Pilates Training for Dancers: A Systematic Review.

Previous literature has defined Pilates as a form of exercise that embodies six main principles: breathing, concentration, control, centering, precision, and flow. It can be argued that the same principles are present in dance technique, and therefore that Pilates would be a beneficial conditioning program for dancers. The twofold purpose of this review was to evaluate the evidence and the quality of research on Pilates conducted specifically on dancers and to determine its effectiveness in dance training and performance. Using the EBSCO search engine, an extensive literature search was conducted, using the search phrase Pilates and Dance and related words such as ballet, modern dance, reformer, and Cadillac. Between the years 1980 and 2015, a total of 253 outputs were found with three duplications. Articles were excluded for the following reasons: Pilates was not the intervention; dancers were not the population; the study was not a clinical trial; or the article had not been peer reviewed. Thus, a further 241 articles and abstracts were excluded. The nine studies included in this review were analyzed using the Physiological Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. According to the standards set by the PEDro scale, the majority of the research on Pilates and dancers is considered fair. Overall, studies lacked blinding protocol, showed insufficient statistical data, and needed testing methods designed specifically for dancers. Based on the limited results of the included studies, Pilates shows effectiveness for muscular strength and flexibility but appears to be ineffective to increase vertical jump and balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]