Dance Anatomy Bianca Lauletta

Dance Anatomy It is not necessary for a dancer to know the name of every muscle in the body However, it is important for a dancer to care for the muscles in the body that are most important to their movement. “Dance Anatomy brings to life the relationship between muscle development and dancing. It is a must-read for every dancer.” -Victoria Morgan

The Foot The foot is the most important part of the body for the Dancer. The foot consists of twenty-six bones, twenty-nine joints, thirty-one muscles, and many ligaments, tendons, nerves, arteries and veins. The bones of the foot are divided into three groups; seven tarsal bones, five metatarsal bones and fourteen phalange bones. The two largest and most important of the tarsal bones are the Talus and the Calcaneum, (otherwise known as the heel bone). Dancer should always wear the right shoes while dancing to prevent injury. Always see a doctor when you have pain.

The Toes DANGER: cracking your toes, or crunching them under can dry out the joints and may later lead to arthritis. The phalanges are the bones of the toes themselves, and each toe has three except for the big toe, which has only two. Massage your toes before and after dancing to relieve any tension. Gently press thumb into the metatarsal area and also the ball of the foot. Massage each toe at the joint.

The Mid-Section Arch of the foot is very important, laces should not be tied around the arch – it can damage it. The top of the foot is also a very tender area. Muscle, blood, and tendon damage can occur here.

The Ankle There is a great deal of movement in the toes and in the ankle region but some of the other bones have very little movement between them. Another important joint for dancers is the Ankle joint, located between the talus and the inferior ends of the tibia and fibula bones. Both these bones have a downward projection, which enclose the talus and stabilize the ankle joint. The lateral ligament is the one that you damage when you sprain your ankle and if it becomes completely torn, the ankle becomes very unstable.

The Ankle Cont. The only movement that can occur in the ankle joint is pointing and flexing of the foot. The medical terms for these actions are Plantar- flexion for pointing of the foot, controlled by the Soleus muscle and Dorsi-flexion for the flexion of the foot controlled by the Tibialis anterior. The Subtalar joint provides the other movement of the ankle. The movement occurring in this joint is a side-to-side rolling movement, which allows you to adapt to a sloping or uneven ground.

The Heel Use a pad to relieve pressure on Plantar Fasciitis, because Plantar injury can occur. WATCH for pain on the heel bone, under the heel, and also the tendon. Do not tie around the heel area, it can inflame the Achilles tendon and cause injury. The lower end of the Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneum and the talus sits on top of the calcaneum, the joint between them is known as the Subtalar joint.

Muscles of the Foot The muscles of the foot can be divided into two main groups; Intrinsic and Extrinsic. The intrinsic muscles are short and relatively weak and are contained only in the foot. The extrinsic muscles are powerful, and are found in the lower leg with their tendons passing through the ankle region exert their effect within the foot. Dancers who continually dance on a hard floor will sometimes develop pain above the calcaneus in the area of the Achilles tendon; this condition, commonly referred to a dancer’s heel, is caused by inflammation secondary to trauma in the joint between the calcaneus and the talus

Fractures You can experience a stress (hairline) fracture to the metatarsal bone if you continually dance on hard surfaces. The fracture is the consequence of accumulated impact and shock. Symptoms may be swelling and redness. These subside with rest but may resume with activity.