The Aspects of Balance
Before we start explaining what balance is we need to state what we understand by balance: ‘Balance is the ability to maintain the body’s center of mass over its base of support’.
For example within the dancer’s body we often refer back to the centre of gravity. It is not that simple like ball, where the centre of gravity is in the middle. For the body this lies around the navel. Did you know the top half of the body is heaver then the bottom half? Around the navel is your own, personal center of gravity. When you stand more or less above the feet your body will be balanced. You won’t tip over. However, if you start leaning to the side, the whole body is changing in order to keep your balance. Your centre of gravity is no longer above the centre line of the feet. The more you lean the more you will fall. It is a fact that it is easier to keep your balance with a lower center of gravity. For example it is easier sitting on a chair, leaning forward then doing the same standing up.
It is almost a total body, holistic state of being, or even an experience. The balance is regulated and maintained by a set of sensorimotor control systems that include sensory input from vision (sight), proprioception, and the vestibular system (motion, equilibrium, spatial orientation). All these work together to integrate the input to the brain and get it back to the muscles for a perfect output. Even psychological factors could impair our sense of balance.
We hope you have enjoyed the blog can use this information to get your dancers to the next level.
Best, Joop
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