The Dancer in Training Alignment

Homework Research Joseph Pilates. Who he was and what did he create? What is the purpose of pilates? Why is it important to a dancer?

Alignment – what is it? “Proper posture as near to a straight line as possible from head to toe when standing”.

How is alignment used in dance? During movement, the body remains aligned, whether in a fall or jump or turn. In the well aligned body there is a feeling of freedom, easy movement, effortless carriage of the head and awareness of all parts of the body. It is a more expressive body that ‘looks good’ whatever it is doing, at any given moment.

The ‘plumb line’ Good alignment is not static, it is a dynamic position of readiness to move. There is an ever present ‘plumb line’ which should be maintained during movement. Without this, movement will be inefficient and possibly unsafe, as energy is wasted pulling certain segments of the body into line.

Task 1 On the diagram draw the route of the plumb line and label the important points the line passes through.

So how do you maintain the plumb line? The line runs from behind the ear, through the centre of the shoulder and the hip, in front of the ankle and down through the foot. The shoulders, hips and knees should be level. Rolling in on the arches of the feet or out to the boarder should be avoided Generally, a triangular distribution of weight on each foot is best, the weight is evenly spread (see handout)

Why do you need ‘good alignment’? Good posture is vital for control, safety and expression. Poor posture or alignment of one part ricochets throughout the rest of the body. For effective movement, each segment of the body must be in proper relationship to its adjacent sections.

Reciprocal relationships Alignment relies on there being reciprocal relationships between all body parts. This means that different segments of the body give and take in equal measure in order to maintain skeletal balance.

How is alignment achieved? Correct use of the muscle groups in balance with each other is the only way to allow the skeleton to do its main job which is to support the whole body. The anti-gravity muscle group is responsible for maintaining the upright posture, so that the weight-bearing points on the skeleton will be balanced and the muscles will be able to release energy for action safely and economically.

Core Stability The ‘core’ of a dancer is important to their success at performing gracefully, it helps dancers achieve good alignment. Dancers refer to core stability as being ‘pulled up’. It is the anchor point for movement control and therefore helps to minimise injury. Our abdominal muscles are very important in core stability as they hold together to aid the anchoring of the limbs.

Strong abdominal muscles are important to a dancer in the development of core stability. Core stability trains internal muscles to actively support the spine, providing stability and control for the dancer. This active support comes from four mechanisms; tension from the theracolumbar fascia; the intra-abdominal pressure mechanism; the role of the paraspinal muscles and the role of the deep lumbar extensors. The lumbar spine is important for a dancer’s alignment and posture so it is important to strengthen the musculature that supports it. Good core stability will protect the lumbar and assists in injury prevention.

How do we find this ‘core’ The best way to hold all the stomach muscles together, to make your pelvis and lower back sturdy, is to pull your tummy button towards your spine while continuing to breathe. You must also be able to control your pelvic floor. The best way to practice this is every day, hold the pelvic floor, ten times for 10 seconds at a time.

Exercises that will strengthen the abdominal muscles Sit ups – lying on back with knees bent, peel the upper spine off the floor, hold, slowly lower the spine – one vertebra at a time until lying flat, repeat. Lying flat on the floor, bend one leg towards the chest. Extend leg. Slowly bring the leg down to return it to the floor. Repeat with other leg.

So why does a dancer need strong abdominals? Core stability For control of movement Assist with stabilisation of movement Assist with alignment and posture

What else helps alignment? There are 3 specific areas of the body that are crucial for good alignment; The skeleton The foot The spine

It is clear that this fundamental skill of alignment is crucial to the prevention of injury for any dancer. Becoming aware of and correcting poor posture can improve alignment.

other examples of faulty alignment in training are; Weight too far back Failing to turn out from the hips Twisted hips Feet over turning/rolling Misuse of muscle groups during plie and releve

Body awareness Many dance programmes nowadays stress the importance of body awareness, as taught in such techniques are Alexander and Pilates, which emphasise balancing of the body.

Task: Describe one exercise used in dance class that will strengthen the abdominal muscles (2 marks) Explain why it is important for a dancer to have strong abdominal muscles (3 marks)