Neuromuscular responses of trained ballet dancers to postural perturbations.

The balance of trained ballet dancers and non-dancer controls was mechanically perturbed in order to evaluate the time of onset of muscle activation and the consistency of muscle activation. Results supported the prediction that ballet dancers have significantly faster long-latency (LL) neuromuscular responses than controls and are significantly more consistent in muscle activation. These findings indicate a superior postural control mechanism in trained dancers and may explain the ability of dancers to maintain static balances over a small base of support.