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Presently there are approximately 50 million ballroom dancers in China, and over 100 tertiary institutions offering bachelor's degrees majoring in ballroom dance. It was this context and the growth of tertiary ballroom dance education and the prosperity of ballroom dance competition in China that prompted this research question: What are tertiary teachers' meanings of competition in tertiary ballroom dance education in China? In contextualising the study in China, the history of tertiary ballroom dance education and ecology of ballroom dance competition was outlined. Related to this were the various pedagogical approaches valued within Chinese educational institutions and ballroom dance contexts. A qualitative methodology was utilised in answering the research question. This study found that ballroom dance competition culture informed tertiary teachers' pedagogy, students' learning, and curriculum setting. This study posits that as ballroom dance continues to grow in China, tertiary ballroom dance education in China will require a more finely balanced approach to the role of competition within the curriculum, pedagogical approaches and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The ability to synchronize the perceptual and motor systems is important for full motor coordination and the core determinant of motor skill performance. Dance-related training has been found to effectively improve sensorimotor synchronization, however, the underlying characteristics behind these improvements still warrant further exploration. This study was conducted to investigate the behavioral and neuroactivity characteristics of ballroom dancers relative to those of non-dancers. Participants and methods: Thirty-two dancers (19.8 ± 1.8 years old) and 31 non-dancers (22.6 ± 3.1 years old) were recruited to perform a finger-tapping task in synchrony with audiovisual beat stimuli at two intervals: 400 and 800 ms, while simultaneously recording EEG data. Behavioral and neural activity data were recorded during the task. Results: The dancers employed a predictive strategy when synchronizing with the beat. EEG recordings revealed stronger brain resonance with external rhythmic stimuli, indicating heightened neural resonance compared to non-dancers (p < 0.05). The task was more challenging with an 800-ms beat interval, as observed through both behavioral metrics and corresponding neural signatures in the EEG data, leading to poorer synchronization performance and necessitating a greater allocation of attentional resources (ps < 0.05). Conclusion: When performing the finger-tapping task involving audiovisual beats, the beat interval was the primary factor influencing movement synchronization, neural activity and attentional resource allocation. Although no significant behavioral differences were observed between dancers and non-dancers, dancers have enhanced neural resonance in response to rhythmic stimuli. Further research using more ecologically valid tasks and stimuli may better capture the full extent of dancers' synchronization abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the author's reflections on the roles of leading and following, drawing parallels between ballroom dancing and spiritual guidance. Through personal experiences as a ballroom dancer and insights from John Henry Newman's writings, the author contemplates the challenges of relinquishing control and trusting in divine direction. The author grapples with the complexities of obedience, pride, doubt, and faith, ultimately seeking clarity and guidance in navigating the spiritual journey. The metaphor of dancing with a partner is used to illustrate the nuanced and unique nature of following divine guidance, acknowledging the limitations of human understanding in comprehending the vastness of God. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the role of dance shoes in LGBT+ ballroom dancers' identity formation and expression on the dancefloor. Applying Entwistle's (2015) 'situated bodily practice' to an analysis of ethnographic field notes and 35 interviews, I highlight that dancers' performative constitution of subversive identities through reiterative mobilisation of the traditional symbolic values of dance shoes is influenced by the material. The article makes a key contribution to sociological knowledge on performativity through an introduction of materialities of place, bodies and artefacts into a close reading of reiterative acts. I argue that a closer look into performative acts is necessary for determining whether and how resistance is constituted, recognised and reproduced, taking into account how materialities interweave with discourse in order to give credit to subversive agents emerging in the micro-moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature review revealed few reports comparing dancers of different dance styles, especially in lower limb biomechanics and dynamic balance. This study aimed to compare the hip and knee ROM, hamstring muscle length, and dynamic balance between Polish folk dancers, ballroom dancers, and non-dancers. Methods: Nineteen Polish folk dancers (FD), fifteen ballroom dancers (BD), and seventeen physically inactive non-dancers (ND) took part in this observational study. The mean dancing experience of the dancers was 7.7 years. The research procedures included the use of the author's questionnaire, assessment