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Abstract. Static and dynamic balance are essential in the training of ballet dancers to perform on stage and to improve artistic technique. Ballet dancers have specific postural balance pattern, highly dependent on visual inputs to maintain balance. Furthermore, dancing "en pointe" can give rise to numerous injuries in young dancers, especially due to ankle instability. We meant to assess the auto- perception of balance in professional and pre-professional ballet dancers through a new self-assessment balance questionnaire, the Self Assessment Balance Ballet Questionnaire, which is able to determine the perceived balance in ballerinas and the differences among them, to produce a valid and easy-to-use instrument of evaluation of balance in the specific field of ballet. We meant also to propose a new Proprioceptive Eye-Closed Training Program of exercises, specifically settled on female ballet dancers performing "en pointe", with time standardization in training and increasing difficulty in execution to provide teachers, physicians and physiotherapists an effective tool in ballet training, prevention of injuries and ankle rehabilitation post traumas.
Key words: balance, ballet, proprioception, training, ballerina.
Introduction
Currently people are participating in sports for personal interest, relaxation, fitness and sport training. But sport is one of the major causes of injuries causing pain, loss of playing or working time, as well as high medical expenditure. Ankle injuries are one of the most common acute softtissue injuries, with a significant treatment cost to both the individual and society. An epidemiological study about sport injuries in 43 sports showed that ankle sprain was the most common injury (33 sports, 76.7%) and in some sports, all of the reported ankle injuries were ankle sprains (100%) (1).
Balance is a lifetime achievement, a process of learning to navigate in the world that begins in infancy and continues into old age (2). For ballet dancers, the achievement of both static and dynamic balance is fundamental to perform on stage and train in studios to improve artistic technique. Studies comparing the balance of ballet dancers to other sports confirmed that they have specific postural balance pattern. Nevertheless, in association with visual restriction, ballet dancers show a greater center of pressure dislocation and instability compared to other sports, which suggests that they have higher visual dependence to maintain balance (3).
In order to improve...