Fatigue and Motor Control in Dancers

Ballet is a form of physical activity where dancers perform complex motor skills at a high intensity involving gross muscular movement and balance. Ballet is appreciated through the artistic quality of the movement and to be able to perform at the highest level, dancers must not only train at an intensity comparable to an elite sports person, but also manage sensations of fatigue. This project brings together several scientific (physiology, biomechanics and psychology) and artistic disciplines with the aim of developing research-informed interventions to manage fatigue to not only perform better, but also reduce injury-rates. Fatigue is not limited to the force generating capabilities of muscles but also a neural reorganisation that defines commands to the muscles. Overall the aim of the project is to provide new information that will explain how some people can still carry out complex co-ordinated movement when fatigued. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Michel Ladouceur

Student:

Partner:

University of Wolverhamptom

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: