Vocational Dance Research Articles

Difficulties Faced by Dance Graduates in Higher Vocational Colleges: An Analysis

With the rapid development of our country has brought opportunities and challenges to dance art education. This study aims to strengthen the education of dance majors, guide them to plan their career development reasonably, and explore new methods to adapt to the needs of the times and students. In recent years, the employment situation of dance graduates has been grim, and enterprises have reflected difficulties in recruitment, the reasons for which involve students, recruiters and college graduates management. Highly efficient expansion of colleges and universities, the number of graduates increased, exacerbating the employment pressure; the art exam boom led to a surge in the student population of dance performance majors, further increasing the difficulty of employment. The employment of dance majors is restricted, competition is fierce, and the prospects of graduates are worrying. Higher vocational dance students are not optimistic about employment prospects and tend to be directly employed, especially in the teaching profession. Employment problems are rooted in the mismatch between students' quality and career needs, the lack of coordination between professional development and market demand, and the inconsistency between social expectations and entrepreneurial atmosphere. The solution lies in improving personal quality, firm beliefs and cultivating innovative thinking. Schools need to deepen reforms, improve students' comprehensive quality and employability, improve teaching methods, and stimulate creativity and curiosity. Employers should change their mindset and the government should provide support.

Reform and Innovation of Dance Choreography Teaching Based on Virtual Environment Technology

Abstract This paper firstly researches the reform and innovation of higher vocational dance choreography teaching under the background of new media and puts forward the reform and innovation suggestions of higher vocational dance choreography teaching according to the structure and thinking steps of higher vocational dance choreography teaching. Then, research on dance choreography teaching based on virtual environment technology, using quaternion interpolation to define the distance between dance action frames in dance choreography teaching video, selecting public frames of dance choreography teaching video based on the definition of dance action, articulating the keyframes of dance action according to splicing the dance action sequences and analyzing the research on innovation of higher vocational dance choreography teaching. The results showed that in posture, the P-value of students’ shoulder, torso, sitting, standing, walking, and overall posture were less than 0.01, with highly significant differences. In terms of students’ aesthetics, the P value of students’ aesthetic sensibility was 0.026, P<0.05, aesthetic appreciation P value was 0.051>0.05, and aesthetic creativity P=0.063>0.05, which shows that students in the control class got a significant improvement in aesthetic sensibility. This study plays a certain role in inspiring and leading generalization for the teaching of dance choreography.

From the Wings to the Stage and Beyond: Performance Anxiety and Flow in UK Vocational Dance Students

ABSTRACT Professional dancers have described high levels of performance anxiety while also experiencing flow on stage. However, such research tends to capture one period of time in the performance experience and rarely focuses on vocational dance students. The current study samples vocational dance students at a UK performing arts school and captures their cognitive, somatic, and emotional experiences from pre- to post-performance. Eleven interviews were conducted with female students aged between 15 and 17 years. Thematic analysis was employed and three themes identified: Facilitative and Debilitative Anxiety in the Wings, Constructions of Anxiety and Flow on Stage, and After the Show; the Highs and the Lows. Findings produced an understanding of the psychological journey from pre- to post-performance. Students have the potential to manipulate their cognitions to facilitate flow suggesting that dance schools can implement psychological techniques to manage anxiety and increase flow, thus enhancing well-being and performance.

Associations between nutrition, energy expenditure and energy availability with bone mass acquisition in dance students: a 3-year longitudinal study.

To determine whether risk factors normally associated with low bone mass in athletic populations (i.e. nutrition intake, energy expenditure and energy availability) are significant predictors of bone mass changes in vocational dance students. The total of 101 vocational dancers (63 females, 12.8 ± 2.2years; 38 males, 12.7 ± 2.2years) and 115 age-matched controls (68 females, 13.0 ± 2.1years; 47 males, 13.0 ± 1.8years) were monitored for 3 consecutive years. Bone mass parameters were measured annually at impact sites (femoral neck, FN; lumber spine, LS) and non-impact site (forearm) using DXA. Nutrition (3-day record), energy expenditure (accelerometer), energy availability and IGF-1 serum concentration (immunoradiometric assays) were also assessed. Female and male vocational dancers had consistently reduced bone mass at all anatomical sites (p < 0.001) than controls. IGF-1 did not differ between male vocational dancers and controls, but female dancers showed it higher than controls. At baseline, calcium intake was significantly greater in female vocational dancers than controls (p < 0.05). Male vocational dancers' fat and carbohydrate intakes were significantly lower than matched controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Energy availability of both female and male vocational dancers was within the normal range. A significant group effect was found at the FN regarding energy intake (p < 0.05) in female dancers. No significant predictors were found to explain bone mass differences in males. Our 3-year study revealed that both female and male vocational dancers displayed lower bone mass compared to controls, at both impact and non-impact sites. The aetiology of these findings may be grounded on factors different than those usually considered in athletic populations.

