Unit XI - The Dancer's Alignment

Unit Objectives:
At the completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

1.  Integrate anatomical information with a dancer's correct alignment.

2.  Integrate anatomical information with familiar dance positions

3.  Compare and contrast correct and incorrect alignment and dance positions

4.  Observe and identify movement of the spine in relation to the whole body

5.  Observe and identify movement of the upper body in relation to the whole body.

6.  Observe and identify movement of the lower body in relation to the whole body
Introduction:
In units 1-10 you explored basic anatomical concepts and learned important joint and muscle information for the major body areas. As you were learning this information many concepts were discussed that applied to the dancer. Now, however, units 11 and 12 will take these concepts to another level. In units 11 and 12 you will be viewing still shots and short video clips of actual dancers. The accompanying text will bring together the anatomical information you have learned with common dance information so that you will be able to apply your newly learned anatomy to actual dance. This will be fun and informative, but will require you to"put it all together" and do something with what you have memorized. Have fun!

Anatomical Position and Plumb Line
Recall from a previous course unit the description of anatomical position. The face is forward, there is external rotation at the shoulder and the palms face forward in space. The trunk is neutral, hips are neutral and the knees are aligned below the hips with the patellas facing forward. The foot is dorsiflexed and positioned as if standing on the floor. 

Notice on the picture to the left that the key joints are highlighted with a white circle. These lighted areas show the relationship between the shoulder, the pelvis, knee and ankle in the anatomical position. The pelvis should rest directly below the shoulder. The lighted ball at the pelvis is placed on the ASIS bony landmark. In the lower extremity recall that the actual hip joint socket is located more medially so that its position would be distal and medial to the lights on the picture at left as indicated by the arrow.            
In the picture to the left notice the lighted balls that form a line from the shoulder to the ankle. This is the plumb line that shows the relationship of the joints to the floor. If you had a plumb bob and dropped it from the shoulder to the floor, the lights should line up parallel to the line. The anatomical position is the actual position of the body joints as defined in medical terminology and anatomy. The plumb line is a spatial term that places the body or bodies in relationship to the ground below. In proper anatomical position the joints would line up with a straight plumb line to the floor. The concept of the plumb line has broader application, especially for the dancer, who must know where the proper dance alignment must be and know where the body as a whole is in relationship to the floor.  
A plumb line between two bodies.
Notice in the picture above the dancer is in parallel demi plié first position.   The dancer in the picture above is in turnout demi plié first position. Notice how the lighted ball are still aligned at the knee and ankle. However, there is now external rotation at the hip joint above resulting in the rotation of the entire leg . The plumb line concept is still intact, but the knee joint is now outside the plumb line if dropped from the hip above.
The picture above is the side view of a dancer in parallel demi plié first position. The plumb line is clearly visible from the hip to the ankle to the floor. With the dancer in relèvé first position parallel the plumb line is visible from the shoulder all the way to the floor. 
Notice in the dancer to the left is in relèvé first position turn out. The plumb line is still intact, but again the external rotation at the hip joint rotates the entire leg. The rotation at the hip does not alter how the weight is transferred through the joints of the lower extremity.   
In the movie below you will notice the transition from parallel first position to turnout first position. This is a posterior view of the dancer. Recall that external rotation at the hip results from contraction of the six deep external rotator muscles.  When you view the movie remember the muscle activity of the external rotator muscles occurs deep in the buttock area beneath the gluteus maximus. This concept is important for the dancer to remember - the external rotation that produces the turnout position comes from the hip, not the knee or foot below. <return from VI>

 

click here for parallel to turnout video

 

Maintaining Parallel or Turnout in Leg Alignment
Above we discussed the muscle action that produces external rotation at the hip for turnout. Also, we discussed the proper alignment of the lower body using the plumb line concept. Notice in the picture to the left the dancer has correct turnout from the hip joint and the knees are aligned over the middle of the foot to form the straight line to the floor for the plumb line. 
In this picture to the left the dancer's knees roll inward or medially. Notice now that the patella no longer lines up in a straight line above the middle of the foot. Instead, it lines up with a spot on the floor medial to the foot. You can also see that the foot must shift weight to the medial side of the foot and the great toe spreads to accommodate this extra weight. 

