Fibers come across downwardly
Gluteus Medius-fibers more straight down
Both have very specific jobs needed for Turn Out, Abduction/Adduction, medial and lateral rotation
etc.
Back of Legs-
Hamstrings- needed for plié, jumps, and all erect & extended movement.
“Calf Muscles”-2 parts-
1. Gastrocnemius
2. Soleus
Serratus Anterior- Starts at BK & wraps around side body to front.
Deep Rotators Hip Flexors- Group of muscles so hidden & deep they can be hard to see on a chart.
Illoipsoas- It is important as dancers so we need to know all about it. Starts at the lumbar vertebra
comes down and attaches to the lesser trochanter of the femur. The long muscle on the inside of
pelvis is psoas. Together they make up the illoipsoas.
Psoas originate 1-5 vertebra in front of pelvis to lesser trochanter
Top of crest-small muscle called Tensor Fascia Latae.
Erector Spinae- Start at atlas travels length of spine all way down spine.
Muscles are irritable to electrical stimuli. Brain sends to nerves on the sides of the vertebra, the
nerves give it to the muscles, and the impulse is sent to contract or release.
WHAT DO THESE MUSCLES DO FOR US AS DANCERS & OUR TECHNIQUE?
We need to know about our bodies as dancers & how it moves & why it moves that way for injury
prevention. You don’t want to do something that the body cannot do.
We need to know which muscle is in charge of each articulation and how it all works.
Muscles- biceps when flexed shortens or contracts; triceps lengthens.
So when a “prime mover” or bicep contracts it is the agonist. The muscle on the other side of the
prime mover is the “antagonist” (triceps).
Why do we need to know this? As dancers our body is continually moving and changing around and
it is the relationship between agonist & antiagonist that shifts dance through smoothly and gracefully
without a jerky motion.
As dancers remember we always want to work on both sides of any joint and any movement
agonist/antagonist.
Prime mover of each joint:
Shoulder Flexion: Deltoid & Pecs
Shoulder Abduction: Deltoid allows for a la seconde
Shoulder Extension: Posterior Deltoid
In dance we want shoulders stabilized and mobile. We call on the muscles at the same time because
some are stable and some are mobile.
Air in arms in enbas is the medial rotation of the Latimus Dorssi
1st position-Shoulder flexion, pectorals in front and anterior deltoids.
Open 2nd- transverse abduction, deltoid, trapezius.
Shoulder abduction-deltoid and lateral head of muscle.
Medial rotation of dorsi stretched triceps to lift elbow and round arm.
Takes Shoulder adduction-Latismus Dorsi
Elbow Flexion-bicep & triceps
What exercises added to warm up exercise all of those muscles? Push up
Executions-elbow flex, deltoid flex, latimus dorsi
Angel wings scapula-elevation, depression, retraction, protraction
Stabilize spine & puts shoulders & spine in proper place for alignment.
Elevation & depression=trapezius
Retraction & protraction=trapezius, back widens
Serratus Anterior pulls apart scapula as muscles wraps around to the front of the body
We never want to retraction to throw off ribcage & alignment. We want protraction in our practice.
We want to stabilize the torso throughout the movement.
Transverse Abs have 1 job: compression
An exercise to help with compression is compression itself with forcing breath to strengthening
muscle.
Put the pelvis into compression and lift the internal girdle press in you hold it in.
6 pack-rectus abdominus, span from pubic bone to sternum. In charge of flexing the spine. It is the
prime mover for an abdominal curl & erector spinae is the prime mover of a combre extension of the
spine.
Spinal Flexion=rectus abdominus in charge of flexing; spine forward is erector spinae
Parallel Passé is a hip flexion the prime mover is the illopsoas
Incredibly important in charge of all hip movement in hip flexion.
Hip extension on tendue devant, derrierre
Prime mover is hip extension=gluteus max
*Big job of gluts max is tendue parallel with no rotation but in turn out; it is the lateral rotation of gluts.
It is the muscle in charge of lateral rotation in hips.
In charge of medial rotation-gluteus medius.
Hip rotation=gluteus Maximus & tensor fascia latae
There are 6 deep rotators under gluteus Max. But the prime mover for turnout is glut. Max not the
knee and not the ankle.
Gluteus Maximus & deep rotators underneath turn out.
Hip abduction=glut medius, lateral rotation in 2nd position
Hip adduction=adductor muscles of medial legs; tendue & degage switch bk & forth between the two.
Also working legs supporting stabilization hip stability is the glut max.
At the same time it is stable:
Lats in back
Abs in front
Erector spinae in bk
Scapula depressed and protracted to stabilize
Latimus dorssi
Trapezius depressed
Synovial fluid “greases up” joint as we move throughout exercises and movements.
Plie pelvis placement is important. Do not tuck as you plié-it takes flexibility out of spine so it can’t
have shock…we do not want bean bodies…
Abs lifted and holding dancer up
Erector spinae lifting
Hips as a bowl of soup
Grande plié execution all about rotation in the hips
It is a stable and compressed line in alignment. Compressing and stabilizing abdominals.
Knee flexion- parallel coupe..knee to back=hamstrings responsible
Point =extension= flex=flexion
In kinesiology they don’t recognize extension
Plantar flexion=rise to releve =calves
Tendu to front flex foot dorsal flexion=tibalis muscle is prime mover.
Arabesque I can see the rotation is not right…we see problems, analyze them, and repair them.
It is important to apply our knowledge to prevent injury.
Common problems in ballet is:
Take place at barre prepare to turn out-turn out knees bent then they straighten their legs.
What we know about rotation is that it happens only at the hips and specifically the gluts .Lift leg from
the gluts flex foot.