Standing balance of professional ballet dancers and non-dancers under different conditions

Abstract

Ballet training has been reported to positively influence balance ability. It is not entirely clear how improved balance ability manifests under standing conditions with different demands on postural control. The aim of the study was to compare balance of ballet dancers and non-dancers in a unipedal stance under different conditions. Twenty-five professional ballet dancers and twenty-five controls completed four unipedal standing balance tests: firm surface with eyes open and closed; foam mat surface with eyes open; and firm surface with eyes open immediately after performing ten 360° whole-body turns. The centre of pressure (COP) data were obtained with a force platform and the direction-specific standard deviations, velocities, and sample entropy of the COP displacement were computed. A three-way analysis of variance was used to compare groups, genders, and conditions. For standing immediately after performing ten turns, the postural sway parameters were significantly larger in the control group compared to the ballet dancers in both men and women. In this stance condition the values of postural sway and COP velocities in the control group were larger in the men compared to the women. For both genders in the control group all postural sway and COP velocity parameters were larger in standing with eyes closed and standing after performing 10 turns compared to standing with eyes open on both firm and foam surface. In the ballet dancers all COP velocity parameters were larger in standing with eyes closed compared to all other conditions. The results from the present study indicate that professional ballet dancers do not have a better general balance ability than untrained subjects.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Rehabilitation after Total Knee Replacement Surgery Using Sample Entropy and Classical Measures of Body Balance

“…In contrast to approximate entropy, sample entropy does not depend on record length and is characterized by relative consistency [ 19 ]. Sample entropy has been used to analyze CoP data in stationary patients [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] as well as during gait [ 23 , 24 ] and different physical activities or movements [ 25 , 26 ]. A decrease in sample entropy, which means more regular sway fluctuations, is interpreted as more rigid postural behavior and consequently a decrease in the effectiveness of postural control [ 19 , 25 ].…”

Does Regular Dancing Improve Static Balance?

“…Costa de Mello and colleagues [ 28 ] suggested that professional ballet dancers show greater visual dependency for balance adjustment with reduced influence of the supporting base on postural sway. Janura et al [ 16 ], who compare ballet dancers and non-dancers, presented different outcomes. The authors found that, for the unipedal stance with eyes open and eyes closed, the sway and the velocity characterizing the COP movement in the dancers and the control group were generally comparable.…”

“…As we know, postural balance (PB) is an important component skill for professional dancers [ 15 ]. Janura et al [ 16 ] suggested that dance performance is a complex act, with many elements, including strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. The data show that the dancers’ skill depends largely on effective technical training, with elements of good posture and balance, and requires the codification of sensory input to build mental representations of the action to be performed [ 17 ].…”

“…According to the other authors, balance assessment can be performed in static and dynamic conditions [ 20 ]. Many studies have focused on assessing ballet dancers [ 16 , 17 , 21 ] and assessing static and postural stability in dancers and non-dancers in neutral foot positions or on one leg position [ 16 , 22 ]. In our study, we wanted to check if dancing three times a week for a minimum of seven years affects the maintenance of static balance in various bases of support (in various feet positions).…”

Biathletes Prefer a Closed-Looped Strategy to Maintain Their Balance During Shooting

“…On the other hand, some results contradict the hypothesized higher degrees of complexity in athletes not only in clinical practice, but also in sports. There are studies that showed no changes in the regularity of COP between a highly-skilled group and a healthy age-matched control group (CG) during a simple balance task (23)(24)(25). In turn, Schmit et al (26) noticed that ballet dancers have decreased entropy compared to runners, even though dancers are considered more pro cient in using their balance ability.…”