Ballet Versus Football Or A Pas De Deux Without Pointe Shoes?



Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008

by
http://www.balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/

Many people think that ballet is only heavily stylized dancing, and that especially male dancers are not very strong outside of their art. However,  it is actually a complicated practice that involves advanced physics and mathematical principles. Although the years of ballet exercises allows the dancers to make it look effortless, it is an extremely difficult, disciplined, and enchanting art form. "American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but many players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet."

Ballet is actually the foundation of most western dance forms, since ballet teaches good work habits, and a safe technique that enables the dancers to perform for many years with less chance of injury.

The graceful dance moves and combinations of movements in classical choreography are taught nowadays with increasing awareness of movement analysis.  Correct ballet moves involve the elements  of physics in terms balance, center of gravity, leverage and rotational mechanics among others.

The result of accurate ballet training is the ability to balance in a complex position, over a small area and support on the floor. Such as the tiny platform of the pointe shoe.

Physically, in ballet a condition of balance exists when a dancer retains her/his postural plumb line both in a motionless pose, or while moving on a vertical line.

"American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but many players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet. Ballet dancers are renowned for their agility; they are able to leap, land and turn with, well... with balletic grace. This has led researchers and sports team players and coaches to experiment with ballet and other dance forms as a conditioning method. Superbowl winner and former top high-hurdler Willie Gault was one such player who believed his on-field performance and resistance to injury was enhanced by ballet. Ballet has in fact been used within American football since the 1970s." 

The entire article is here: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/can-athletes-dance-their-way-to-agility.

If a dancer's or football player's center of gravity isn't in line with other equilibrium state forces, they will be unbalanced and experience an angular acceleration towards the ground, causing them to fall to one side.

Turning movements are common in all forms of dance, which also requires a great deal of physical, as well as scientific awareness that helps achieve the mastery of a perfect turn, or, pirouette. Football players rely on well-trained reflexes to dodge, spin suddenly, maintaining balance and speed. Ballet training enhances these abilities. It also breaks down many basic movements football players use, allowing them to understand how to prevent muscle and joint injuries.

"Ballet versus football" might be more correctly referred to as a pas de deux in training forms for many athletes.

Dianne M. Buxton was led by her career teaching professional ballet dancers, to write about dancing in pointe shoesl, muscle stretching exercises, dance/sports nutrition, and the mind/body connection. She is published at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes and Health Nutritional Supplements. (no personal information is collected if you click on these links).
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