Mindfulness, recovery-stress balance, and well-being among university dance students

ABSTRACT Dance students face many physical and psychological stressors in their training and daily lives, therefore methods for coping with stress are essential for performance enhancement and general wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between mindfulness, stress, recovery, and wellbeing among university level vocational dance students. Seventy-two dance students at two Australian universities completed online self-report measures of mindfulness, recovery-stress states, and affect. Correlation coefficients indicated a significant positive relationship between mindfulness and positive affect, and significant negative relationships between mindfulness and stress, and mindfulness and negative affect. MANOVA revealed differences between high mindfulness and low mindfulness groups on general stress, negative affect, and dance-specific recovery. The findings suggested that low mindfulness may be a risk factor for stress in general, and improvements in mindfulness may provide a protective buffer for students coping with a vast array of general and dance-specific demands.

How Does Pedagogy Compare between Professional Dance Education and Non-Professional Dance Education

Nowadays, dance education has been popularised at different educational levels, so dance teachers have the opportunity to teach students of different ages and backgrounds. However, this created a problem for me as, although I was teaching different people, I did not alter my teaching style. The pedagogy which aimed to foster professional dancers had no effect to non-professional students. In order to combine my experiences and resolve my problem, this paper concentrates on the difference between school-based and vocational dance pedagogy.

Thoughts on the Reform of Higher Vocational Dance Teaching Based on Big Data

In the fast-developing information age, the current teaching level can no longer meet the current students’ demand for knowledge. Based on the current teaching system and platform, this paper uses modern programming and big data information database as the basis, and combines some shortcomings of current college education methods and levels to design a set of remote dance information teaching system. On the basis of the B/S network structure, a new online and offline interactive teaching model for the three roles of teachers, students and administrators established by using big data has successfully enriched the diversity of higher vocational education methods.

Towards Vocational Training of the South African Dancer: Anxiety or Agency?

The dance world is dominated by instilling technique and discipline in the dance training. Technique and discipline have been inculcated through training regimes that are dogmatically transferred through the generations — from teacher to dancer —and who in turn perpetuate technique and discipline in their teaching. Within a multicultural setting, dancers are required to start afresh and to subscribe to a standardisation that is often unattainable due to gender, physique, and bias. The standardisation reinforces a coloniality of power. This article examines this phenomenon and serves to promote inclusive strategies towards training vocational dance. Theories of learning are explored that advocate towards a long-term transformation strategy that takes the notions of deficit dancers and the coloniality of power within the dance education system into account. Consideration is also afforded to Nakata‘s (1998) cultural interface theories, which incorporate these aspects with a strategy on dance vocational training —the constructs of a professional learning community (PLC) that may not be seamless in implementation. Through reflective and reflexive inquiry, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) somatic training modules are case studies for a gap analysis framing of such a strategy. By actively participating in co-creating new knowledge and futures, a sense of agency is afforded the individual student.

Internal Training Load Measures in Elite Adolescent Ballet Dancers.

Training load has been identified as a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury in sport, but little is known about the effects of training load in dance. The purpose of this study was to describe adolescent dancers' internal training load (ITL) and compare objective and subjective measures of ITL using heart rate (HR) training impulse methods and session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE), respectively. Fifteen female elite adolescent ballet dancers at a vocational dance school volunteered to participate in the study. Internal training load data using HR and sRPE were collected over 9 days of multiple technique classes at the midpoint of the dancers' training year. Heart rate data were quantified using Edwards' training impulse (ETRIMP) and Banister's training impulse (BTRIMP), and sRPE was estimated from the modified Borg 0 to 10 scale and class duration. Descriptive statistics (median [M], and interquartile range [IQR]) were determined in arbitrary units (AU), and were as follows for all classes combined: ETRIMP: M = 134 AU (IQR = 79 to 244 AU); BTRIMP: M = 67 AU (IQR = 38 to 109); sRPE: M = 407 AU (IQR = 287 to 836 AU). The association and agreement between objective and subjective ITL measures in ballet and pointe class was assessed using Spearman correlations (rs) and adjusted Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement (LOA), respectively, with alpha set at 0.05. A significant moderate positive correlation was found between ETRIMP and BTRIMP in pointe class (rρ = 0.8000, p = 0.0031). The mean difference (LOA) between ETRIMP and BTRIMP was 121 AU (33 to 210 AU) in ballet and 43 AU (-3 to 88 AU) in pointe. It is concluded that some, but not all, measures of ITL in elite adolescent ballet dancers are comparable. Additional research is needed to examine the utilization of ITL measures for evaluating dance-related injury risk, as well as the application of ITL to inform the development of effective injury prevention strategies for this high-risk population.