of lower limb range of motion (ROM) (goniometer), measurement of hamstring muscle length (the Active Knee Extension (AKE) Test), and dynamic balance assessment (the Y-Balance Test). Results: Analysis revealed significant differences in knee extension (p=0.001), hamstring muscle length (p <0.0001), and dynamic balance (p=0.02) between the groups. Conclusion: Due to the greater flexibility of the hamstring muscles in dancing groups, the knee hyperextension in ballroom dancers, and the knee limited extension in folk dancers, further research should be conducted to include the hamstring muscle peak force and the lumbopelvic complex assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dance is unique in that it is a sport and an art simultaneously. Beyond improving sensorimotor functions, dance training could benefit high‐level emotional and cognitive functions. Duo dances also confer the possibility for dancers to develop the abilities to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of their dance partners during the long‐term dance training. To test this possibility, we collected high‐resolution structural and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 43 expert‐level ballroom dancers (a model of long‐term exposure to duo dance training) and 40 age‐matched and sex‐matched nondancers, and measured their empathic ability using a self‐report trait empathy scale. We found that ballroom dancers showed higher scores of empathic concern (EC) than controls. The EC scores were positively correlated with years with dance partners but negatively correlated with the number of dance partners for ballroom dancers. These behavioral results were supported by the structural and functional MRI data. Structurally, we observed that the gray matter volumes in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and EC scores were positively correlated. Functionally, the connectivity between ACC and occipital gyrus was positively correlated with both EC scores and years with dance partners. In addition, the relationship between years with dance partners and EC scores was indirect‐only mediated by the ACC‐occipital gyrus functional connectivity. Therefore, our findings provided solid evidence for the close link between long‐term ballroom dance training and empathy, which deepens our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peter Paetzold, a chemist known for his work in low-valent boron and boron cluster chemistry, passed away on August 17, 2023. He was also recognized for his exceptional teaching and his diverse range of interests outside of research. Born in Plau, Germany in 1935, Paetzold moved to Munich at a young age and studied chemistry at LMU Munich. He made significant contributions to the field of boron chemistry, particularly in the synthesis and characterization of reactive molecules. Paetzold's impact on molecular boron chemistry in Germany was profound, and he influenced many students who went on to become successful chemists themselves. In addition to his scientific achievements, Paetzold was an enthusiastic teacher and had a passion for sports, literature, and music. He passed away in Aachen, Germany. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose of the Article. The aim of the article is to analyze the processes of anglicization and canonization of ballroom dance, during the period of democratization of social dances in England, in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactor essence, systematicity, complexity, development, and pluralism, to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical- analytical. Scientific Novelty. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of the processes of origin and development of competitive ballroom dancing in England at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Conclusions. The widespread democratization of social dancing in England began as early as the 19th century when the Austrian waltz and other ballroom dancing became popular among all social strata. Democratic fervor of the common people, which at the end of the XIX century got the opportunity to relax on the resort coast of Great Britain, gave birth to the first dance competition in ballroom dancing. It was often noted by professional dance experts that the new British dance forms were superior to the original. Certainly, the distinctive features and high quality of British ballroom dancing were a matter of special professional pride. The advantages of a standardized English style as early as the late 30s. The XX century was recognized outside the country for the extraordinary success of British dancers in international ballroom dancing championships. Gradually, it established the international standard for ballroom dancing and was adopted by many of the world's dance organizations at the national level, with the exception of the United States of America (by many American competitive ballroom dancers, the English style was not adopted until the 1960s.