Comparative Analysis of Flexibility and Posture Between Indian Classical and Western Dancers: An Observational Study

Objectives Being an art form, dance requires extraordinary posture and flexibility to perform complex movements. The physical demands of Indian classical and Western dancing styles differ; Indian classical dancers emphasise precise, controlled movements, whereas Western dancers frequently use broad, dynamic gestures. There is a paucity of research comparing posture and flexibility between these two dancing styles. Therefore, this study aimed to compare upper and lower limb flexibility and postural characteristics between Indian classical and Western dancers Material and Methods This observational study was conducted over 6 months with 34 (33 females; 1 male) Indian classical dancers and 34 (32 females; 2 males) Western dancers from dance academies in Belagavi city. Dancers aged 18–40 years with at least 4 years of experience were included. Flexibility of the upper limb was assessed using Apley’s scratch test, while lower limb flexibility was measured with the sit-and-reach test. Posture was analysed using Kinovea software from sagittal plane photographs for the craniovertebral angle, thoracic kyphosis angle, lumbar lordosis angle, and anterior pelvic tilt. Results Indian classical dancers, all participants had typical or high upper limb flexibility; 88.24% demonstrated below-average lower limb flexibility, 76.47% showed abnormal forward head posture, 64.71% exhibited abnormal lumbar hyperlordosis, and 70.59% had anterior pelvic tilt. In contrast, Western dancers had 17.65% (right) and 20.59% (left), showing low upper limb flexibility, but none had below-average lower limb flexibility; 5.88% of Western dancers exhibited abnormal forward head posture and lumbar hyperlordosis, while 11.76% had anterior pelvic tilt. The mean scores of all parameters except thoracic kyphosis were statistically significant between the two dance form groups ( p <0.05) Conclusion This study demonstrates that Indian classical dancers exhibit greater upper limb flexibility, with a corresponding decrease in lower limb flexibility and postural malalignment. However, Western dancers exhibit superior lower limb flexibility and better postural alignment. This finding highlights the distinct physical adaptation associated with each dance style.