Student and teacher attitudes towards overtraining and recovery in vocational dance training.

Elite performance in dance is the result of many years of training, during which dancers face high physical and emotional demands. There is little empirical evidence addressing dancer training behaviours in the context of overtraining and in response to training demands; however, underlying dancer attitudes that affect training behaviours must first be understood to truly determine the drivers of dance training behaviour. This study explored the attitudes held by vocational dance students and their teachers in relation to stress and recovery during vocational dance training. Using Q methodology with a sample of 86 students and teachers, six viewpoints were identified through factor analyses. These six factors are discussed in relation to the overarching themes of sources of stress, attitudes towards stress and recovery, and dance culture.

Relationship Between Performance Competence and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Contemporary Dance.

While a foundation of basic cardiorespiratory fitness is beneficial for coping with the physiological demands of dance training and performance, the extent to which cardiorespiratory fitness levels are related to performance ability is not all-together clear. This study aimed to directly compare aerobic capacity (VO2peak) and anaerobic threshold (AT) to an aesthetic competence measure (ACM) in student contemporary dancers. Participants were 18 contemporary dance students and all undertook a one-off treadmill test to volitional exhaustion in the week leading up to a performance to determine VO2peak and AT. In the same week, a final rehearsal for the performance was filmed to allow retrospective analysis of specific performance competence. Mean VO2peak values of 47.67 ± 5.84 ml/kg/min and AT values of 43.18 ± 7.72 ml/kg/min (90.68 ± 11.87 %VO2peak) were recorded, and the mean total ACM score was 52.67 ± 8.74. No significant correlations were found between cardiorespiratory fitness variables and ACM scores. Regression analyses revealed experience level to be the only significant predictor of total ACM score (p<0.05, R2=0.12, SEE=11.91). The range of choreography used for assessment may limit the present study; nevertheless, as level of experience did significantly predict ACM total score, it is suggested that vocational dance training may be developing the performance and technical skills of students but not sufficiently developing their physical conditioning.

Endocrine parameters in association with bone mineral accrual in young female vocational ballet dancers.

Little is known on bone mass development in dancers involved in vocational training. The aim of the present study was to model bone mineral content (BMC) accruals and to determine whether circulating levels of oestrogens, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) explain differences in bone mass gains between vocational dance students and matched controls. The total of 67 vocational female dancers (VFDs) and 68 aged-matched controls (12.1 ± 1.9years and 12.7 ± 2.0years at baseline, respectively) were followed for two consecutive years (34 VFD and 31 controls remained in the study for the full duration). BMC was evaluated annually at impact [femoral neck (FN); lumbar spine (LS)] and non-impact sites (forearm) using DXA. Anthropometry, age at menarche (questionnaire), and hormone serum concentrations (immunoradiometric assays) were also assessed for the same period. VFD demonstrated consistently reduced body weight (p < 0.001) and BMC at all three anatomical sites (p < 0.001) compared to controls throughout the study period. Menarche, body weight, GH, and IGF-1 were significantly associated with bone mass changes over time (p < 0.05) but did not explain group differences in BMC gains at impact sites (p > 0.05). However, body weight did explain the differences between groups in terms of BMC gains at the forearm (non-impact site). Two consecutive years of vocational dance training revealed that young female dancers demonstrate consistently lower bone mass compared to controls at both impact and non-impact sites. The studied endocrine parameters do not seem to explain group differences in terms of bone mass gains at impact sites.

Finding Your Balance

ABSTRACTProfessional dance careers require years of intensive training. Stress experienced during training must be balanced with adequate recovery to prevent overtraining and burnout. Little is known, however, about how dancers achieve recovery–stress balance. This study examined dancers’ recollection of stress and recovery during their vocational dance training to identify potential stressors and recovery behaviors in vocational dance training. Twelve current and ex-professional ballet (n=4) and contemporary dancers (n=8) participated in the study. Four general dimensions, based on the extant overtraining literature in athletes, were identified: dance culture, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and situational factors. Cultural norms, health factors related to injury and illness, and transition periods within vocational dance training were sources of stress for participants. Dancers’ responses to stress were categorized as adaptive or maladaptive. Maladaptive behavioral responses (e.g., ignoring injury, pain, and fatigue) were related to negative training outcomes associated with overtraining and burnout. Interventions that encourage adaptive behaviors for dance students to support health and well-being are recommended to address the recovery–stress balance in vocational dance training identified in this study.

