Examining the effectiveness of anatomy education on the body perception and performance of ballet students

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of an eight-week anatomy course on body perception and performance in ballet students. This study included 28 ballet students from Dokuz Eylül University who voluntarily participated in an eight-week online anatomy course focusing on the musculoskeletal system. The remaining 22 students, who did not participate, formed the control group. Before and after the anatomy education, a body perception survey and a multiple-choice anatomy knowledge test were administered. Additionally, ballet performance scores were collected at the end of the academic year and compared between students who received anatomy education and those who did not. The study included 50 ballet students, of whom 28 participated in an eight-week online musculoskeletal anatomy course, while 22 served as controls. Students who received anatomy education achieved significantly higher ballet performance scores (82.64±1.53) compared to those without anatomy training (74.47±3.49; p=0.000). Additionally, a body perception survey conducted before and after the course revealed significant improvements in movement awareness, coordination, and technical proficiency among the intervention group. Positive attitudes toward anatomy increased significantly ("Strongly Like" responses rose, p=0.008), while strong negative responses decreased ("Strongly Dislike," p=0.000). Physical traits such as endurance, strength, flexibility, and pain tolerance showed marked improvement post-course. Although perceptions of body weight and height remained stable, body posture and body type awareness improved significantly. Most students recognized the importance of anatomy education for ballet, with those trained demonstrating enhanced understanding of injury prevention, correlating with their injury history. These findings highlight the beneficial impact of anatomy education on both ballet performance and body awareness. Anatomy education appears to enhance both body awareness and ballet performance in students. The results support the integration of anatomical knowledge into ballet training to promote better physical execution, increased cognitive engagement with movement, and potentially reduced injury risk.

Keywords

• anatomy education
• ballet education
• body perception

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