Efficacy of a Plyometric Training Program in a Classical Ballet Class to Enhance Vertical Jump Height and Jumping Aesthetic

While several studies on improving jump height and aesthetics via supplemental conditioning have been conducted with dancers, research is limited on the effects of plyometric exercises performed in sagittal plane joint movements (i.e., parallel) versus frontal plane joint movements (i.e., turned out) during a ballet class. Nineteen female university dancers enrolled in an upper division ballet class were randomly assigned to either a sagittal plyometric (S-PLY) group (n = 6), frontal plyometric (F-PLY) group (n = 6), or control (CTRL) group (n = 7). The plyometric protocol consisted of a three-phase progression performed twice per week during the last 20-30 minutes of a 90-minute ballet class to evaluate the effect of a six-week plyometric training program implemented during ballet class on vertical jump height and overall jumping aesthetics. Results of the ANCOVA (p<0.05) found no significant change in vertical jump height or jumping aesthetics. After controlling for averaged pre-post-test frontal vertical jump (FVJ) and overall jumping aesthetics, the following results were observed: the S-PLY group (estimated marginal M = 49.16 cm) had a greater positive change in vertical jump height compared to the F-PLY group (estimated marginal M = 46.89 cm) and the CONT group (estimated marginal M = 44.77 cm); whereas, the F-PLY group (estimated marginal M = 4.05) had a greater positive change in overall jumping aesthetics compared to the S-PLY group (estimated marginal M = 3.95) and the CONT group (estimated marginal M = 3.75). The observed mean differences show promising benefits of implementing plyometric training during a ballet class when improved jump height and jumping aesthetics are desired.