Effects of proprioceptive training on balance skills among sport dance dancers

The aim of this research is to determine effects of proprioceptive training on the improvement of balance skills among sport dance dancers. Proprioceptive training is realized throughout tasks that included the establishing and maintenance of various positions on balance boards of different dimensions, working surfaces and the size of the backbone. In this study, 38 sport dance competitors participated, both male and female, divided into an experimental and control group. The experimental group took part in a proprioceptive training program over a period of 12 weeks (3 x 30 minutes per week). The control group (at the same time as the experimental) had regular sport dance training. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, balance skills were measured by means of 7 different balance tests: the one-leg balance, two-leg balance, balancing with open or closed eyes. Basic descriptive statistics were calculated for all of the results. The effects of the applied proprioceptive model were determined using a multivariate (MANCOVA) and univariate (ANCOVA) analysis of covariance. Statistically significant differences among the groups in the final measurement (p=.00) show a positive effect of the applied proprioceptive training program on the development of balance skills with the experimental group, in all the tests. Therefore, the use of a proprioceptive training model, as an innovative approach in individual and group fitness dance training, is recommended.