The Role Of Biomechics In understandIng Dance

The Role of Biomechanics in Understanding
Dance Movement
A Review
Margaret Wilson, Ph.D. , and Young-Hoo Kwon, Ph.D.

Abstract This review introduces different tech­ niques used in biomechanics that have been used in analyzing dance movement. Biomechanics provides information not only for analysis of motion, but for un­ derstanding muscle use, forces acting on the body, issues of motorcontrol, and the interaction between anyone body part and the body as a whole. The goal of this review is to highlight the role that biome­ chanical analysis plays in understanding dance movement, with applications for teaching, skill enhancement, and injury prevention.

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mponent ofthe emerging field of dance science, biomechanics rovides analytical description and quantification of componentsof a given movement, as well as measure­ ment of associated forces acting on the body. In dance biomechanics, a mecha­ nistic focus on the body is adopted for analysis; the dancer's body is viewed as a collection of rigid segments link ed at the joints. These joint motions are the building blocks for investigation; thus, a ny dance movement can be divided into component joint motions for analysis.Biomechanics observes both kine­ matic and kinetic aspects of a dancer's

movemen t . JG n em atics p rovides a description of motion: h ow far, how fast, how much change, and what type of motion is involved. It describes a dancer's motions and allows the re­ searcher to identifY key events in the performance of a skill. In kinematics, quantification of component jo int motions andidentification of the ranges of motion of individu al joints provides a foundation for understand­ ing how these elements contribute to the dancer's total motion. Kine tics, on the other hand , focuses on the ca use-and-effect relationship seen in movement: the force involved and the resultant motion . The primary mechanical quantities in kinetics are forces and moments (torques) acting w ithin the body (imernal) and those that origina te in the environment (external). A dancer's environ m e nt includes anything that is in contact wich the body: other dancers , train­ ing spaces, performance sp aces, and the footwear in which dancers train and perform. The internal forces and mom ents acting on the bones, joints, m uscles, and other connective tissues are de te rmi ned by the a mount of muscleactivation required to create the desired movement or are in response

Margaret Wilson, Ph.D ., is in me Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming. Young-Hoo Kwon, Ph.D ., is in the Biomechanics Laboratory, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas.
Correspondence: Margaret Wilson, Ph.D., Department of Theatre and D ance, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3951, 1000 East University Avenue, Laram ie, Wyoming 82071-395 1; mawilson@uwyo.edu.

. to external forces coming from the environment. Identifying these internal and external forces and moments can lead to a greater understanding of how movement is produced. In addition, understanding the intetaction a dancer has with these factors and the resultant muscle activation patterns is viral ro preventing injury andsupporting the development of skilled performance. Biomechanical analysis of move­ ment involves th e use of spec ific m easuremen t tools. Electromyogra­ phy (EMG) , force measurement, and video motion analysis are employed to describe m uscular activity, understand forces acting on the body, and to ob­ serve movement of the center of mass and movement in both segmental and global meas ures .Employing technol­ ogy provides not only for sophisticated analysis of movement, but also for an il nderstanding of the componenrs o f skill, artistry, and expression. Accord ing co M idgert, biomechan­ ics can help "close the gap between the rea li ty of movement a nd our understan d ing of it. I Kwo n echoes this point by advocating for inclusion of a mechanical perspective in train­ ing dancers that...