Weighing in on surveillance: perception of the impact of surveillance on female ballet dancers’ health

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate professional ballet dancers’ perceptions of the impact of surveillance on their psychological and physical health. The theoretical framework was inspired by Foucault’s writing, particularly his concepts of surveillance, power, discipline and docile bodies. Fifteen professional ballet dancers (under contract, freelance or retired) were interviewed individually. From an inductive analysis of the answers, two types of surveillance emerged with different impacts on dancer’s health. Positive surveillance is beneficial for a dancer’s psychological health; it assists in motivating, guiding and giving them structure throughout their dance career. In contrast, negative surveillance, based on judgment, criticism and the impossible attainment of an ideal body, has a detrimental impact on a dancer’s health. The results also revealed that body weight is perceived as the principal object of surveillance.