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a 10-week neuromuscular training (NMT) program on the postural control of elite youth competitive ballroom dancers. Forty-two dancers (21 couples) were randomly assigned to either the NMT group (n = 22) or the control group (CG; n = 20). Participants in NMT underwent a three-sessions-per-week NMT program for 10 weeks. Testing at baseline and after the 10 weeks intervention included the Y-balance test (YBT) and Modified-Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS). Results of YBT indicated that NMT participants demonstrated increased reach in the posterolateral and posteromedial directions for the right and left lower limb, whereas no significant change was found in the anterior direction for both limbs. Results of Modified-Balance Error Scoring System (M-BESS) showed that NMT participants displayed significantly decreased errors of the double-leg floor (p = 0.026), single-leg foam (p = 0.010), double-leg foam (p = 0.003), tandem floor (p = 0.031), and tandem foam (p = 0.038), while no significant change was found in single-leg floor performance (p = 0.476). CG participants did not exhibit any significant change during the 10-week period. In summary, the study affirmed that the 10-week NMT program enhanced the postural control performance of youth ballroom dancers and showed effects on ballroom dance-specific performance and lower-limb injury prevention. The results suggest that NMT may be a valuable addition to ballroom dance training regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Although the association of human temperament and preference has been studied previously, few investigations have examined cerebral cortical activation to assess brain dynamics associated with the motivation to engage in performance. The present study adopted a personality and cognitive neuroscience approach to investigate if participation in ballroom dancing is associated with sensation-seeking temperament and elevated cerebral cortical arousal during freely chosen musical recall. Methods: Preferred tempo, indicated by tapping speed during melodic recall, and a measure of fundamental disposition or temperament were assessed in 70 ballroom dancers and 71 nondancers. All participants completed a trait personality inventory (i.e., the Chen Huichang 60 Temperaments Inventory) to determine four primary types: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic. Participants separately recalled their favorite musical piece and tapped to it with their index finger for 40 beats using a computer keyboard. A subset of 59 participants (29 ballroom dancers and 30 nondancers) also repeated the same tapping task while electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded. Results: The results revealed that the dancers were more extraverted, indicative of a heightened need for arousal, exhibited a preference for faster musical tempo, and exhibited elevated EEG beta power during the musical recall task relative to nondancers. Paradoxically, dancers also showed elevated introversion (i.e., melancholic score) relative to nondancers, which can be resolved by consideration of interactional personality theory if one assumes reasonably that dance performance environment is perceived in a stimulating manner. Conclusion: The results are generally consistent with arousal theory, and suggest that ballroom dancers seek elevated stimulation and, thereby, choose to engage with active and energetic rhythmic auditory stimulation, thus providing the nervous system with the requisite stimulation for desired arousal. These results also suggest an underlying predisposition for engagement in ballroom dance and support the gravitational hypothesis, which propose that personality traits and perception lead to the motivation to engage in specific forms of human performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health & Environmental Research / Bromatologia & Chemia Toksykologiczna is the property of Polish Pharmaceutical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article aims at presenting the symbolic interactionism as a useful and flexible theoretical perspective in research on the human body. It shows the assumptions of symbolic interactionism in their relation to the human body, as well as explains how basic notions of this theoretical perspective are embodied--the self, social role, identity, acting, interacting. I depict the unobvious presence of the body in the classical works of George H. Mead, Anselm Strauss, Howard Becker, Erving Goffman, and in more recent ones, such as Bryan Turner, Ken Plummer, and Loïc Wacquant. I also describe the Polish contribution to the field, including research on disability, hand transplant, the identity of a disabled person, together with the influence of sport, prostitution as work, yoga, climbing, relationships between animals and humans based on gestures and bodily conduct, the socialization of young actors and actresses, non-heteronormative motherhood, and the socialization of children in sport and dance. In a case study based on the research on ballroom dancers, I show how to relate the theoretical requirements of symbolic interactionism with real human "flesh and bones." I depict three ways of perceiving own bodies by dancers: a material, a tool, a partner; and, two processes their bodies are subjected to: sharpening and polishing a tool. I draw the link between the processual character of the body, of the symbolic interactionist theoretical perspective, and process-focused grounded theory methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dance enthusiasts recognize that dance training builds effective mind body coordination, poise, physical endurance, and dedication; it is thus a popular recreational activity. However, during times of a pandemic, dance enthusiasts might be unable to attend face-to-face