After completing my programme I will do the same tests again to see if I have improved in the areas of fitness I have stated. If I have not improved then I know my programme was not successful.
I know my stamina is not very good so I’m hoping by including skipping and ladder runs I will improve my stamina. This will help me in dance as I need a great deal of stamina to keep going in a routine.
Fitness and ability requirements
There are a few fitness and ability requirements needed to be a ballroom dancer. Firstly a ballroom dancer needs to be agile. Agility is the ability to change the direction of you body efficiently. It is important in dancing as there are different kinds of moves that require this ability. There are 4 components to agility; speed, balance, strength and co-ordination. Most dancers will already have multi-limb co-ordination. This is important as dancers need to be able to move there legs as well as having control over their arms.
The dancer needs to have a good posture when dancing. This is something that will be learnt over time if it is not something they have already. It is crucial to have this as it is a major factor judges look for in competitive dancing. Having good posture improves balance and also allows you to connect well with your partner in smooth dances.
Stamina is when you exert yourself through anaerobic or aerobic respiration for a prolonged period of time. Dancers need this as they can be continuously training for periods of time. They also need to keep going when they are in the middle of a routine.
The last thing a dancer needs is timing. If a dancer can’t get in time with the music the routine will not be preformed correctly and will loose points with judges and could lead to any number of things including fall over.
Gross body co-ordination is also important as dancers need the ability to maintain balance whilst moving.
There are no health requirements to be able to dance. In fact dancing is offered as a movement therapy for children with special needs.
A factor which affects ballroom dancing is structural differences for example height, weight, length of limb, size of trunk etc. These natural characteristics gradually change from child to old age. They are related to a person’s ability to learn a skill. An example of a difficulty a person could have is their height. If a person was tall but their partner was small this could cause a problem. It would make it awkward to perform particular movements, especially turns.
I am 16 and have been dancing for a month. I think that I have progressed well for the amount of time I have been doing it. I am small in height and have an average weight so as long as my partner is not too much taller than me dancing should not be so difficult.
Fitness tests
To test my fitness before I start my circuit training I will be doing 6 tests. Here are the results of my tests
Standing stork test
To perform the standing stork test you must stand on both feet with your hands on your hips. Then left one leg up and place the toes of that leg on the knee of the other leg. When told, raise the heel and stand on your toes. Start a stopwatch and balance for as long as possible without letting the heel ouch the ground or the other foot move away from the knee. Record the time you were able to maintain balance. After this repeat the test for the other leg. Validity of the test can be questioned as most sports rely on dynamic balance not static balance. However it would be valid in sports such as gymnastics. It is not a very reliable test as results may vary.
Bleep test
A bleep test consists of 23 levels which last about one minute per level. Each level comprises of 20m shuttles. The starting speed is 8.5km/hr which increases by 0.5km/hr after completing each level. A single beep on the tape or CD indicates the end of the shuttle whereas 3 beeps indicate the start of another level. The performer must carry out a warm up before doing this to prepare them for the task ahead. The performer must place one foot on the 20m marker at the end of each shuttle. If they come to the end before the beep, they must wait until the next beep to continue running. If the performer fails to reach the end of the shuttle by the beep they have 2 or 3 further attempts to reach the beep in the time. If they don’t manage this the performer must withdraw. Then you should record the level reached. At the end the performer should do a cool down comprising of static exercises. This test measures your stamina, and also vo2 max. it is a fairly reliable test due to the fact it tests both vo2 max and stamina at the same time. However it is debatable whether it is a valid test as it is a maximal test and relies on the performers motivation.
Illinois test
The illinois test is 10 meters long and 5 meters in width. 4 cones should be used to mark the start, finish and the two turning points. Each cone in the centre is spaced 3.3 meters apart. To perofrm the test the performer must lie on their chest at the start point. When a whistle is blown the performer must jump up and run around the course till the finish. Then record the time taken. The illinois test measures agility. Agility is a measure of many factors such as speed, balance and co-ordination. Because of this it’s validity can be questioned. To make this a reliable test timing gates can be used.