This incorrect position placing undue stress on the medial aspect of the knee and foot can result in injury to the dancer.
This picture to the left illustrates the same incorrect alignment discussed above. Notice you can see more clearly in the front view the rolled in position of the ankle joint.
Grand plié takes the movement one step further. The dancer now descend more fully into the plié position and the heels raise off the floor as the feet move into toe extension. All of the weight is now transferred to the ball of the foot and no longer passes through the heel. It takes more strength in the foot, ankle, and lower body to maintain this correct position. In addition, the dancer must have strong core or pelvic support to maintain alignment as the body descends. When you view the movie below, notice the dancer maintains the plumb line of the trunk in relation to the floor, even though the leg position changes. There must be isometric contraction of primarily the transverse abdominus muscle to support the trunk and prevent the pelvis from collapsing anteriorly.   

 
click here for grand plié  video
 

Notice in the dancer to the left as she begins a grand plié the heels are just beginning to lift off the floor as the pelvis descends. The pelvis, however, is beginning to tilt anteriorly, and is easily noted by the backward motion of the coccyx or tailbone. The orange line on the lateral pelvis shows the dancer has lost the correct vertical alignment of the trunk over the legs as a result of the shifting of the pelvis. When the support from the abdominals does not occur to lift and support the pelvis anteriorly, this incorrect aligmnent position results.  
In the movie below you will see a side view of the grand plié performed incorrectly. Notice when the pelvis tilts and loses the correct alignment. Once this occurs the vertical plumb line of the trunk is lost. An increased lumbar curve or lordosis becomes visible.

 
click here for incorrect grand plié

 
In the movie below you will see a front view of a correctly aligned grand plié. Can you identify the plumb line from this front view? 

 
click here for front view grand plié video

 

Alignment of the Spine
We have discussed the lower body alignment, now let's shift our focus and talk about alignment issues in the spine. 

 
Notice in the pictures top and left the dancer is pushing the ribs forward or hyperextending the thoracic spine in relation to the position of the head and lumbar spine. This increased extension of the thoracic spine moves it out of the correct plumb line position for the trunk. In addition, it produces increased tension in the upper chest area and posterior neck regions as they attempt to hold upright posture. This is inefficient muscle firing and will cause fatigue. 

If the intent of the dancer is to demonstrate an ease in the body, this tension sets up a contradiction that will result in an unappealing visual aesthetic.    

Movements of the Spine and Core Support
The dancer is frequently asked to perform motions of the spine that include moving through large range of motion in combination with other motions of the arms or legs. Many dancers are flexible and have a great deal of motion available to them in their spine. It is important to remember the normal motions of the spine, as well as the relationship of core support to these available motions. A key concept we will state repeatedly is the balance between mobility and stability. You must have a balance of these two in the body.  
The surrounding pictures are common dance movements of the spine. To initiate this movement the dancer begins to forward flex the cervical spine. Note the picture top left. Recall from the previous units on the spine that the head moves forward and down in space. The motion initiates at the atlas of C1  and proceeds downward with flexion occurring in the upper cervical spine and proceeding downward. The chin moves toward the chest and the motion in the neck should occur equally between the vertebrae for a segmental movement sequence.

In the top right picture the motion continues and the movement now occurs in the thoracic spine. Note the dancer allows the scapulae to protract or abduct as the arms to drop forward and the thoracic spine flexes, beginning in the upper thoracic spine and moving downward segmentally.   
Finally, in the picture above right the dancer is in full trunk forward bending with the hands on the floor. You will notice that much of the motion now is resulting from flexion at the hips. The spine is in slight forward flexion, but most of the bending is at the hip. In this position the backs of the legs, especially the hamstring muscles are stretched. Notice also that the plumb line of the hip to the leg is maintained, although the weight has shifted slightly so that it is now more posterior.

In the two movies below you will see a dancer performing a common movement usually performed at the ballet barre. The dancer in the first clip is segmentally moving forward towards the floor. Notice the clear motion of cervical first, then thoracic motion, and finally lumbar and hip motion to achieve the forward bending position. Notice also that the pelvis is stable and does not move as the motion occurs. This demonstrates the important core support provided by the abdominal wall. Without this core support the dancer would be unable to maintain the strong pelvis position and it would move backward in space. 

Stand up and try this yourself. Perform the forward bending with the abdominals relaxed. Then repeat the motion with the abdominals contracted. 

In the second clip the dancer returns from the forward bent position to upright. Notice that the initiation of returning to upright or extending the spine occurs when the abdominals "scoop" or contract inward toward the lumbar spine. This action of the abdominals sets the pelvis so the tail drops toward the floor. This occurs with deep abdominal isometric contraction. By initiating in these muscles, the movement starts segmentally at the tail or pelvic floor area and proceeds upward through the spine with pelvis, then lumbar, then thoracic, and cervical moving in sequence upward.  

 
click here for spine moving forward video
click here for spine moving upward video

 
In the pictures below, the dancer is performing a back arch position commonly used in dance. Notice the stretching of the spine upward that then leads into the back arch. The dancer has a visibly lifted spine and open chest. There is support in the anterior chest and spine that prevents pinching or compression posteriorly between the vertebral segments of the spine. Notice there is no backward shifting in the pelvis or forward protrusion in the ribs. The curve that results from the motion is evenly distributed across the distance of the motion from top of the head to the pelvis. This curve is smooth with no visible break or creasing evident at any point along the spine.     
Recall that the spine can move into extension. There can be varying degrees of motion into extension, depending on your body's flexibility and where in the spine the motion is occurring. You can hyperextend in a spinal segment. This would occur when there is excessive backward motion that placed a spinal segment or segments in a compressed or pinched position. There is usually lack of muscular or core support when this occurs. It can cause a poor visual aesthetic and put the dancer at increased risk for injury.   
We have looked at flexion and extension of the spine. In the picture to the left you see a dancer performing lateral flexion of the spine. 