dance training due to social distancing regulations. Hence, online classes have become a safe way to continue learning. This research article assesses the preferences of individuals in regard to online dance training during these times. As there is little research on the topic, the findings of this study regarding consumers' preferences will provide valuable insights to dance educators when planning online training programs and help them devise a Business Continuity Plan. This in turn will help participants continue their dance training and enjoy its benefits when conducted online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Success in the sport of dance is determined not only by physical and aesthetics factors but also with psychological preparation, where motivation is one of the most important dimensions. In motivated dance performances, athletes try harder than usual, put more attention on their sport and everything connected with it, choose to have longer trainings and compete better. Objective: The aim of our study was to explore the motivation structure of female and male dancers from four different dance disciplines (Latin American and ballroom, acrobatic rock'n'roll, modern-jazz, ballet) to determine the role of efficiency-oriented and competitive motivation on practice and results. Methods: A questionnaire of competitive motives was used to determine the motivational scale of motives of individual subjects. A total of 110 top female and male dancers were compared by gender and dance discipline with a two-way analysis of variance according to their motivation. Factor analysis was used to determine the latent factors of their motivation so as to more precisely explain what drives a dancer, since a large number of explicit variables is more clearly presented through its latent structure. Results: Females pay more attention to the motives of self-control, emotional relaxation, self-awareness, and to socially-oriented motives. Male dancers have significantly less negative competitive motivation. Sport dancers (Latin American and ballroom, rock'n'roll) have a bigger need for self-respect. Social needs are the most important for the Latin American and ballroom dancers, the motive for self-actualization is a priority of both modern-jazz dancers and sport dancers, the possibilities of self-control are very important for modern-jazz and ballet dancers. Conclusions: We found that male dancers tend to be dominating and leading with a strong power motive, while female dancers are more focused on motives like emotional relaxation, self-control and social understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of German Journal of Sports Medicine / Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Sportmedizin is the property of Verein zur Forderung der Sportmedizin Hannover e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sensorimotor synchronization is the coordination of rhythmic movement with an external beat. Dancers often synchronize each beat of their motion with an external rhythm. Compared with social dancing, competitive ballroom dancing requires a higher level of sensorimotor ability. Although previous studies have found that dance experience may facilitate sensorimotor synchronization, they did not examine this in competitive ballroom dancers. Thus, the present study compared sensorimotor synchronization in 41 nondancers and 41 skilled, competitive ballroom dancers as they performed a simple beat synchronization finger-tapping task. All participants finger-tapped freely at their preferred tempo before the formal experiments. Participants were then required to synchronize their finger-tapping with auditory, visual, or combined audiovisual signals in separate experiments and at varying tempos. To assess sensorimotor plasticity, the participants then repeated the free-tapping task after completing all three finger-tapping experiments. Compared with nondancers, dancers showed more accurate and stable beat synchronization. Dancers tapped before onset of all three types of sensorimotor stimulation, indicating a significant negative mean asynchrony and had a tendency to anticipate (predict) the stimuli. Dancers tended to auditory stimulation for beat sensorimotor synchronization, whereas nondancers tended to visual stimuli. Dancers had a faster tempo preference in the initial free-tapping task; however, the preferred tapping tempo increased in all participants in the second free-tapping task, suggesting that beat induction is affected by practice. Together these findings suggest that dance experience enhances sensorimotor synchronization and sensorimotor plasticity, with ballroom dancers tending to auditory stimulation for beat induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ballroom dancing is a sport in which physical appearance plays a major role alongside dancing skills. This emphasis can lead to a harmful cycle that usually begins with strict, low-calorie diets as participants try to achieve the ideal appearance. Continued calorie restriction can lead to physical changes that slow metabolism and eventually result in a return to baseline weight. Failure to make progress often leads to feelings of guilt and frustration, causing people to fall back into their old habits. For some, repeated attempts can even lead to the development of behaviors and thoughts that are associated with the risk of developing more severe eating disorders. Aim: The aim of this study was therefore to analyze how years of training in ballroom dancing correlate with the development of eating disorders. Material and methods: A group of 200 young female ballroom dancers between the ages of thirteen and twenty-four, randomly selected from dance clubs in Poland. These dancers had at least two years of dance experience. Their body mass index (BMI) averaged 20.04±2.95 kg/m², height 165.9±0.06 cm, body weight 55.3±9.41 kg, and mean age 18±2.44 years. Dancers were divided into 3 groups: 1) 2 to 5 years of ballroom dance experience; 2) 5 to 9 years of ballroom dance experience; 3) more than 9 years of ballroom dance experience. Results: 16% of the dancers surveyed had been diagnosed with an eating disorder by a medical specialist. 