A Biomechanical Study of Angular Momentum and External Moments During a Ballet Turn

Abstract

The following thesis applies equations of motion used in linear locomotion (gait analysis) to the analysis of the purely rotational motion of the fouetté or tour à la seconde. Modifications to the method of analysis include the creation of several MATLAB programs to compute improved estimates of the moment of inertia tensor, three-dimensional angular momentum about the dancer’s centre of mass. The results of this investigation—the quantification of angular momentum and external moments—are compared to similar results from gait analysis to demonstrate how the dancer maintains balance during rotational motion. The variables calculated by the MATLAB programs are particularly relevant in the field of balance control research in the context of inputs into the body’s balance control systems.