DANCE Kinesiology
SECOND EDITION
SALLY SEVEY FITT
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
This work was funded in part by a grant
From the University of Utah Research Committee
To Pat Paterson:
Who first tried to pound kinesiological concepts into my head be-fore I was ready to understand their importance.
To Valerie V. Hunt:
Who, years later, made those concepts alive and practical when I
Was ready to learn.
To Carol Warner:
Whose profound kinesthetic awareness of motion and bodily wis-dom challenged the textbooks and inevitably forced me to continue to grow and question.
The Soul of a Dancer
I dance because I must.
I dance because the thoughts, feelings, and responses
Of my life are best expressed in motion,
Because
Life is motion
And motion is life.
As I move,
I embrace life
And sing the joyous song
Of easeful, expressive movement.
Soaring, twisting, turning in every possible combination,
I am defined by movement,
And actualized through movement.
I AM, therefore I dance;
I DANCE, therefore I am.
Thus I continue to explore, to grow, to be.
To all those who have danced,
Who dance now, and who will dance in the future
I dedicate this
Second Edition of Dance Kinesiology.
May your hearts and souls
Dance forever. …
(and may this book help your body cooperate) ssf June 15, 1995
Contents
PREFACE ix
SECTION I
The Science of Motion in Support of the Art of Dance
1 Domain of Dance Kinesiology 5
SECTION II
The Skeletal System
2 Overview of the Skeletal System 17
3 Foot and Leg 27
4 Pelvis and Spine 53
5 Scapula and Humerus 79
6 Radius, Ulna, and Hand 90
SECTION III
The Muscular System
7 Overview of the Muscular System 101
8 Muscles of the Toes, the Tarsus, and the Ankle 121
/> 9 Muscles of the Клее and the Hip 134
10 Muscles of the Torso and the Neck 166
11 Muscles of the Scapula and the Shoulder 192
12 Muscles of the Elbow, Radio-Ulnar Joints,
Wrist, and Hand 209
13 Misalignments and Muscular Imbalances
Common in Dance 227
SECTION IV
Physiological Considerations for Dancers
14 Physiological Support Systems 255
15 Body Types 281
16 Movement Behavior 287
SECTION V
Wellness for Dancers
17 Somatics, Relaxation, and Efficiency 303
18 Prevention of Dance Injuries 368
19 Conditioning for Dancers 388
20 Weight Management 443
SECTION VI
Conclusion and Applications
21 Enhancing Performance 453
22 Applications of Dance Kinesiology 458
References 463
Contributors to the Second Edition 469
Index 473
Preface
For many years, dancers did not concern themselves with a conscious study of the sciences of human motion. The lack of research in the area of dance kinesiology before about 1950 indicates an apparent lack of interest in science and the art of dance. As modern dance moved into institutions of higher education in the 1950s (accompanied in some instances by ballet), some dancers and dance educators became aware of the potential benefits the science of movement had for dance.
Notable early pioneers in the application of movement sciences to dance included Margaret H’Doubler, Mabel Ellsworth Todd, Raoul Gelabert, Lulu Sweigard, and Valerie Hunt. Their early works broke ground for the development of a body of knowledge called dance kinesiology. Another indication of the acceptance of movement sciences into the discipline of dance was the formation of the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD), whose publications carried the bulk of dance kinesiology research reports in the early stages of development.
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