Finding a neutral pelvis: a gateway to increased efficiency and power in the lower body

Burnidge, Anne, MFA , State University of New York College at Brockport, Brockport, NY, United States 

The primary participants for this movement session are dance educators and practitioners.  Other groups who might benefit are those who want to experience and/or observe ways in which maintaining a neutral pelvis can create a sense of ease and power in the lower body. 

The purpose of this session is to help participants find and maintain a neutral pelvis.  Participants can expect to feel a release in their hip flexors, thighs, and low backs and to experience how this release can provide access to power in the leg and core muscles.

Releasing muscle tension causes a chain of events to occur.  When the low back and hip flexors are allowed to relax, the pelvis can find an easy, neutral alignment; the quadriceps release and become more responsive; and it is easier for the leg and core muscles to function properly and efficiently.  This movement experience is relevant to IADMS because it may reduce injuries, provide relief from chronic pain in the low back and hip flexors, and improve both technique and expression.

The approach of this session will progress from simple somatic floor exercises to complex, full-bodied dance movement. Participants will work alone and together to find their neutral pelvises, release hip flexors, and efficiently engage core and hamstring muscles.  The session will conclude by applying the concepts to dance movements and everyday activities.  Participants should wear clothes they can lie on the floor and move in.

The author has danced for over thirty years.  She has an MFA in Dance and is a certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst. She teaches anatomically/somatically based dance technique, Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals, conditioning, and kinesiology.  These experiences inform her work and guide her ongoing investigations into healthy, balanced approaches to movement.