Unveiling the Dance of Strength: Plyometric Exercise as a Catalyst for Lower Extremity Function in Bharatanatyam

Background : Aramandi is the most basic position in Bharatanatyam which is similar to Demiplie position of ballet dancers in which both the legs are were internally rotated. Gaining proficiency in Bharatanatyam requires rigorous training for prolonged periods of time while maintaining specific postures which begin at a very young age during the adolescent growth spurt .The plyometric exercise may strengthen the group muscles. Aim: To find out the effectiveness of plyometric exercise on lower extremity function among classical Bharatanatyam dancers. Materials and methods: The subjects were approached via Aurohamsadhwani Art Centre, Auroville,Pondicherry A Pilot study taken with totally 20 classical dancers were selected under the selection criteria. Classical dancers were given plyometric exercise for a duration of 6 weeks each exercise is performed 3 sets for 10 repetition. Pre and Post assessment was conducted through Lower extremity functional scale (LEFS). Result: The pre assessment LEFS score was 40.45 and after application of plyometric exercises it improved to 74.10. The obtained data were analyzed by using paired ‘t’ test comparison of pre and post-test value for LEFS questionnaire the ‘p’ value obtained was 0.001. Conclusion: This study concluded that plyometric exercise has got beneficial effect to shows that there is an improvement on lower extremity function among classical Bharatanatyam dancers.