KINETIC ANALYSIS OF LANDING A GRAND JETÉ BETWEEN BAREFOOT AND POINTE SHOE FOOTWEAR FOR DOMINANT AND NON-DOMINANT LEGS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the vertical ground reaction force in the skill of a Grand Jeté between barefoot and pointe shoes for both dominant and non-dominant legs. Seven female college dancers participated in the the study, and the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the landing legs or footwear conditions. However, there was an observable difference between the landing forces of the dominant and non-dominant legs, indicating that the dancers may be able to dissipate landing forces more effectively when landing on their dominant leg. This study provides a preliminary understanding on the effects of footwear between dominant and non-dominant legs. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the kinematics of lower body extremity to acquire a comprehensive understanding on the skill of Grand Jeté