Measuring Training Load in Dance: The Construct Validity of Session-RPE.

The session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) is a practical and non-invasive method that allows a quantification of internal training load (ITL) in individual and team sports. As yet, no study has investigated its construct validity in dance. This study examines the convergent validity between the session-RPE method and an objective heart rate (HR)-based method of quantifying the similar ITL in vocational dance students during professional dance training. Ten dance students (4 male, 20±1.16 yrs; 6 female, 20±0.52 yrs) participated in this study. During a normal week of training, session-RPE and HR data were recorded in 96 individual sessions. HR data were analysed using Edwards-TL method. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the convergent validity between the session-RPE and Edwards-TL methods for assessing ITL in a variety of training modes (contemporary, ballet, and rehearsal). The overall correlation between individual session-RPE and Edwards-TL was r=0.72, p<0.0001, suggesting there was a statistically significantly strong positive relationship between session-RPE and Edwards-TL. This trend was observed across all the training modes: rehearsal sessions (r=0.74, p=0.001), contemporary (r=0.60, p=0.001), and ballet (r=0.46, p=0.018) sessions. This study shows that session-RPE can be considered as a valid method to assess ITL for vocational dance students, and that notably there is some variation between session-RPE and HR-based TL in different dance activities.

A Body of Accents

Abstract Dance practice is often hidden inside dance studios, where it is not available for dialogue or interdisciplinary critique. In this paper, I will look closer at one of the accents that my body has held since the year 2000. To Swedish dance academies, it is perhaps the most foreign accent I have in my dance practice. It has not been implemented as ‘professional dance’ in Western dance studios. This foreign accent is called Nihon Buyō, Japanese dance, also known as Kabuki dance. Nihon Buyō, Nō or Kabuki are local performing arts practices for professional performers in Japan. A few foreigners are familiar with these practices thanks to cultural exchange programmes, such as the yearly Traditional Theatre Training at Kyoto Art Centre. There is no religious spell cast over the technique or a contract written that it must be kept secret or that it must not leave the Japanese studio or the Japanese stage. I will compare how dance is being transmitted in the studio in Kyoto with my own vocational dance education of many years ago. Are there similarities to how the female dancer’s body is constructed? Might there be unmarked cultural roots and invisible originators of the movements we are doing today in contemporary dance?

Bone mass of female dance students prior to professional dance training: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundProfessional dancers are at risk of developing low bone mineral density (BMD). However, whether low BMD phenotypes already exist in pre-vocational dance students is relatively unknown.AimTo cross-sectionally assess bone mass parameters in female dance students selected for professional dance training (first year vocational dance students) in relation to aged- and sex-matched controls.Methods34 female selected for professional dance training (10.9yrs ±0.7) and 30 controls (11.1yrs ±0.5) were examined. Anthropometry, pubertal development (Tanner) and dietary data (3-day food diary) were recorded. BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) at forearm, femur neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) were assessed using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry. Volumetric densities were estimated by calculating bone mineral apparent density (BMAD).ResultsDancers were mainly at Tanner pubertal stage I (vs. stage IV in controls, p<0.001), and demonstrated significantly lower body weight (p<0.001) and height (p<0.01) than controls. Calorie intake was not different between groups, but calcium intake was significantly greater in dancers (p<0.05). Dancers revealed a significantly lower BMC and BMD values at all anatomical sites (p<0.001), and significantly lower BMAD values at the LS and FN (p<0.001). When adjusted for covariates (body weight, height, pubertal development and calcium intake), dance students continued to display a significantly lower BMD and BMAD at the FN (p<0.05; p<0.001) at the forearm (p<0.01).ConclusionBefore undergoing professional dance training, first year vocational dance students demonstrated inferior bone mass compared to controls. Longitudinal models are required to assess how bone health-status changes with time throughout professional training.

