Affiliation:
1. Dance Science Laboratory School of Dance The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Wan Chai Hong Kong
2. Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton UK
3. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Flinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia
4. School of Nursing and Health Studies Hong Kong Metropolitan University Kowloon Hong Kong
5. National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science Birmingham UK
Abstract
AbstractTo assess the evidence for the effect of strength and conditioning on physical qualities and aesthetic competence in dance populations, three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus) were searched (until September 2022) for studies that met the following criteria: (i) dancers aged >16 years; (ii) structured strength and conditioning intervention; and (iii) with physical qualities and aesthetic competence as outcome measures. Methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed through the systematic review tool “QualSyst”. Meta‐analyses of effect sizes (Hedges' g) with forest plots explored the effects of the strength and conditioning interventions. Thirty‐six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Meta‐analysis indicated strength and conditioning significantly (p < 0.05) improved lower body power (g = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.53–1.27), upper body strength (g = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.39–1.57), lower body strength (g = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.97–2.22), and flexibility (g = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.05–1.66). Strength and conditioning interventions were found to be effective at improving physical qualities in dancers, recommending their participation in additional sessions to enhance overall fitness and ultimately dance performance. It is recommended that future strength and conditioning intervention research should include sample size calculations, with participants recruited from a specific dance genre and skill level in order to evaluate how strength and conditioning influences dance performance.