Elite Dance Research Articles

Quality of Life Measures in Young Pre-Professional Dancers Compared to Non-Athletes and Non-Dancer Athletes.

Aim: To investigate quality of life (QoL) measures in a cohort of young female dancers. Methods: Cross-sectional survey study design was utilized to study dancers 8 to 17 years enrolled in two elite dance schools in the Boston area. The main outcome measure was the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL 4.0) questionnaire, a validated QoL survey for children, with established normative values for comparison. Demographics and questions pertaining to training regimens and injury/illness history were also included. Sub-groups (8-11 years, 12-14 years, and 15-17 years) were created to analyze outcomes by age. Results: One hundred and forty emails were delivered, 72 were completed and included in the final data analysis (51.4%). The median scores for physical, psychosocial, emotional, social, and school PedsQL sub-scales were 87.5, 90.0, 80.0, 100.0, and 92.5, respectively. The median score of the total PedsQL scores was 88.8. No difference in QoL outcomes by age group was found (physical: P = .328; psychosocial: P = .918; emotional: P = .673; social: P = .573; school: P = 0.962; total: P = 0.766). 52.5% of the participants responded that they regularly perform in shows. Median hours/week of dance rehearsal was 10 hours (mean ± standard deviation: 10.3 ± 4.9; 95% CI: 9.0, 11.6; IQR: 7.0, 13.5; range: 2.0, 20.0) and 68.9% reported they practice and rehearse throughout the entire calendar year as opposed to solely during the school year; most dancers reported participating in dance 11 months (median value) per year (mean ± standard deviation: 10.7 ± 0.8; 95% CI: 10.5, 11.0; IQR: 10.0, 11.0; range: 9.0, 12.0). Conclusion: QoL measures for young female dancers were higher relative to existing data for the general population and lower compared to other sports participation. These results will support the social, emotional, and physical health of young dancers.

Weighting of visual and auditory inputs in dancers with and without previous ankle injury

Elite dance requires highly controlled balance performance in dynamic visual and auditory environments characterized by the use of stage lighting and music. Perturbing visual input is known to influence balance in dancers, but the effects of sounds have not been clearly established. Ankle inversion injuries are common in dancers and may also play a role in dancers' ability to respond to sensory perturbations. The aims of this study were to identify changes in static balance in response to visual or auditory perturbation in elite collegiate dancers with and without a history of ankle injury, and to describe coupling of measurements obtained from the waist and head during balance. Thirty-seven dancers: 22 controls and 15 with a history of ankle sprain, performed single-leg balance under static and dynamic visual and auditory conditions. Dancers demonstrated increased waist sway when viewing a dynamic visual scene and when presented with moving sounds and increased head sway with dynamic visuals. These results did not vary by history of ankle sprain. While dancers appear to dampen the impact of waist sway on head motion during single leg stance, even highly trained dancers may experience challenges controlling balance under perturbing visual and auditory conditions like those present during stage performance.

Comparing Harmful Behaviors Among Dancers According to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Utilizing the RISQ.

There is a dearth of information about whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) dancers, who often experience increased psychosocial risk factors, are at increased risk of engaging in harmful behaviors compared to their heterosexual cisgender counterparts. This study explores harmful behaviors dancers engage in according to their self-reported sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), utilizing the validated Risky, Impulsive, and Self-Destructive Behavior Questionnaire (RISQ). Three hundred sixty-four dancers from 7 elite dance entities in New York were contacted by e-mail to participate in the study. Sixty-six participants completed the study through a virtual questionnaire. Chi-square, ANOVA and independent t-test were utilized to assess statistical differences among RISQ outcomes in 4 SOGI groups: Cisgender Heterosexual Female (n = 20); Cisgender Heterosexual Male (n = 7); LGBTQ+ Female (n = 19); and LGBTQ+ Male (n = 20). Chi-square comparing SOGI group frequency of participation within each of the RISQ behaviors revealed statistically significant difference with: difficulty stopping eating (P = .05); gambling illegally (P = .036); betting on sports, horses, or other animals (P = .036); buying expensive items that cannot be afforded at the spur of the moment (P = .019); and drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks in 3 hours or less (P = .013). Between-group frequency comparison through ANOVA and independent t-test revealed: the LGBTQ+ Male group were 92% more likely to have unprotected sex with someone they just met or did not know well (P < .001) and 83% more likely to use hallucinogens, LSD, or mushrooms (P = .018); the LGBTQ+ Female and LGBTQ+ Male groups were 4.4 times more likely to buy drugs (P = .01) and 4.88 times more likely to think about killing themselves (P = .023); and both male groups were 12.8 times more likely to steal money (P = .006). This study found significant difference in RISQ scores based on a dancer's SOGI. Harmful behaviors should be taken into consideration when working to improve dancer patient outcomes and quality of life.