A Perspective on Teaching Contemporary Ballet

Abstract Research on contemporary ballet teaching in Finland has focused on the pedagogic perspective, but work on the teaching content is scarce. In this article, I describe my pursuit to outline core elements of contemporary ballet through two pilot workshops. I present four elements that seemed meaningful in my teaching (improvisation, interpretation, partnering and off-balance) and their nexus with classical ballet. In addition, I share my experiences of teaching contemporary ballet using these core elements to vocational dance students at North Karelia College Outokumpu. Here, I address contemporary ballet as a part of the evolution of ballet, not as a combination of contemporary dance and classical ballet. The overall aim is to develop a method of teaching that equips dancers with the skills they need when performing and co-creating contemporary ballet.

Daily fluctuations in the affective states of dancers: A cross-situational test of basic needs theory

ObjectivesThis study tested the generalizability of basic needs theory (BNT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) across situations in which dancers learn and perform within vocational dance. Specifically, we examined the inter-relationships between daily and typical perceptions of autonomy support, basic psychological need satisfaction, and changes in affective states, across dance situations that were divergent in their learning and evaluative potential (dance classes, rehearsals, and performances). Genre differences were also examined. DesignA one-month diary study examined the inter-relationships between typical and daily perceptions of autonomy support, basic psychological need satisfaction and positive and negative affect among dancers studying three distinct genres and in three situations (classes, rehearsals, performances). MethodFifty-five dancers completed a series of scales tapping the variables of interest. Abbreviated versions of the scales were completed before (affective states) and after (affective states, basic needs and autonomy support) dance classes, rehearsals and performances over four weeks. Analyzes tested the BNT sequence across the learning and performance situations. Interactions between typical and state experiences were tested. Cross-genre comparisons were also made. ResultsResults partially supported the BNT sequence across classes, rehearsals and performances. There were situational differences in the salience of each need as a predictor of affective states. When comparing genres, some differences were also found in perceived autonomy support, basic need satisfaction and affective states. ConclusionsFindings point to the importance of promoting autonomy supportive dance teaching to facilitate dancers' day-to-day experiences of well-being.

Profiles of perfectionism, body-related concerns, and indicators of psychological health in vocational dance students: An investigation of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism

ObjectivesThe study examined 1) profiles of multidimensional perfectionism; and 2) inter-relationships between these profiles and indices of body-related concerns and psychological health in the case of vocational dance students. DesignA cross-sectional design was employed. MethodsOne hundred and ninety-four vocational dance students (females = 169, males = 25; M age = 16.73, SD = 1.45) completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Frost-MPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990), the Brief Measure of Positive and Negative Affect (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988), the Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) Scale (Martin, Rejeski, Leary, McAuley, & Bane, 1997), an assessment of physical symptoms (Emmons, 1992), and the emotional and physical exhaustion subscale from the Athlete Burnout Measure (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). ResultsUsing a two-stage cluster analysis procedure, the dancers were grouped according to their scores on three Frost-MPS subscales (personal standards, concern over mistakes, and doubts about action). Four different profiles emerged: (1) dancers with pure personal standards perfectionism; (2) dancers with non perfectionism; (3) dancers with pure evaluative concerns perfectionism; and (4) dancers with a mixed profile of perfectionism. The results suggested that these different profiles of perfectionism distinguished according to body-related concerns and indicators of psychological health. ConclusionsIn support of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010), dancers with adaptive achievement tendencies demonstrated greater psychological adjustment compared to other three subtypes, whereas dancers with relatively greater concerns over mistakes and high doubts about actions, regardless of their personal standards, reported greater psychological distress.

Footwear in Classical Ballet

This study explores the relationship be-tween dance shoe type and foot pressure characteristics. During adolescence, while the foot is still developing, limiting focal pressure on the feet may help reduce the risk of injury. In order to “condition” the feet for advanced dance, where pointe shoes are worn, it may be advisable to first utilize demi-pointe shoes. Eight female dancers were each tested in four footwear conditions (barefoot, soft, demi-pointe, and pointe shoes), and patterns of foot pressure were compared. A questionnaire was also distributed among sixty-five adolescent females currently training at vocational dance schools to examine shoe use and injury rate before and after the onset of pointe work. During ballet-specific dynamic movement, soft shoes and pointe shoes significantly vary in the plantar pressures they impose on the foot. Demi-pointe shoes provide an intermediate pressure condition, which may help the dancer adapt more gradually to the pressure demands of pointe shoes. Dancers who wore demi-pointe shoes prior to starting pointe were found to be less likely to sustain a ballet-related injury or a lower leg, ankle, or foot injury (22% compared to 30% in those who had not worn demi-pointe shoes). The dancers in this group were also older when they first reported an injury.