Biomechanical Effects of Flamenco Footwork.

Footwork is one of the basic features of flamenco dancing and is performed in traditional high-heeled shoes. The purpose of this study was to analyse the mechanical profile of flamenco dancing in terms of vertical ground reaction force, and knee joint kinematics of the supporting limb in footwork technique in order to understand causes which predispose injuries derived from the practice of flamenco dancing. The participant in our study was a professional female flamenco dancer (34 years, 58 kg, 1.65 m) who performed the ZAP 3 test, a sequence of single strikes of the feet performed continuously for 15 s. 3D lower extremity kinematic data were collected using a five-camera motion analysis system (Vicon; Oxford Metrics Ltd., Oxford, UK). Ground reaction forces were recorded using a Kistler force plate. Our analysis was based on 30 cycles of each lower limb consisting of 177 footwork steps. The vertical component of the ground reaction force did not reveal any significant differences between the left and the right limb. The most dynamic strike was provided by the heel (twice the participant's body weight). The mean angular displacement of the supporting limb's knee was ~27°. Results reveal that these impacts could make the knee joint more prone to injuries.

Biomechanical Description of Zapateado Technique in Flamenco.

The main purpose of this study was to identify a dancer's body alignment while performing flamenco footwork to provide a detailed description that could be used by flamenco practitioners: teachers, instructors and students of different levels of advancement. The zapateado technique performed by a professional flamenco dancer was analyzed. The biomechanical analysis was based on 30 cycles composed of six repeating sequences of strikes. Kinematic recordings were performed using a Vicon system, while the measurement of the ground reaction forces (GRF) was accomplished with a Kistler force plate. The following parameters were analyzed: the time of each foot strike, the maximal value of the vertical component of GRF normalized to body weight (BW) for subsequent footwork steps, the impulse of the GRF and the kinematics of pelvis and lower limb joints, and an exemplary waveform view of the sound of footwork strikes was shown. The average values of the vertical component of GRF ranged between 0.6 and 2.7 BW. The maximal anterior pelvic tilt was 29°, with a 6° range of motion (RoM). This mobility was accompanied by 20° hip RoM and by ~40° knee RoM throughout flexion. The conclusions provide practical information that a teacher and flamenco student should receive.

Catastrofismo ante el dolor en estudiantes de baile flamenco de conservatorios profesionales de danza / Pain catastrophizing among professional dance conservatoire flamenco students

Introducción: El baile flamenco se caracteriza por una fuerte impronta emocional y sobre todo por el carácter percutivo desus zapateados realizados con un calzado tradicional de tacón. Esta danza supone altas demandas de esfuerzo con sus con-siguientes riesgos de lesión, dolor y efectos emocionales asociados. El catastrofismo juega un papel esencial en la valoracióndel contexto y la experiencia del dolor. Este estudio tuvo como objetivos; en primer lugar, analizar la incidencia general delcatastrofismo en estudiantes de baile flamenco y; en segundo lugar, determinar la repercusión sobre el catastrofismo de lapráctica profesional en aquellas bailaoras que aun siendo estudiantes actúan escénicamente. Material y método: La muestra analizada consta de 70 alumnas de Conservatorios Profesionales de Danza de Andalucía(17.67±5.65 años); el 44.29% (n=31), también bailaban profesionalmente. Las bailaoras cumplimentaron la Escala de Catas-trofismo ante el Dolor (ECD). Resultados: Los resultados no muestran diferencias significativas en las categorías: rumiación, magnificación, ni en el globaldel catastrofismo ante el dolor al comparar participantes que sólo eran estudiantes de baile y las que además, tenían carácterprofesional. En cambio, en la dimensión de desesperación sí se observa una tendencia significativa entre ambos grupos,estudiantes y profesionales, acentuada en este último grupo. Conclusiones: El desarrollo profesional artístico en escena ante espectadores puede desencadenar estados de ansiedadque pueden llegar a tener una asociación directamente proporcional a los niveles de catastrofismo. Quizás, el hecho de serestudiante y, a la vez, ejercer la profesión de bailaora suponga una mayor carga física y mental que puede desencadenardeterminados procesos psicológicos.(AU)

Introduction: Flamenco is marked by the deep emotional impression it creates and its percussive footwork steps, performedin traditional high-heeled shoes. It places high demands on the dancer which leads to risks of injury, pain and associatedemotional repercussions. Catastrophizing is a key factor determining how the context is valued and pain is experienced. The objectives of this study were: firstly, to analyse the general incidence of catastrophizing among flamenco students andsecondly, to determine the repercussion this has on catastrophizing in professional practice among dancers who perform onstage even though they are still students. Material and method: The sample analyses 70 students from the Conservatorios Profesionales de Danza de Andalucía (Anda-lusian Professional Conservatoires for Dance) (17.67±5.65 years old); 44.29% (n=31) also danced professionally. The dancerscompleted the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Results: The results do not show significant differences in categories: rumination, magnification, nor in the overall catastro-phizing of pain when comparing participants who were dance students with those who also danced professionally. However,in terms of helplessness, there is a significant difference between both groups, with those who danced both as students andprofessionals displaying higher levels of helplessness than those who were only students.Conclusions: The artistic professional development on stage before spectators can trigger anxiety states that can have adirectly proportional association to the levels of catastrophism. Perhaps being a student at the same time as dancing profes-sionally signifies a greater physical and mental load which can lead to certain psychological processes.(AU)

Movement concepts approach in studies on flamenco dancing: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Flamenco is a highly emotional and demanding dance form. It is important to understand how the dancer's body works in order to improve fitness levels and reduce injuries. Thus, our investigation reviewed studies on kinesiological aspects of flamenco over recent years. METHODS: The review was restricted to experimental studies. Literature searches were conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Ebsco: SPORTDiscus with Full Text, Medline, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Health Source - Consumer Edition. After limiting the search, 180 potential articles remained for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 27 papers on different aspects of flamenco dance were finally selected: biomechanics (14), podiatry (6), injury incidence (3), anthropometry (2), and physiology (2). These studies have applied well-established methods from sports studies. However, we noted a number of potential limitations when applied to flamenco. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from this review shows that flamenco dancing demands high levels of effort. Further research is required to understand how the dancer's body works in order to improve fitness levels and reduce injuries. Most of the results presented here are consistent among studies. However, there is a great scarcity of research addressing flamenco movement in a more comprehensive perspective.