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DANCE TEACHER'S QUIZ: BRUSH UP ON YOUR BASIC ANATOMY OF THE SPINE

Type:

Teacher article

Category:

Dance Teachers

The Dance Teacher Anatomy Quiz

Even the best dance teachers need a brush up on their anatomy from time to time. The spine and pelvis are perhaps two of the most important part of the dancer’s anatomy, which control alignment, initiation of movement, use of center and stability! Here is a chance tor the dance teacher to enhance their knowlegde of he spine.

Take this dance teacher quiz to see where you stack up in your current knowledge of the spine! Good Luck!

**Answer key below

Spine Quiz

1.      Define “sequential movement”.

2.      Name the 3 sections of the spine and identify where they are located.

3.      List and describe 5 shapes of the spine.

4.      Describe the role of the pelvis in a leg swing when performed on the floor.

5.      Describe 2 elements to performing a spiral.

6.      Name 3 examples of spirals you see in everyday life.

7.      What does it mean to “move through space”?  What does it mean to “hit a shape”?

8.      What is the shape of the spine in a flat back?

9.      List the steps to performing a proper curve of the spine.

10.  True or False: Weak abdominals have a direct effect on the lower spinal area which can lead to lordosis of the lumbar curve?

ANSWER KEY:

#1 Movement that occurs in sequence; in parts; in a certain order section by section

#2 Cervical-upper spine, Thoracic-middle spine, Lumbar-lower spine

#3 Spiral, over-curve, under-curve, lateral curve, flat-back, etc.

#4 Pelvis contracts and is forward to get deep contraction while on sit bones and hip stays on floor.

#5 Lift before the twist & Focus to the back when on the diagonal

#6  Staircase, slinky, hair curls

#7  Move through space-fill out the movements; fluid; stretching movement; continuous

·      Hit a shape- make a shape with the body; get there quicker; sharper more direct

#8  Extended, stretched and elongated

#9  Suspend and lift

·        Contract the pelvis

·        Exhale in the curve and the spine rounds out

#10   True

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Author

Jessica Rizzo Stafford

Jessica Rizzo Stafford

Jessica Rizzo Stafford is a native New Yorker and graduate of NYU Steinhardt's Dance Education Master’s Program; with a PK-12 New York State Teaching Certification. Her double-concentration Master’s Degree includes PK-12 pedagogy and dance education within the higher-education discipline. She also holds a BFA in dance performance from the UMASS Amherst 5 College Dance Program where she was a Chancellor's Talent Award recipient. Jess now works extensively with children, adolescents and professionals as choreographer and teacher and conducts national and international master-classes specializing in the genres of modern, contemporary, musical theatre and choreography-composition. Jess’ national and international performance career includes works such as: The National Tour of Guys & Dolls, The European Tour of Grease, West Side Story, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Salute to Dudley Moore at Carnegie Hall, guest-dancer with the World Famous Pontani Sisters and IMPULSE Modern Dance Company. Jess has been a faculty member for the Perichild Program & Peridance Youth Ensemble & taught contemporary and jazz at the historic New Dance Group and 92nd Street Y in NYC. She was Company Director at the historic Steffi Nossen School of Dance/Dance in Education Fund and in 2008 traveled to Uganda where she taught creative-movement to misplaced children. The experience culminated with Jess being selected as a featured instructor at the Queen's Kampala Ballet & Modern Dance School. She has conducted workshops for the cast of LA REVE at the Wynn, Las Vegas and recently taught at the 2011 IDS International Dance Teacher Conference at The Royal Ballet in London, UK. She is also on faculty for the annual Dance Teacher Web Conferences in Las Vegas, NV. Currently, Jess is a faculty member at the D'Valda & Sirico Dance & Music Centre and master teacher & adjudicator for various national and international dance competitions. Recently, she has finished her NYU Master’s thesis research on the choreographic process of technically advanced adolescent dancers and is the creator of “PROJECT C;” a choreography-composition curriculum for the private studio sector. Jess is also faculty member, contributing writer and presenter in the choreography and “how to” teaching segments on the celebrated danceteacherweb.com. For more info, visit her website at www.jrizzo.net.

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