The Gap Between Research and Pedagogy: Continuing the Discussion

In June 2013, Dr. Ralph Manchester wrote an editorial for Medical Problems of Performing Artists examining the following question presented to him in a letter to the editor: Why haven't we used the scientific method to determine optimal piano technique? The article in this month's issue entitled "Exploring active and passive contributors to turnout in dancers and non-dancers" by Sutton-Traina et al. examines various possible contributors to turnout in dancers, and which factors may be the greatest predictors of the dancer's standing turnout. What stands out within the reported data is the recognition that professional dancers as a whole do not approach the 180° of turnout that continues to be the icon of the ideal classical dancer. And so I pose the question: Why haven't we used the scientific method to determine optimal dance technique?