Note in the photo that the plumb line in the lower body is intact and the pelvis has not moved. The motion of lateral flexion primarily occurs in the upper thoracic spine and the cervical spine. There is some visible motion that occurs in lower thoracic and lumbar, but there is less available motion in these areas. As lateral flexion occurs, the ribs come together on the convex side preventing further motion in that direction. 
This picture is an example of more extreme lateral flexion occurring in a dance movement.
In the picture to the left, the dancer is rotating the spine from top to bottom. Notice that there is much more available rotation in the cervical region. There is rotational motion in the thoracic spine, but this is limited by the rib cage. There is also rotation in the lumbar spine, but again less in this area than above. The combined motions in all three spinal areas results in a segmental spiraling or lengthening of the spine. The combined motion of cervical, thoracic and lumbar results in the dancer rotating more fully and giving the appearance of more rotation in the upper spine and head. 
In this section we have explored how all body parts connect through the spine. The spine is the central core of movement and is able to perform complex motions in multiple directions, through a large range of motion. Core support is important from the muscles of the trunk, especially the abdominals. Active isometric contractions from these trunk muscles provide the needed lift and support to allow maximal motion 

Now we will consider the integration of the upper body  with the spine.  

 

The Arm and Shoulder Connection with the Spine
Recall from the  unit on the shoulder that the shoulder complex of the humerus, clavicle, and scapula is anchored on the spine. It attaches in the front on the sternum of the rib cage and posteriorly by the scapula floating on the posterior surface of the ribs. This complex series of joints forming the shoulder complex is likened to a shawl or cape-like structure over the spine.
 The design of this set of structures is for mobility and large range of motion. It is, however, connected to the spine and must integrate with the spine to perform with maximal support and efficiency.
    In the picture to the left the dancer has the arms raised overhead in shoulder flexion.  Notice that the shoulder motion actually begins with posterior support from the scapula. You can see by the orange line the position of the scapulae as they support the arm position overhead.
 
The picture above left shows integration of scapula and arm with the spine. The dancer is utilizing the central scapular stabilizers to maintain the scapula in downward rotation, and retraction . This anchors the scapula on the spine to better support the motion of the arm. Some important scapular stabilizers discussed in unit X such as the rhomboids, the lower trapezius, and the latissimus dorsi are active here.  

 

  In the picture above right the dancer has allowed the scapulae to elevate, upward rotate and protract so they are no longer anchored on the spine. This produces tension in the neck and poor upper body integration with the rest of the body. It is also not visually appealing. Attempting to maintain this position will result in significant muscle fatigue.   

In the video clip below you will see another example of the integrated action of the arm and scapula as the shoulder girdle moves from abduction to adduction in the horizontal plane. 
click here for scapula movement
In the picture below left the left arm is in 90 degrees of flexion and the right arm is in 90 degrees of abduction. These motions are occurring at the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder, with scapula support.

In the picture below right the position of the arms is unchanged. With the addition of right rotation in the thoracic spine, the relative position of the arms appears different. The key is that the additional range of  motion that occurred was in the spine. This illustrates again the important relationship between the spine and the shoulder girdle. This relationship between the spine and all components of the shoulder girdle is called scapula-humeral rhythm.  These parts of the body work together in concert  to provide a wide range of motion and possible arm positions in space, while still supported by the core of the body and spine.
 You will now view a video clip below that shows a dance phrase initiated by arm circumduction. Notice the wide range of motion in the scapular, the spine, and the shoulder. These motions are possible because the shoulder complex and the spine work as an integrated whole.

Can you view the clip again and identify changing positions of the scapula and arm? For example can you identify the arm moving through the composite motion of circumduction that includes adduction, flexion, opening of the arm into adduction - all occurring  primarily in the frontal plane?   
click here for arm circumduction video

 

The Standing versus the Gesture Leg
We have discussed the relationship of the upper extremity to the trunk, we will now focus on the legs moving under the trunk.

