FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT AND DYNAMIC BALANCE IN ENTRY LEVEL UNIVERSITY DANCERS

Area of Science:

• Dance Science
• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Dance performance relies on integrated movement, stability, and alignment.
• Assessing movement competency and balance can identify issues impacting performance and injury risk.
• The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Y-Balance Test (YBT) are used in athletes but less in performing arts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate movement competency in university dancers using the FMS and YBT.
• To determine the relationship between functional movement and dynamic balance in dancers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 15 injury-free female university ballet students.
• Utilized Pearson product correlations to analyze relationships between FMS and YBT variables.

Main Results:

• The mean composite FMS score was 15.32. Shoulder mobility, In-line lunge, and Deep Squat correlated with the composite FMS score.
• The mean composite YBT score was 86.62%. No significant correlation was found between composite FMS and YBT scores.
• A moderate to good correlation was observed between the In-line lunge component of the FMS and the composite YBT score.

Conclusions:

• The FMS and YBT measure distinct constructs of movement competency and dynamic balance.
• Individual FMS components and YBT scores show relationships, suggesting combined use for dancer injury risk management.