75% of dancers surveyed felt that overweight people are discriminated against in dance and that a slim silhouette can influence judges' scores at competitions. 20% of dancers admitted to inducing vomiting and/or using laxatives after meals. 40% of respondents confirmed that they think about food most of the day. 82% of respondents admit that eating disorders are widespread among dancers. Only 16% of dancers sought psychological help. Conclusions: Ballroom dancing contributes to the development of eating disorders in female dancers. The most common disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia and binge eating disorder. The special nature of ballroom dancing as an aesthetic sport, the judging system at competitions and the lack of cooperation between dance clubs and nutritionists, psychologists or psychotherapists have the greatest influence on the development of these disorders in female dancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses recent responses to performances of same-sex male ballroom dancing in order to consider the subtle difference which can exist between homophobia and effeminophobia. Given that the world of performance-level ballroom dancing is a gay-friendly environment, in which many participants are openly gay identified, this article will argue that a discourse of effeminophobia, rather than homophobia, underpins the world of performance-level ballroom dance. Performance-level ballroom dance is often read as camp not only because it represents exaggerated gender roles but because its official technique requires that the male dancer synthesise codes of masculinity and femininity in his dancing. What protects the gender-dissident male ballroom dancer from being read as effeminate is that he is paired with a female body performing excessive femininity. Without the foil of the hyper-feminine female partner, the same-sex couple draws attention to the fact that the male ballroom dancer is not dancing as a man but in accordance with ballroom's queer construction of masculinity. Given that performance-level dance has struggled for so many years to be viewed as masculine sport, practitioners may, quite understandably, be anxious about any representation which suggests that ballroom dance may be an effeminate activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dancers exhibited wide and strong neural similarities when watching dancing videos. • Neural similarities in the motor-control circuit correlated with dancer information. • Neural similarities in the left globus pallidus increased with cooperation duration. • Neural similarities in memory-related areas reflected impressions of viewed videos. • Synchronized neural activities were observed in dancers due to long-term training. Long-term dance training offers numerous benefits, including improvements in physical health, posture, body coordination, and mental health and well-being. Since dance is an art form of body-to-body communication, professional dancers may share feelings and thoughts on dance with their partners, owing to their shared training experiences. Considering this perspective, one may expect that professional dancers would demonstrate pronounced neural similarities when viewing dancing videos, which could be associated with their training duration. To test these hypotheses, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while presenting ballroom dancing and neutral video clips with long durations (∼100 s each) to 41 professional ballroom dancers (19 pairs of dance partners) and 39 age- and sex-matched nondancers. Our findings revealed that dancers exhibited broader and stronger neural similarities across the whole brain when watching dancing video clips, as compared to the control group. These increased neural similarities could be interpreted in at least two distinct ways. First, neural similarities in certain brain regions within the motor control circuit (i.e., frontal cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuit) were significantly correlated with dance-related information (e.g., dance partners' cooperation duration), which reinforced the impact of long-term dance training on neural synchronization. Second, neural similarities in other brain regions (e.g., memory-related brain regions) were significantly correlated with subjects' impression of the viewed videos (i.e., whether they have watched before, familiarity, and liking), which may not necessarily be directly linked to long-term dance training. Altogether, our study provided solid evidence for synchronized neural mechanisms in professional dancers due to long-term dance training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ballroom dancing can be an ally in the treatment of depression, since it produces physical, psychological, and social benefits; in which the elderly reveal their greatest needs and weaknesses. It is necessary to rethink the lifestyle of the elderly population, developing intervention strategies that will contribute to this population have a positive trajectory of agin. The objective of this study was to verify the influence of the time of regular practice of ballroom dancing in the levels of depression in the elderly. This study included 51 elderly of both genders. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Mini Mental and depression by Beck Inventory. The normality of the data was verified and used a correlation test between depression and other independent variables. None voluntary presented cognitive impairment. Depression presented a score of 11. 25 points (mild depression) and factors such as: "being professionally inactive", "go through recent tragic situation" and "suffer from some currently disease" pointed to a greater predisposition to depression. The time to regular dance practice showed a negative and significant correlation with depression (r = -0. 54; p≤0,01). It is concluded that regular practice of ballroom dancing is an alternative tool for the treatment of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In a cross-sectional study design, we evaluated the resting heart rate (HRbaseline) and exercise and postexercise stress test-related chronotropic responses in male practitioners of recreational ballroom dancing (BD; n = 25, Mage = 26.6 ± 6.1 years) compared to a control group of insufficiently active nondancers (CG; n = 25, Mage = 25.9 ± 4.5 years).Method: All participants underwent a submaximal exercise test. At 85% of the maximal predicted HR, the recovery protocol was started, and heart rate recovery (HRR) was recorded during 1-min intervals for 5 min.Results: Compared with CG, BD showed lower HRbaseline (70 beats per minute [bpm] vs. 62 bpm, respectively, U = 143, p < .05, ES = .46), lower preexercise HR (94 bpm vs. 86 bpm, U = 157, p < .05, ES = .42), longer exercise test duration (346 s vs. 420 s, U = 95.5, p < .05, ES = .59), and higher HRR for 5 min postexercise (U = 1.29-1.89, p < .05, ES = .33-.50) as follows: 1st min (32 bpm vs. 40 bpm), 2nd min (45 bpm vs. 53 bpm), 3rd min (51 bpm vs. 58 bpm), 4th min (55 bpm vs. 59 bpm), and 5th min (59 bpm vs. 63 bpm). The coefficient of HRR from the 1st min to the 5th min postexercise was similar in both groups (U = 229-311, p > .05, ES = < .10-.22).Conclusion: Heightened cardiovascular functional status characterized by favorable enhanced chronotropic dynamics appears to occur in practitioners of recreational ballroom dancing, which suggests that this modality of exercise may result in health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify changes in the mechanism of postural control among ballroom dancers between standing solo and standing with a partner during specific standard dance positions. Specifically, the study attempted to determine whether the male partner plays a stabilising role in the dance couple. A total of seven competitive dance couples participated in the study. The experimental procedure comprised four dance positions characteristic of international standard dances: standard, starting, chasse and contra check. The dance positions were staged twice – while standing solo and while standing with a partner. The assumption of the assessed position was preceded by a dance phase after which the participants were instructed to freeze on a force plate and hold the position for 30 s. To examine whether subjects standing solo or with partners had greater rambling (RM) or trembling (TR) components in their dance postural profile, the ratios of RM to the center of foot pressure (COP) and TR to COP were computed for velocity. No significant differences were observed in the velocity of COP between standing solo and standing with a partner (p > 0.05). However, during the standard and starting positions, female and male dancers standing solo were characterised by higher values of the velocity of RM/COP ratio and lower values of the velocity of TR/COP ratio than those standing with a partner (p < 0.05). According to the theory behind the RM and TR decomposition, an increase in TR components could indicate a higher reliance on spinal reflexes, which would suggest greater automaticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated potential differences in level of sport commitment and its associated antecedents for older adult ballroom dancers in Taiwan. Participants were 150 older adult ballroom dancers who completed a sport commitment questionnaire. Results showed that participation method, experience level, and frequency of participation all had a significant effect on personal investment in ballroom dancing. Frequency of participation also had a significant effect on sport commitment and involvement opportunities. Our findings provide new insights into how older adults perceive ballroom dancing as their chosen physical activity. The results of this study may be used to help leisure service providers and dance instructors understand that sport enjoyment, personal investment, and involvement opportunities are important determinants for participation retention among older adult ballroom dancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]