The dancer must understand how to shift weight  in order to free a leg to move beneath the trunk. This weight shift is the beginning of all locomotion through space. The pictures below illustrate common dance movements that require a standing support leg balanced against a moving gesture leg. This illustrates again the concept of mobility and stability. The "standing leg" must provide stability to support the body, while the "gesture leg" provides the motion or articulation through space. There must be a balance of mobility and stability for this to occur efficiently. 
In the picture above, the dancer is performing a tendu in parallel position. Her weight has shifted over the center of the left foot, ankle, knee, and hip socket.  This has resulted in a barely perceptible  lateral shift of the pelvis.  The plumb line denoted by the silver balls are still in alignment.  In the picture above, the dancer is performing a tendu to second position in turnout. The same is true here, with the alignment of the upper body maintained by a slight lateral shift over the left foot. 
The dancer is performing tendu to the back in turnout. Note in the picture above there is visible core support that provides lifting of the trunk over the pelvis. The entire pelvis has shifted over the left leg, but the spine is long and supported.  Note also that the hip is in extension on the right leg. In the picture above the dancer is performing the same back tendu with turnout, but has not maintained core support. The result of this is tipping of the pelvis forward caused by increased lordosis or hyperextension in the lumbar spine. Also notice that the upper trunk and head are behind the plumb line of the body.
In the picture to the left the dancer is in attitude to the back with external rotation. Note that the leg is in a more extreme backward position than in the pictures discussed above. Once the dancer fully extends the hip backward in the tendu position, as you can see in the picture above, the remaining motion to achieve the atittude is accomplished by extension in the lumbar spine. 

Observe the long curve starting from the foot and passing up the lighted balls from ankle, to knee, to the front of the torso. This curve is achieved by lengthening and lifting the ends of the curve using core support (i.e. the upper trunk and the leg) away from the lower spine. The upper spine and trunk are going forward and high, and the leg is arcing backward and high. Done correctly, this reduces stress on the lumbar spine. Performed incorrectly there is compression and stress to the low back.   
In the pictures above we have discussed positions of the leg in one direction. Now let's consider circumduction of the hip where there is circular motion in the hip socket. In dance terms this anatomical motion is called a ronde de jambe. 

In the video clip below you will see the dancer perform a ronde de jambe:

  • The dancer begins in turnout first position (external rotation of the hip) and moves the gesture leg into flexion, then into abduction while maintaining some hip flexion. 

  • The leg then moves into extension to the back and returns to first position by flexing the hip. 

  • When the gesture leg moves forward into flexion there is a lateral shift of weight over the standing leg. 

  • Once the gesture leg moves into abduction the pelvis over the standing leg must move up and over that standing leg to accommodate the weight of the gesture leg as it moves to the back.
click here for ronde de jambe video

Try this - stand and perform the ronde de jambe while squeezing or locking the pelvis of the standing leg. You will notice the lack of available motion of the gesture leg to complete the the backward motion. Also, when performing this motion allow the abdominals to sag or be relaxed. This will eliminate the lifting of the body while you are attempting to move the gesture leg.    

Now view the next two video clips below. You will see two views of the ronde de jambe performed correctly. Notice that the lighted balls at the hips are level. The pelvis remains level while the pelvis shifts forward and laterally over the standing leg. 

 
click here for ronde de jambe front view
click here for ronde de jambe side view
In the video clip below you will see a dancer perform the ronde de jambe incorrectly with "hiking" of the hip. Hip hiking occurs when the dancer tilts the pelvis toward the standing leg in order to get the leg up and over. There is loss of pelvic floor support, as well as increased weight placed through the quadriceps of the standing leg. There is also active muscle contraction in the quadratus lumborum of the spine to hike the hip upward. In other words, there is an unwanted increase in muscle activity to perform this motion. There is more muscle action and less pure joint motion at the hip. This is inefficient muscle activity that will result in fatigue and muscle cramping.     
click here for incorrect ronde de jambe - "hip hiking" video
The next two video clips illustrate additional dance motions of the gesture leg in external rotation at the hip swinging forward and backward under the trunk. Notice there is no hyperextension in the pelvis as the dancer performs the movement with the gesture leg. This is another example of the balance between mobility and stability. The dancer must provide stability in the trunk, via core support, and the standing leg, while allowing the mobility available at the hip to move the leg through space. The dancer should think about supporting the trunk, extending the standing leg, and allowing the gesture leg to swing using the impetus of hip flexion and gravity, rather than thinking only about making the working leg swing.    

In the first clip the gesture leg is extended at the knee, and in the second clip the gesture leg is bent or flexed at the knee. 
click here for straight leg swing video
click here for bent leg swing video
In this unit we have explored several familiar dance positions and movements. Emphasis has been on application of anatomical concepts to dance principles, specifically:
  • the concept of the plumb line
  • the concept of core support
  • the concept of mobility versus stability

These concepts were the foundation for discussions about anatomical position, maintaining correct leg alignment and correct alignment of the spine, segmental spine motion, the relationship between the shoulder girdle and the spine, and standing versus the gesture leg.

This concludes Unit XI. Return to Blackboard to proceed to Unit XII.