Dr. Rick's Health Tip of the Month

April 2000

Good Dancing Posture and Biomechanics

By Rick Allen, DC

Here are three tips for applying the rules of good posture and biomechanics to achieve better dancing:

1. Ground yourself - imagine your feet are suction cups sticking to the floor.

2. Center yourself over the balls of your feet.

3. Stand with good dancing posture:
   • Imagine a balloon lifting your head,
   • Keep your chin level,
   • Torso/chest up - Imagine upper back at T4 pulled up and back (T4 is the fourth thoracic vertebra, located about 1/4 the way down your back, between your shoulder blades.),
   • Shoulders down, with shoulder blades back,
   • Lift your abdominal wall,
   • Put your hip joints forward, and
   • Drop your tailbone toward the floor, rather than tucking your tail.

You are invited to watch a half-hour video of good and bad posture on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida by Paul St. John, LMT. It is a real eye-opener. Please call if you would like to watch it at my clinic: 503-257-1324.

Dr. Rick Allen is a chiropractor, massage therapist and dance student in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Rick welcomes your questions and suggestions for future articles. However, he cannot make specific diagnoses or treatment recommendations unless you visit him in person. He can be reached by phone: 503-257-1324, mail: 221 NE 78th Avenue, Portland, OR 97213, e-mail or World Wide Web: www.CascadeWellnessClinic.com

Home | Services | Bio | Benefits | Interests
Info | Articles | Tips | Classes | Links | Search | E-mail | Top

©1997-2008 Dr. Rick Allen
Cascade Wellness Center