Kinematic analysis of sway motions of elite dance sport competitors

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the potential relationship between scores given by judges and kinematic variables used to characterise the sway movement in the Viennese waltz as performed by dance sport athletes. Methods: The study involved six world-class and six intermediate dance couples. The pairs were asked to perform three identical series of three natural spins of the figure in a Viennese waltz and were all recorded by camera as they danced to music. Six international adjudicators evaluated all trials of each couple from the viewpoint of the technical quality component based on the Absolute Judging System. A triaxial rotational angular velocity measurement device (gyroscope) was placed on the dorsal part of the pelvic girdle and on the posterior part of the thorax of every athlete. Results: The analysis of covariance showed that maximum angular rotation velocities of the thoracic spine in forward sway movements (in the transverse plane) in male dancers were strongly associated with the judging score obtained (F1,9 = 11.5; P &lt; .05; ηp 2 = .05) regardless of the assignment to the given group. Conclusion: According to the study conducted and a comparison of elite and intermediate level athletes, the proposed method of assessing, presenting and reviewing the movement profile of the pelvic girdle and thoracic movement is likely to become useful for the overall assessment of movement technique, and also for carrying out quick and effective qualitative and quantitative biomechanical assessment of selected components of movement technique in dance sport. Keywords: Standard style, technique, ballroom dancing, Viennese waltz, absolute judging system.

Injury prevention knowledge and beliefs of Irish dancing teachers: An international survey

OBJECTIVES: Injury in Irish dancing (ID) is pervasive and comparable to that in other elite dance genres. There is an absence of formalized education or training for ID teachers to understand and address this issue. This study investigated the injury prevention knowledge and beliefs of registered ID teachers internationally. METHODS: An online survey based on an existing questionnaire by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was adapted to reflect relevant research in ID and other dance genres. It was piloted with seven ID teachers internationally. Participants, who were registered ID teachers were recruited through official ID governing bodies and the networks of the Principal Investigator. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty participants from eleven regions internationally completed the survey. A robust knowledge of the anatomical areas most often injured was displayed, with conflicting opinions on the incidence, location and causes of injuries in males and females. There was a clear appreciation of the vast array of risk factors potentially associated with injury, with warm-up, load management, physical strength, conditioning and flexibility all highly rated. There was lesser insight into important factors such as sleep, nutrition, and general and psychological health. Most teachers rated their injury prevention knowledge and practices as moderate/good but available educational resources as poor/fair. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for education and training in numerous areas of injury prevention by multidisciplinary healthcare practitioners and other professionals, in partnership with the ID community, to ensure a clearer understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of injury prevention and performance optimisation.

Navigating a performance livelihood: career trajectories and transitions for the classical singer

ABSTRACT Investigations pertaining to career trajectories and vocational identities of professional classical Australian singers are uncharted and lack specific empirical evidence. Rarely do studies explain the professional singers’ experiences and the processes they undertook to reach goals, to comprehend their deep identification with the craft, and acknowledge the specific market conditions which drive their career. This research investigated the careers of Australian classical singers through a qualitative interview-based study and analysis, which outlines the trajectory of the professional singers’ careers as these became evident through their experiences. Extensive interviews were conducted with 13 retired professional singers’ and the subsequent thematic analysis found a trajectory of development and decline. Major career theories and empirical studies from elite dance and sportsperson were interrogated. An analysis of the singers’ experiences of their professional life was undertaken, and implications arising were related to career models from the film industry to discourses from cultural economics and sociology, to music training concepts and entrepreneurial approaches to working in the creative arts. The result was the identification of a distinct career typology comprising several stages: (1) pre career; (2) breaking in; (3) peak stage; (4) denouement; and (5) moving on. The study found there is a critical link between pre- and post-career stages that has implications for training. Other findings include that creativity and identity are tightly intertwined for the professional singers in the study, and when seeking new directions following the denouement stage, the majority of the singers attempted to remain attached to an artistic field. The findings suggest that training for artists’ in career planning, pedagogical practices, entrepreneurship and attention to issues of wellbeing have often been inadequate in this industry and it is only in the consideration of the lifecycle of a creative performance career that the critical link between pre- and post-career stages can be made.

