| Description |
The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among staged appearance, technical dance skill, selected anthropometric measures and body composition in preprofessional, collegiate female ballet dancers. The subjects (n = 45) were all full time ballet majors (16-22 years) attending the University of Utah in the Dance Department. The subjects represented a variety of levels of dance proficiency. Stage appearance (STAGE) was determined by the dance faculty using a 5 point Likert scale. A technical dance skill rating (TOTAL) was derived from the sum of seven elements of dance proficiency as assessed by the faculty utilizing seven separate Likert scales. Body composition was determined by hydrostatic weighing. The following anthropometric measures were assessed: height, weight, wrist, forearm, extended biceps, shoulder, chest, waist, hips, thigh, knee, calf, and ankle girths, biacromial and bitrochanteric diameters, triceps skinfold, and waist to tip of coccyx. The zero order correlations revealed significant relationships between TOTAL and weight, wrist, forearm, extended biceps, and waist girths (r - -0.57, -0.49, -0.56, -0.56, -0.53), respectively; and STAGE and weight, percent fat, extended biceps, and waist girths (r - -0.66, -.050, -0.72, -0.69), respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that prediction of STAGE was best accomplished by combining the two girth measures of biceps and hip (R = 0.755). Prediction of TOTAL was best achieved with a combination of weight and % fat (R = 0.620). Factor analysis revealed that girths of the extremities measured essentially the same underlying factor; the same was revealed for girth measures of the trunk (i.e., shoulder, breast, and waist). While these results indicate that physique and body composition are related to successful performance and achievement of appearance standards in female ballet dancers, the anthropometric and body composition variables measured in this study do not account for all of the variability in dance performance capabilities or stage appearance. Further research is needed to identify additional factors which might influence success as a ballerina. |
