Abstract:
Dancing is a part of human culture, and foot drills (Pa sarabha) are exceptional among
the dancing skills. This study aimed to determine the best method to improve leg power
through traditional Kandyan leg exercises and selected sports exercises. This study is
the first endeavour to compare the Kandyan pa sarabha on leg power development.
Thirty-six females aged 14 to 15 years who did not train either for dancing or sports
had recruited to do the study. The sample was divided into three groups; the dancing
group (n=12), the sport group (n=12), and the control group (n=12). Pre and Post
experimental research design was used, and the vertical jump test measured the leg
power before and after the six weeks of training intervention. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank
and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test the significance of the leg power differences
and considered significant at a 95% confident interval. The results revealed that there
was no significant difference in the initial leg power in dance (15.5 cm), sport (16.5 cm),
and control (17.0 cm) groups (H(2)=0.27, p=0.875). However, the group differences in
final leg power indicated a significant difference in dance (22.0 cm), sport (18.5 cm), and
control (17.8 cm) groups(H(2)=11.29, p=0.004). Dance and sport groups significantly
developed their leg power throughout the training (Z= 3.063, p=0.002, and Z=3.105,
p=0.002, respectively). The dance and sport groups post-test leg power comparison
indicated a significantly higher improvement in the dance group(H(1)=5.60, p=0.018).
Therefore, the findings of the research suggest that Kandyan dance leg exercises more
effectively develop leg power than that of the sports exercises.
