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IADMS Miami 2000 [back to the Category]
The Physiological Cost of Modern Class and Performance [read the french version]
Matthew Wyon, M.Sc., Emma Redding, M.Sc., Andrew Head, Ph.D., and Craig Sharp, Ph.D.
Authors: Matthew Wyon, M.Sc., Roehampton Institute, Emma Redding, M.Sc., the Laban Centre for Dance, Andrew Head, Ph.D., and Craig Sharp, Ph.D., Brunel University College, London, England
Statement of the Study’s Specific Objectives Physiological research has mainly focused on the physiological profiles of dancers (Novel et al 1978, Lavoie and Lebe-Neron 1982, Mostardi et al 1983, Chmelar et al 1988, Chatfield et al 1990, Padfield et al 1993, Dahlstrom et al 1996) without examining the training stresses that class places on them. Rimmer et al (1994) noted that during class the dancer’s heart rate elevated into a training zone (60 to 90% of max heart rate) 52% of the time. Cohen et al (1982) noted oxygen requirements between 16.5 and 18.5 ml·kg-1·min-1 for barre work and 20.1 and 26.3 ml·kg-1·min-1 for centre work. The heart rates during the barre work were between 117 and 134 b·min-1 and 158 to 178 b·min-1 for centre work.
The purpose of this study was to examine by telemetric analysis the physiological cost of modern dance class.
Subjects
Forty dancers volunteered for the study. Their mean (±SD) height, weight, and age was 166.8 cm (± 10.6), 62.9 kg (± 8.8), and 21.7 years (± 3.7)
Methods
Participants signed an informed consent form and familiarized themselves with the equipment before the test. Each dancer was tested in situ at their place of work or study. BASES ethical guidelines were followed. Each test was videotaped.
Results
Differences between the groups were tested for significance using ANOVA and post hoc (Tamhane’s T2) and the level of significance set at 95%.
Data from the class tests noted a significant difference between males and females in mean VO2 for the whole class and its subsections “warm-up” and “centre” phases. There were a number of significant differences between the different classes (Graham, Limon, and Cunningham). Within the warm-up period female subjects had a significantly higher mean HR during Graham than Limon. Limon also had significantly less percentage work time than either Graham or Cunningham. The male subjects showed no differences between the classes. Between the groups (university, professional, and graduate performance) the females had significant differences in mean HR during the “warm-up phase” with the GP group having a greater mean HR. The GP group had a significantly lower oxygen requirement during their “centre phase” than the professional group. The GP males noted a significantly greater number of heart rate “peaks” during the “centre phase” above a heard rate of 170 b·min-1 than the professional group.
There were no significant differences between the male and female data from the performance tests. The performance data was significantly greater for mean VO2, mean HR, percentage work and the number of “peaks” during dancing than class data. The male subjects showed significant differences in mean HR and percentage work between class and performance and the female subjects significant differences in mean VO2, mean HR, percentage work, and peak frequency.
The mean percentage time spent in specific HR and VO2 bands was calculated for each group. Oxygen expenditure for the majority of the class was between 10 to 25 ml·kg-1·min-1 for all groups (university 83.82%, graduate 69.36%, and professional 83.59%). The university and professional dancers spent the majority of the class between 100 to 140 b·min-1 (77.91% and 74.32%, respectively). The graduate dancers danced within a higher bandwidth spending 71.08% of the class between 120 to 160 b·min-1. Graduate dancers spent the greatest amount of time above 120 b·min-1 (86.67%), while the university and professional groups spent 62.48% and 51.15% respectively above 120 b·min-1.
Conclusion
Contemporary dance class can be said to mimic its classical ballet version in the cardiorespiratory stress it places on a dancer (Cohen et al 1982, Schantz and Astrand 1984, Rimmer et al 1994). Class as a whole does not physiologically prepare the dancer for performance. The centre phase more closely mimics performance for the male subjects but not for the females.
