Influence of dance sport on the development of the capacity for ambidexterity and laterality of juniors I (12-13 years old).

Problem Statement. The current performances in dance sport bring to light the amazing level of human motor excellence as a synthesis of the manifestation of the bio-psycho-motor skills with ample resonance in sports show. Given the place and importance of the psychomotor skills for the technical and artistic achievement of dance steps and figures, we are interested in estimating the dance influence on these components of junior's motor skills, both as a result of the specific training and a conditional support of dancer's capacity for performance. Purpose. This paper highlights the development of laterality through the efficient use of the specific means with influence on psychomotor skills in dance sport at Junior I level (12-13 years old). Methods. The research was conducted in „Two Step" Dance Sport Club of Bucharest. The experiment aimed to estimate the influence of dance on the psychomotor skills at the age of 12 to 13 years. This approach lasted for a period of 12 months, from March 2010 to February 2011. During this research there were applied 3 tests for manual laterality and 4 tests for podal laterality. In the experimental group, specific means of dancing (grouped into actuation systems) were introduced for strengthening the technique and developing the psychomotor skills, in addition to the specific means of training in dance sport. Results. The results obtained by the dancers of the experimental group prove the advantages of sports training planning which implies the rational combination of the exercises intended for the development of psychomotor skills. This fact demonstrates the positive influence of sports dance on the improvement of manual and podal laterality indicators. Discussion. The value of manual ambidexterity was identified as smaller at the beginning of the research - 33.33%, compared to the value of 58.33% recorded at the end of the experiment. The performance difference of 25.0% for the share of ambidextrous subjects in the two tests proved that dance sport motor tasks in the experimental group were significantly influenced in terms of development of laterality ability depending on the psycho-functional progressive dominance of the brain hemispheres manifested by using the means of dance sport. Conclusions. Dance sport, through the specificity of the motor actions of its component means, has a positive influence on the development of the manual and podal laterality. The research confirmed that many of the right-handed dancers shown a predilection to the equal use of both hands in dance sport. The quality of podal laterality with the right foot has a higher calculated value, of 83.33% in initial testing, while in the final testing there is a decrease up to 75%; the increase in favor of ambidexterity is from 8.33% up to 16.67% at the end of the pedagogical experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]