by Gerrit Bester
Jeannette Ziady, lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts (Dance), Faculty of Arts and Design, won third place for her oral presentation at Biokinetics SA鈥檚 Life Through Movement International Conference, held in Umhlanga from 9 to 11 October. Her presentation drew on aspects of her doctoral studies.
This conference is a premier health and medical event for healthcare professionals.
The 2025 event focused on the theme The Future of Movement: Integrating Technology and Global Techniques in Rehabilitation and a Collaborative Future in Physical Rehabilitation Across Professions.
Ziady鈥檚 paper was titled Effects of an 8-week CrossFit Intervention on Agility, Core-strength Endurance and Aerobic Capacity in Pre-Professional Dancers.
The study included 31 pre-professional dancers.
A summary of the outcomes indicated that the CrossFit intervention produced significant gains in VO鈧俶ax, agility and core endurance.
Furthermore, a reduction in fat mass without weight loss pointed to positive physiological remodelling and the maintenance of lean mass supported sustainable strength development.
According to Ziady, the study鈥檚 implications for training include integrating structured, high-intensity functional fitness into dance training programmes, prioritising aerobic and core conditioning for performance endurance and using agility-based drills to improve transition control and reduce injury risk.
鈥淭he 8-week multimodal CrossFit protocol effectively improved key physiological capacities in pre-professional dancers, emphasising the value of integrating evidence-based conditioning into performing arts training,鈥� Ziady added.
This research advances dance/performing arts medicine as a bridge between art, science and health. The study was conducted with a supervisory team spanning both the arts and sciences, another first for 大象视频, embracing a truly interdisciplinary approach to multimodal research.
Furthermore, the study establishes the scientific validity of dance performance training through multidisciplinary research; introduces a physiological dancer profile for integrated performance and health assessment; informs injury prevention, conditioning and rehabilitation strategies for dancers; and promotes performance longevity and resilience in pre-professional and competitive contexts.
Jeannette Ziady, lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts (Dance), presenting at Biokinetics SA鈥檚 Life Through Movement International Conference held from 9 to 11 October.