Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Koutedakis and Sharp refer to the fitness “Jigsaw” in dance. The dance Jigsaw includes all components of fitness: cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and flexibility. The paper explores the components and it identifies how dance can improve them. For instance, dance forms which challenge the aerobic intensity of fitness sessions, receive attention. The paper identifies effective dance forms and it explores how creative use of rhythm and dynamics can increase their efficiency. The paper also addresses misconceptions, which equate muscular fitness with a loss of flexibility and a bulky aesthetic and it identifies how supplementary fitness sessions and plyometrics improve dancers’ muscular fitness. It advocates one particular dance form, “Contact Improvisation”, as particularly efficient from muscular-based perspectives. Finally, the paper focuses on dance and flexibility. It advocates the use of dynamic stretching, versus static stretching, during dance sessions, as it is a better calorie burner and it also improves dancers’ kinesthetic awareness, balance, coordination, posture and cardiovascular fitness. In conclusion, this paper highlights the potential of dance as a fitness tool using Koutedakis and Sharp’s fitness Jigsaw as its source of reference. It also identifies extents to which these fitness components can be challenged, through an informed selection of specific dance forms and provision of supplementary training. Throughout the paper, visual examples of the dance forms will be presented, online and live, to affirm the concepts being explored.

Biography

Sharon Phelan Lectures in Physical Education and Dance at the Institute of Technology, KEYNOTE FORUM | DAY 2 JOURNAL OF OBESITY & WEIGHT LOSS THERAPY 2019, VOLUME: 4 | DOI: 10.4172/2165-7904-C2-092 in Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland. She has also danced with Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, for over twenty-five years and she taught Physical Education in second level for a decade. Sharon is a National Facilitator in Dance with the Department of Education. She was responsible for the first dance syllabus at second level in Ireland and the first syllabi at degree level in Ireland. She has published academic works internationally on the use of dance from physical, educational and artistic perspectives. In 2014, her book, ‘Dance in Ireland: Steps, Stages and Stories’ was published by Cambridge Scholars Press. Her current areas of interest include supervision of dance research at masters and at doctoral levels and the use of distance learning in dance in third level. She is also completing another book, which focuses on Dance-in-Education from an all-inclusive perspective.

E-mail: sharon.phelan@ittralee.ie