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Assessing turnout in university dancers.
Thomas M Welsh1, Mariola Rodriguez, Laura W Beare
1Florida State University, Dance Department, 202 Montgomery Hall, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2120, USA. twelsh@dance.fsu.edu
Summary
Dancers often exhibit less lower extremity turnout when standing than their passive range allows. This study suggests improved assessment methods to enhance dancer turnout capacity and performance.
Area of Science:
- Dance Science
- Biomechanics
- Kinesiology
Background:
- Turnout is crucial for aesthetic and technical aspects of dance.
- Accurate assessment of turnout is essential for effective training and injury prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate practical methods for measuring total lower extremity turnout in dancers.
- To identify discrepancies between passive and active turnout measurements in dancers.
Main Methods:
- Conducted passive, active, and best turnout measurements on 17 university-level dancers.
- Utilized reliable measurement protocols for assessing turnout in the lower extremities.
Main Results:
- Observed significant individual variability in dancers' available turnout.
- Found that dancers frequently utilized less standing turnout than their passive supine measurements indicated.
Conclusions:
- Dancers may not be fully utilizing their available turnout capacity.
- Recommends specific measurement protocols for assessing dancer turnout, a key attribute in dance.
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