A Descriptive Exploration of Heart Rate Response to Live Professional Irish Dance Performance

Introduction: Research investigating the physiological demands of dance performance has documented exercise intensity and time spent in work and rest; however, available data are across limited dance genres and often use rehearsal or simulated conditions. Real-time data recorded during live performance with an audience are limited. The aim of the study is to provide a detailed description of the physiological demands of live professional Irish dance performance. Method: The entire Irish dance cast of Riverdance participated in the study (n = 24). Approval was granted by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee. Matinee and evening performances on the first day of a tour were examined in a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Heart rate (HR) monitors worn discretely under costumes recorded data every 5-seconds. Video analysis allowed calculation of time spent in work and rest. All descriptive analyses were split by role (troupe/lead) and sex (male/female). Results: Dancers worked at hard/very hard intensities (mean > 72%, peak > 91% HR_max) for ~3 minutes at a time for 3-9 individual dance numbers. There was a high variation in overall demand experienced by individual dancers due to variation in both duration and intensity of on-stage time, dependent upon their role. Mean total on-stage time was 18.18 ± 5.82 minutes, 19.43 ± 5.80 minutes, 29.71 ± 0.62 minutes, 20.00 ± 0.00 minutes for male troupe, female troupe, male lead, and female lead dancers, respectively. Recovery periods were varied in terms of duration, activity undertaken, and HR response. Conclusion: Individual dance numbers within a professional Irish dance show were high intensity for a short duration when considered in isolation, but overall physiological demand experienced by any one dancer across the entire show varied dependent upon their role and off-stage/recovery practices. Future research investigating the physiological demands of dance performance should ensure analysis accounts for the individual dancer's role and should capture the entire show duration in repeated exposures.