Antropomotoryka nr 55.indb - Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w ...

Alina Klonova, Juris Klonovs, Andrea Giovanardi, Antonio Cicchella
Fig. 4. Dancers’ maximum knee angles in each standard dance (Q = Quickstep ; SW = Slow Waltz ; T = Tango; SF = Slow Foxtrot;
VW = Viennese Waltz)
knees excursion in our sample. In the following figure
2 are shown angles between the dancer’s hips in the
transversal plane versus time in five standard dances.
Dancers performed the same five sequences of standard
dance: Slow Waltz Double Reverse Spin, Tango
Natural Pivot, Foxtrot Reverse Turn, Viennese Waltz
Flacker, Quickstep Polka. The angles are different in
each dance. In Tango both knees angles behave in
a very similar way. It is clearly visible that they follows
the tempo. It is interesting to note that in all dance sequences
the hip alignment between partners is not paralleled,
and the spread is high. From a technical point
of view it should be desirable that this angle is keep to
the minimum because these sequences was danced in
partners’ close body contacts (Fig. 2).
Hip angle (alignment between the two dancers)
show a positive correlation with dancing experience in
Viennese Waltz (r = 0.41) and a weak correlation in Slow
Waltz (r = 0.21 p < 0.05). Interestingly, hip angle alignment
in Viennese Waltz is correlated with years of experience
in dancing in a couple. This is also explained by the close
proximity between the dancers required by this style.
Knee angles are reported in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
As for male vs female differences in kinematics,
none of the flexion knees angles is statistically different
at the T test. These differences are linked inherently to
the techniques used in the different styles, to the body
characteristics (height) and , where symmetrical motion
of lower limbs is requested by the performance, to the
guiding role of the male athletes.
Top versus non-top athletes.
Age of professional athletes (n. 12) is lower in respect
to non professional (n. 18) 29 vs 25,7 years.
We didn’t found statistically significant differences in
VO 2
max, anaerobic threshold, lactate and maximum
speed between professional and amateur athletes (57,5
vs 57,5 ml/kg/min for VO 2
max; 39,6 vs 41,9 ml/kg/min
for AnThr; 9,7 vs 9,3 mm/L for lactate; 16,3 and 15,7
km/h for max speed). Any correlation was found between
the position in the world ranking of professional
athletes and VO 2
max, and lactate.
Hip alignment is significantly different between
the professional and amateur athletes in Slow Foxtrot
(t 18, 0.002
= 3,60) and Viennese Waltz ( t 18, 0.016
= 2,63), having
the top level athletes a lower angles between the
hips of the two dancers thus showing a better alignment
capacity (21.6 vs 26.6 in quickstep; 24,56 vs 29 in waltz;
25,1 vs 27 in tango; 14,2 vs 22,7 in slow foxtrot; 32,3 vs
43,1 in viennese waltz). Advanced athletes in comparison
to amateur athletes show a less pronounced flexion
angle in the right knee in Slow Waltz (t 18, 0.042
= 2,18) and
they flex the knee more deeply in Viennese Waltz in
comparison to the group of amateurs (minimum angle
of right knee flexion t 18, 0.014
= 2,71 and minimum angle of
left flex knee flexion, t 18, 0.004
= 3.27). These differences
can be due to strongest leg muscles.
Conclusions
Physiological and biomechanical characteristics were
proposed as performance model in sport dance. The
physiological profile of sport dancers, males and females
and of different level of qualification was provided.
We found an increase in age of the athletes
competing at top level and a better maximal aerobic
capacity in comparison to previous studies, while body
dimensions seem to be unchanged over time. This increase
in maximal aerobic capacity characteristics of
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