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Articular mobility in ballet dancers

A follow-up study after four years

Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Stellenbosch and Tygerberg Hospital, Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Stellenbosch and Tygerberg Hospital

Derek Chalton, MSc

Institute for Biostatistics of the South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa

A follow-up study of ballet dancers was conducted to determine the influence of 4 years additional training on articular mobility using Beighton's method. The score increased in 25 (45.5%) of the 55 dancers reexamined. Acquired forward flexion accounted for this increase in 21 (84%) of the 25 dancers. These 21 dancers had had significantly less training than had the 30 dancers who could forward flex when examined initially (P < 0.0001), showing that forward flexion is acquired through train ing. There were significantly more hypermobile individ uals among dancers who had continued dancing than among those who had stopped (P < 0.03). However, only 2 (16.7%) of 12 dancers who had progressed in their careers were hypermobile. We conclude that 1) most ballet dancers are able to forward flex, 2) forward flexion is usually acquired and develops after 4 or more years of training, 3) the mobility score may assist in predicting who will continue dancing, but that 4) there is no association between hypermobility and dancing excellence.

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