Relevance
To help reduce the demands on the rehearsal period, some classes need to be developed to place stress on the metabolic systems. This would ideally involve the adaptation of the centre phase to increase the percentage work time and workload intensity to incorporate both aerobic and anaerobic training.
This is the abstract of a paper presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, held 27-29 October 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA. All rights are reserved by the individual author(s).
Statement of the Study’s Specific Objectives Physiological research has mainly focused on the physiological profiles of dancers (Novel et al 1978, Lavoie and Lebe-Neron 1982, Mostardi et al 1983, Chmelar et al 1988, Chatfield et al 1990, Padfield et al 1993, Dahlstrom et al 1996) without examining the training stresses that class places on them. Rimmer et al (1994) noted that during class the dancer’s heart rate elevated into a training zone (60 to 90% of max heart rate) 52% of the time. Cohen et al (1982) noted oxygen requirements between 16.5 and 18.5 ml·kg-1·min-1 for barre work and 20.1 and 26.3 ml·kg-1·min-1 for centre work. The heart rates during the barre work were between 117 and 134 b·min-1 and 158 to 178 b·min-1 for centre work.
The purpose of this study was to examine by telemetric analysis the physiological cost of modern dance class.
Subjects
Forty dancers volunteered for the study. Their mean (±SD) height, weight, and age was 166.8 cm (± 10.6), 62.9 kg (± 8.8), and 21.7 years (± 3.7)
Methods
Participants signed an informed consent form and familiarized themselves with the equipment before the test. Each dancer was tested in situ at their place of work or study. BASES ethical guidelines were followed. Each test was videotaped.
Results
Differences between the groups were tested for significance using ANOVA and post hoc (Tamhane’s T2) and the level of significance set at 95%.
Data from the class tests noted a significant difference between males and females in mean VO2 for the whole class and its subsections “warm-up” and “centre” phases. There were a number of significant differences between the different classes (Graham, Limon, and Cunningham). Within the warm-up period female subjects had a significantly higher mean HR during Graham than Limon. Limon also had significantly less percentage work time than either Graham or Cunningham. The male subjects showed no differences between the classes. Between the groups (university, professional, and graduate performance) the females had significant differences in mean HR during the “warm-up phase” with the GP group having a greater mean HR. The GP group had a significantly lower oxygen requirement during their “centre phase” than the professional group. The GP males noted a significantly greater number of heart rate “peaks” during the “centre phase” above a heard rate of 170 b·min-1 than the professional group.
There were no significant differences between the male and female data from the performance tests. The performance data was significantly greater for mean VO2, mean HR, percentage work and the number of “peaks” during dancing than class data. The male subjects showed significant differences in mean HR and percentage work between class and performance and the female subjects significant differences in mean VO2, mean HR, percentage work, and peak frequency.
The mean percentage time spent in specific HR and VO2 bands was calculated for each group. Oxygen expenditure for the majority of the class was between 10 to 25 ml·kg-1·min-1 for all groups (university 83.82%, graduate 69.36%, and professional 83.59%). The university and professional dancers spent the majority of the class between 100 to 140 b·min-1 (77.91% and 74.32%, respectively). The graduate dancers danced within a higher bandwidth spending 71.08% of the class between 120 to 160 b·min-1. Graduate dancers spent the greatest amount of time above 120 b·min-1 (86.67%), while the university and professional groups spent 62.48% and 51.15% respectively above 120 b·min-1.
Conclusion
Contemporary dance class can be said to mimic its classical ballet version in the cardiorespiratory stress it places on a dancer (Cohen et al 1982, Schantz and Astrand 1984, Rimmer et al 1994). Class as a whole does not physiologically prepare the dancer for performance. The centre phase more closely mimics performance for the male subjects but not for the females.
Relevance
To help reduce the demands on the rehearsal period, some classes need to be developed to place stress on the metabolic systems. This would ideally involve the adaptation of the centre phase to increase the percentage work time and workload intensity to incorporate both aerobic and anaerobic training.
This is the abstract of a paper presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, held 27-29 October 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA. All rights are reserved by the individual author(s).
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