Does Mental Imagery Influence Muscles Activity? A Proof of Concept Study on Franklin Method® Effectiveness in Dance Training

Mental imagery influences the body, movement, and technical skills of the dancer. The aim of this study was to identify the influence of dance imagery on the electromyographic parameters of selected muscles in a professional ballet dancer during three ballet tasks: parallel position, demi pointe relevé, and demi plié. Five mental imageries according to the Franklin Method® were used: foot dome, the wheelbarrow, pushing the toes, space behind the kneecap, and the kneecap float. Electromyographic signals were recorded bilaterally for lumbar erector spinae, rectus abdominis, vastus medialis, long head of biceps femoris, lateral head of gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and fibularis longus. All of the mental imageries resulted in increased activity (above 20% compared with no-imagery performance) of the selected muscles in the studied classical dance positions and tasks. Overall, the ankle muscles were influenced the most. This study indicates that mental images effectively influence a physiological parameter, as indicated by an electromyographic signal.