Effect of Visual Condition on Performance of Balance-Related Tasks in Elite Dance Students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of visual condition (low light, full light, and full light with mirror) on balance control and technical form during two technical dance movements in a group of elite collegiate dance students. Dancers demonstrated higher center of pressure velocity indicating lower control while performing a static dance task (parallel relevé retiré) and a dynamic dance task (fondu relevé en croix) under low light conditions than either lighted condition. Measures of Western ballet technique (pelvic obliquity, knee extension, and ankle plantar flexion) showed no decrement under low light conditions. No effect of concurrent mirror feedback was found on either center of pressure velocity or technical requirements of the dance tasks.

Functional muscle asymmetries and laterality in Latin American formation dancers.

Despite the high popularity of Latin American dance and the specific movement patterns characteristic of this dance discipline, studies on the physical effects of these dance style specific movement patterns are still lacking. The purpose of the present study is to analyze strength level differences and shortening of relevant muscle groups resulting from formation dance, taking performance standard and gender into consideration. Furthermore, the correlation between the findings of muscle function tests (MFT) and the occurrence of lumbar spine complaints is evaluated. A total of 66 participants (m: n= 31, f: n= 35) volunteered for this cross-sectional study (examination group, n= 39, m: n= 19, f: n= 20). The control group consisted of n= 27 participants (m: n= 12, f: n= 15). Besides isometric maximal strength tests (Digi Max system, mechaTronic), relevant muscle groups were examined for shortenings (hip flexors, hamstrings). The male participants in dance sport reached a significantly higher strength level in the muscles of the spine region (p= 0.011) than the participants of the control group. The female elite dance athletes developed a significantly higher strength level in the knee flexors on the right side than the dancers of the advanced group (NL) (p= 0.021). At that, muscle shortening were observed that seem to be specific to dance sport. In addition, gender specific differences were observed both in strength levels and in tendency to shortenings. The specific requirements profile of Latin American formation dance seems to produce affects in the form of muscular imbalance on both sides of the body. These differences of muscular status were mainly observed between dance sport competitors and non-dancers rather than between performance levels. Future investigations with higher numbers of participants would be necessary here.

The Role of Le Balet Comique in Forging the Stuart Masque: Part 2 Continuation

Following the discussion in Part 1 (Dance Research 32.2 2014, 185–207) of the use made by the Jacobean court of Le Balet Comique ( McGowan 1982 ) to frame innovation in the masque, this article will explore two further examples of the continuing use of the text. The overt adoption of features of Le Balet Comique for Tempe Restored (1632, Aurelian Townshend and Inigo Jones) brought French practice into play once more for the Caroline masque. Following in his father's footsteps, Charles 1 was able to bring to the masque his personal skill as a dancer and the participation of his young and beautiful French queen Henrietta Maria. From the re-launch of the court masque in 1631, until the break-up of the Whitehall court in 1640, both retrospective and innovative practices were pursued. Although this was a new reign, a strong element of continuity prevailed in the court personnel serving the masque. Acting as artistic director, Inigo Jones was now firmly in control of masque concepts, pursuing a design process of imaginative imitation based on Renaissance practice. In collaboration with individuals among the music and dance artists, Jones had been intimately involved in adapting features of the ballet in devising The Masque of Queens of 1609. 1 That Le Balet Comique formed the basis for Tempe Restored is made very plain in the published text. The influence of the 1581 ballet on A Masque presented at Ludlow Castle 1634 (known as Comus) by John Milton can only be discerned by analysing the performance conditions of a work that is now published as a poem. Once again the Circe persona takes the stage, this time in masculine form as Comus. I argue here that the link between the two is the personnel of Tempe Restored. An analysis of the original performance of Comus draws on understanding of elite dance practice of the day leading to new insights into this innovative masque.

The Relationship Formation Process Between Elite Dance Sports Leaders and Players

The Relationship Formation Process Between Elite Dance Sports Leaders and Players

Floor surfaces and injury risk: Changes in dancer landing mechanics on varied dance surfaces

The relationship between elite dance performance on hard, non-compliant floors and injury has been the subject of much debate. A large body of evidence exists demonstrating the high incidence of injury in dancers to structures that cross the ankle joint. Dancers perform numerous landing tasks during training and performance and the ankle joint has been suggested to have specific mechanical limitations during landings. It is generally assumed that safe dance practice must incorporate the use of a ‘sprung’ or force reducing floor in order to decrease injury risk exposure.

