Effects of Textured Balance Board Training in Adolescent Ballet Dancers With Ankle Pathology.

Context: Ankle sprains are common among adolescent ballet dancers and may be attributed to inadequate ankle proprioception. Thus, a short period of training utilizing proprioceptive activities requires evaluation.

Objective: To assess training conducted for 3 or 6 weeks on a textured-surface balance board using ankle proprioception scores for ballet dancers with and without chronic ankle instability, and with and without previous ankle sprain (PAS).

Influence of Textured Insoles on Dynamic Postural Balance of Young Dancers.

Background: Postural balance (PB) is a significant factor in dance performance and injury prevention. We aimed to determine whether the use of textured insoles inserted into casual walking shoes of dancers improved their dynamic PB and whether dancers with previous injury manifested different dynamic PB compared with non-injured dancers.

Methods: In this crossover design study, 26 ballet dancers from the Australian Ballet School, aged 14-19 yrs, were divided into two groups matched by sex and class levels.

Should Ballet Dancers Vary Postures and Underfoot Surfaces When Practicing Postural Balance?

Background: Postural balance (PB) is an important component skill for professional dancers. However, the effects of different types of postures and different underfoot surfaces on PB have not adequately been addressed.

Purpose: The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different conditions of footwear, surfaces, and standing positions on static and dynamic PB ability of young ballet dancers.

Is There a Correlation Between Static and Dynamic Postural Balance Among Young Male and Female Dancers?

Aimed to investigate whether young male and female dancers have different patterns of association between static and dynamic postural balance (PB), 60 dancers from the Australian Ballet School (14-19 years old) were tested for static and dynamic PB with head and lumbar accelerometers. Monotonic relationships between static and dynamic PB were found in head movements among young female dancers in all three directions, but were found for young male dancers in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions only. In lumbar movements, monotonic relationships were found for young female dancers in the AP direction only.

Recontextualizing Dance Skills: Overcoming Impediments to Motor Learning and Expressivity in Ballet Dancers.

The process of transmitting ballet's complex technique to young dancers can interfere with the innate processes that give rise to efficient, expressive and harmonious movement. With the intention of identifying possible solutions, this article draws on research across the fields of neurology, psychology, motor learning, and education, and considers their relevance to ballet as an art form, a technique, and a training methodology. The integration of dancers' technique and expressivity is a core theme throughout the paper.

Can textured insoles improve ankle proprioception and performance in dancers?

With the aim of determining both the acute and the chronic effects of textured insoles on the ankle discrimination and performance ability of dancers, 60 ballet dancers from the Australian Ballet School, aged 14-19 years, were divided into three groups (two intervention groups and a control group), age- and level-matched. In the first 5 weeks (weeks 1 to 5), the first intervention group (GRP1) was asked to wear textured insoles in their ballet shoes and the second intervention group (GRP2) was not given textured insoles to wear. In the next 5 weeks (weeks 6 to 10), GRP2 was asked to wear the same type of textured insoles and GRP1 did not wear the textured insoles.

Use of a Textured Insole to Improve the Association Between Postural Balance and Ankle Discrimination in Young Male and Female Dancers.

Unlabelled: Ballet dancers require a high level of postural balance (PB) and proprioception ability during performance. As textured insoles inserted into ballet shoes were found to improve proprioception ability, and better proprioceptive acuity was associated with better PB, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether the association between ankle inversion movement discrimination (AIMD) and PB changed following wearing textured insoles in young male and female dancers.

Methods: Forty-four dancers from the Australian Ballet School, ages 14-19 yrs, were tested for static and dynamic PB and AIMD under two conditions: in ballet shoes, and in ballet shoes with textured insoles inserted.

The effect of textured ballet shoe insoles on ankle proprioception in dancers.

Background: Impaired ankle inversion movement discrimination (AIMD) can lead to ankle sprain injuries. The aim of this study was to explore whether wearing textured insoles improved AIMD compared with barefoot, ballet shoes and smooth insoles, among dancers.

Methods: Forty-four adolescent male and female dancers, aged 13-19, from The Australian Ballet School were tested for AIMD while barefoot, wearing ballet shoes, smooth insoles, and textured insoles.

Are maturation, growth and lower extremity alignment associated with overuse injury in elite adolescent ballet dancers?

Objective: To identify growth, maturation and biomechanical risk factors for overuse injury in elite adolescent ballet dancers.

Methods: Maturation (Tanner scale), growth (foot length change) and age at onset of menarche were recorded in elite adolescent ballet dancers. A modified knee valgus angle and lateral tilt of the pelvis were measured using 2D video during two dance movements (fondu, temps levé) to quantify lower extremity alignment.