Teaching Classical Ballet: educational features and health conditions. Study of the plantar stance of the students of the school of Classical Ballet

Abstract

Many neurophysiological and biomechanics studies researched the importance of the foot as main receptor of the postural system highlighting the importance of the podalic afferents in the regulation and control of the body both in static and dynamic positions Hence a specific study of the dancers feet shows the complexity of their anatomical structure stimulated by many stresses which can produce some pathological changes The dancer s foot is a specific field of research since the foot is a strong steady precise and powerful structure which is highly sensitive and fast and which is constantly stimulated according to the muscular work required by the dance at loads that affect the capsular ligaments Moreover the performances required by the dance demand complex static dynamic and in some cases extreme conditions from the foot In fact unlike ordinary actions such as walking running and jumping the classical ballet demands an alternation of the bipodalic and monopodalic stances and a redistribution of the load of the body at the level of the arch of the foot so the foot is constantly required to ensure conditions of equilibrium and at the same time to test the limits of its biomechanical structure