Abstract
Eating disorders among adolescent girls are a public health concern. Adolescent girls that participate in aesthetic sport, such as dance, are of particular concern as they experience the highest rates of clinical eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of young girls in the world of competitive dance and examine how these experiences shape their relationship with the body; feminist poststructural discourse analysis was employed to critically explore this relationship. Interviews were conducted across Canada with twelve young girls in competitive dance (14–18 years of age) to better understand how the dominant discourses in the world of competitive dance constitute the beliefs, values and practices about body and body image. Environment, parents, coaches, and peers emerged as the largest influencers in shaping the young dancers’ relationship with their body. These influencers were found to generate and perpetuate body image discourses that reinforce the ideal dancer’s body and negative body image.
Highlights
Eating disorders are a public health issue in North America, where approximately 10% of young girls struggle with an eating disorder [1]
The purpose of this study was to explore the following research question: How does experience in the world of competitive dance shape the relationship that young girls have with their bodies? Based on the limitations of current literature, this study employed a qualitative analysis to better understand the values, beliefs, and practices that the world of dance constitutes around body and body image
The primary focus is on the discourses related to body and body image, and how these discourses shape the experiences of young girls in competitive dance
Summary
Eating disorders are a public health issue in North America, where approximately 10% of young girls struggle with an eating disorder [1]. Young girls who participate in aesthetic sports, such as dance, are at high risk for developing clinical eating disorders because of the additional and extreme pressures to be thin. In the world of dance, the pressures to be thin are enforced through the image of an ideal dancer’s body, encouragement and support of a low body weight, the use of mirrors as a teaching tool, and performing on stage to be observed and evaluated [2–5]. Many female dancers suffer from the associated health issues of eating disorders, such as amenorrhea, irreversible bone loss, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem [4, 5]. There is a relatively high incidence of eating disorders and eating disorder behaviours (EDBs) among female dancers, and there is potential
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
