The Dancer’s Tool

1. The Dancer’s Tool Thinking about your body from a Dancer’s point of view.

2. Making movement happen • Your body has a variety of systems that control different functions. • The systems that contribute to movement are: • The Nervous System • The Skeletal System • The Muscular System

3. The nervous System • The Nervous System is the communication system of your body. • Your brain sends electric impulses through nerves to initiate movement.

4. The Skeletal System • Bones serve several functions: • They provide support for the body • Some protect vital organs • Some produce red blood cells • They also provide the “lever” for movement

5. Movement Operations: • A lever is a rigid bar that moves a fixed point when effort is applied to it to move a resistance or load. • So in your body: • The lever is your bones • The fixed point is your joints • The effort is the contraction of a muscle

6. Joints • Joints are the places where your bones meet. • Bones are connected to each other by ligaments. • There are a variety of types of joints in the body, and each allows for a different range of movement.

8. Description of movement • Flexion- bending of a joint • i.e. bending elbow • Extension- Straightening of a joint • i.e. straightening elbow • Abduction- moving away from center • i.e. Arms moving from alongside the body to second position • Adduction-moving towards center • i.e. Assemble • External rotation- rotating outward • i.e. turning out • Internal rotation- rotating inward • i.e. turning in • Plantar flexion- pointing the foot • i.e. releve • Dorsiflexion- flexing the foot • i.e. rocking back on heels lifting forefoot

9. Muscular system • There are several types of muscles: • Cardiac Muscles • Smooth Muscles • Skeletal Muscles • We are concerned with Skeletal muscles. These are the ones that create movement.

10. Muscle Contractions • Concentric Contraction- shortening of the muscle. • Eccentric Contraction- lengthening of the muscle. • Isometric Contraction- no change in length of muscle. • Raising into releve-Concentric • Holding in releve- Isometric • Lowering from releve- Eccentric

11. Muscle roles • Agonists- the contracting muscles that produce movement • Antagonists- a muscle that either lengthens to permit movement or co-contracts to support movement • Synergist- help control movement, keep the body connected, help neutralize movement • Stabilizers- muscles that fixate a joint. They hold a joint firm in order to allow other movement to occur.

12. Movement planes

13. Moving in different planes • Sagittal plane- moving the arms from en bas to high fifth • Frontal plane- bending at the side • Transverse- twisting at the hip or waist

14. summary • Your body is a COMPLEX tool. • Understanding basic principles of how your body works will allow you to move more confidently and efficiently. • You must care for your tool. Proper alignment, control and breathing are very important. • Your body is able to DEVELOP both strength and flexibility. DO NOT think that just because you can not do something exactly right the first time that you are unable to do it. IT TAKES HARD WORK AND PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!!