The Impact of Dance-Specific Neuromuscular Conditioning and Injury Prevention Training on Motor Control, Stability, Balance, Function and Injury in Professional Ballet Dancers: A Mixed-Methods Quasi-Experimental Study.

Only six dancers were analyzed from an initial group of eleven, so the sample was very small and the dropout difference is material. Dancers volunteered and were from one small professional contemporary ballet company, so the results may not apply to injured dancers, other companies, or other dance styles. There was no control group and the design was within-subjects, so the observed changes cannot be shown to be caused by the conditioning program. The program included warm-up, agility, plyometrics, strength training, education, and feedback, so the effect of any single component cannot be separated. No injuries occurred during the study period, so the study could not test whether the program reduced injury rate. Injury tracking relied on time-loss and modified-activity definitions, and all dancers reported average 3-6/10 pain with activity, so this method may miss dance-related problems. The follow-up was only four months and was limited by touring and company turnover, so longer-term maintenance is unknown. A power analysis was not possible, and the small sample may be underpowered. Some tests may have been too easy for these dancers, because baseline motor-control scores were high and the standing bow test showed no change.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that this conditioning class prevents dance injuries. No injuries occurred, so injury prevention could not be tested, and the study had no control group, so the improvements cannot be shown to be caused by the class.