Hyperextension In Dance

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Dance is an art form that takes the viewer and performer to higher heights. This transcendence occurs within the choreography, as the dancers push their bodies to new extremes both in class and on stage. One of these extreme positions of the body is spinal hyperextension. Hyperextension of the spine is the extension of the body past its normal range of motion. Although we marvel at the extreme heights of a ballerina’s arabesque and the Cirquè Du Soilè performer and their ability to allow the back of their head touch their hamstrings, there are extreme risks to this extreme flexibility. Hyper Extension of the spine leads to increased anterior disk tension, increased posterior disc compression, and the increased chance of injury to facet joints. …show more content…
With the presence of turn-out and a high demand for a “High” leg in positions like arabesque, the hyperextension of the spine can be abused. Increasing the anterior pelvic tilt in this position paired with ribcage elevation are technical errors that are an indicator for spinal instability. (Smith, 73). The Young dancer I chose for this research project has just began her ballet training this year and has a lot of learning to do. My methodology included exercises that strengthened the abdominals. My goal was to give them the proper exercises that strengthens their core, in hopes that their awareness will increases to help them locate which muscles are available to them to support their spine in hyper extension. The methodology being used by my partner Bryanna was imagery. The goal was to give the students an image. For example, image of wearing a corset and pulling the laces so that the corset tightens, our expectation is that the participant will engage the abdominals. Once the participant has that engaged feeling, Bryanna gave them verbal cues so that they could remember the feeling created by the imagery to execute movements in hyper extension. Both sets of participants met once a week for 15-30 minutes. During that time I used pre-set exercises such as the superman exercise and an abdominal workout that includes crunches and planks …show more content…
This slight change in methodology came from a study about muscle activation in Brazil where 19 ballet dancers and Pilate’s instructors participated in a research project. The Final conclusion was, knee-stretch exercises performed from a quadruped position, can condition muscles that assist in the stabilization of the lumbar spine. This conclusion was made possible by their discovery of the source of muscle activation. The Muscle activation that is essential for lumbar support occurred the most “in exercises that involved changes from a neutral pelvis to a forward tilt with trunk extended” (Yaprak 73). Working with my student to find a neutral positon while laying on their back with their knees bent is how they safely prepared to perform a back bend from the ground. As time progressed, a since of ease and confidence surged with the performance of a back bend. A Scorpion is performed with the standing led, planted strongly on the ground with knees in full extension, while the working leg, kicks straight back. To assist the leg, one hand is placed on the foot with the thumb on the bottom of the foot and the four fingers, on the top section of the foot. Although I would have
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