Journal Information
Vol. 42. Issue 155.
Pages 127-137 (July 2007)
Vol. 42. Issue 155.
Pages 127-137 (July 2007)
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Longitudinal analysis of body dimensions in adolescents in the Cuban National Ballet School
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Introduction: Ballet teachers kneed to know the characteristics and changes that take place in the physiques of ballet dancers during growth and development. The objective of this study was to determine body dimension changes in dancers in the Cuban National Ballet School at 2 moments of growth, maturation and development. Method: We performed a longitudinal study of 54 girls and 40 boys aged between 15 and 20 years. To determine body dimensions, an anthropometric protocol of 26 measurements was applied. Results: In both girls and boys and all age groups, weight and height significantly increased, while growth velocity decreased with age. In girls in all age groups, statistically significant increases in height were found due to the lower extremity. No specific changes in variations in uncorrected muscle circumferences were found in either sex. Most skinfolds did not significantly decrease from one year to the next in girls while none of the skinfolds significantly increased in boys during the study.