‘I guess you just have to deal with it’: pre-professional ballet dancers’ experiences of pain, injury, and social support

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pre-professional ballet dancers are at high risk for musculoskeletal injuries, some of which are not reported and are self-managed by dancers themselves. Understanding the decisions that adolescent dancers make related to their dancing, pain, and injuries is relatively under-researched. Sociocultural contexts and the presence of social support (or not) may influence decisions and experiences of elite adolescent ballet dancers regarding their pain and injury. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine pre-professional ballet dancers’ experiences of pain and injury in relation to the culture of ballet and social support. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with pre-professional dancers (11–19 years) enrolled in a summer intensive programme at a ballet school. Using reflexive thematic analysis, five themes were developed: ignoring injuries and making risky choices, expectation of perseverance, influence of dominant constructions of the ballet body, self-assessment and self-management, and the role of various individuals in injury management and prevention. Findings from this research provide greater understanding of the way sociocultural influence and social support shapes pre-professional ballet dancers’ experiences. Strategies to better support the health and wellness of this unique dancer population are recommended.