Imagining Yourself Dancing to Perfection? Correlates of Perfectionism Among Ballet and Contemporary Dancers

The present study investigated perfectionism prevalence and its relationship to imagery and performance anxiety. Two hundred and fifty (N= 250) elite students (66.4% female;Mage= 19.19,SD= 2.66) studying mainly classical ballet or contemporary dance in England, Canada, and Australia completed questionnaires assessing perfectionism, imagery, and performance anxiety. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct cohorts: dancers withperfectionistic tendencies(40.59% of the sample), dancers withmoderate perfectionistic tendencies(44.35%), and dancers withno perfectionistic tendencies(15.06%). Notably, these labels are data driven and relative; only eight dancers reported high absolute scores. Dancers with perfectionistic tendencies experienced more debilitative imagery, greater cognitive and somatic anxiety, and lower self-confidence than other dancers. Dancers with moderate perfectionistic tendencies reported midlevel scores for all constructs and experienced somatic anxiety as being more debilitative to performance than did those with no perfectionistic tendencies. Clusters were demographically similar, though more males than females reported no perfectionistic tendencies, and vice versa. In summary, the present findings suggest that “true” perfectionism may be rare in elite dance; however, elements of perfectionism appear common and are associated with maladaptive characteristics.

Antecedents of burnout among elite dancers: A longitudinal test of basic needs theory

Objectives Little is known regarding the social-psychological predictors of burnout in the dance domain. Drawing from basic needs theory, a sub-theory in the self-determination theory framework ( Deci & Ryan, 2000), this study examined whether changes in vocational dancers’ autonomy, competence and relatedness satisfaction mediated the relationships between changes in the dancers’ perceived autonomy support and burnout over a school year. Method Dancers ( N = 219) enrolled in vocational dance training, completed a questionnaire package tapping the variables of interest at three time points over a 36-week period. Results SEM indicated that the observed decreases in the dancers’ perceptions of autonomy support positively predicted observed changes in reported basic need satisfaction that occurred over the school year. In turn, increases in the dancers’ global burnout were negatively predicted by changes in satisfaction of the three needs. The three basic needs fully mediated the ‘autonomy support–global burnout’ relationship. When the sub-dimensions of burnout were examined independently, there were inconsistencies in the salience of each basic need. The increases in emotional and physical exhaustion experienced by the dancers over the school year were unrelated to changes in autonomy, competence and relatedness satisfaction. Changes in competence need satisfaction negatively predicted reduced accomplishment. Increases in the dancers’ dance devaluation were negatively predicted by changes in satisfaction of the three needs. Conclusions Overall, the tenets of self-determination theory are supported. Findings point to the relevance of promoting and sustaining autonomy supportive training environments if burnout is to be avoided in elite dance settings.

Dancing in the House of Koryak Culture

This paper explores two interrelated themes found in the anthropol- ogy of ethnic dance ensembles in Kamchatka, Russia: authenticity and the place of individual in society. I use two elite dance troupes (one professional, the other semi-professional) to analyse local categories of cultural authenticity. People in Kamchatka were vocal about representations of indigenous dance on the stage and critiqued dance performances on the basis of whether or not they lived up to their expectations for a proper representation of traditional forms. These cri- tiques are consistently made with respect to the representations themselves and are wholly detached from ethnic (or other) identities of the performers. They provide insight into the nature of authorised knowledge of cultural traditions in Kamchatka. The second part of the paper explores the role of children's dance ensembles in cultural revival movements in small villages. Performing tradi- tional indigenous Kamchatkan dance is not a case of memorising a set stock of moves and positions but entails finding oneself through an individually crea- tive engagement with a style modelled by elders. In both cases, I argue that a semiotics of dance focuses our attention on what symbols do (as opposed to simply what they mean) within a cultural field.

Structure of artistic self-concepts for performing arts and non-performing arts students in a performing arts high school: "Setting the stage" with multigroup confirmatory factor analysis.

The Arts Self-Perception Inventory (ASPI) and the Self Description Questionnaire II were administered to 210 elite performing arts (PA) and 131 non-PA students attending a prestigious PA high school. Elite dance, music, and drama students had substantially higher dance, music, and drama self-concepts, respectively, providing construct validity evidence through known group differences. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated the 15 a priori self-concept factors from the 2 instruments and the complete invariance of factor loadings across the two samples. Consistent with predictions based on academic self-concept theory, there were group differences in the factor correlations. The three PA self-concepts were moderately correlated for non-PA students, but were uncorrelated for PA students. Also, these PA self-concepts were more highly correlated with esteem and school self-concept for PA students than for non-PA students. Results support the ASPI's usefulness but suggest complexities for W. P. Vispoel's (1995) proposed extension of the Marsh/Shavelson hierarchical model of self-concept to include PA.