IADMS New York 2002   [back to the Category]

Reconsidering the Training Needs of Dancers: Addressing Some of the Psychological Elements of Dance   [read the french version]

Author :   Elena Estanol, MFA

Reconsidering the Training Needs of Dancers:
Addressing Some of the Psychological Elements of Dance

Elena Estanol, MFA
University of Utah, Academy of Ballet Arts
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA


In a world where the demands on performance seem to reach higher and higher, it is no surprise that dance as a microcosm of the world, has also continued to raise its standards for excellence in performance. However the demand for faster, stronger and more versatile dancers has not come without a price (Buckroyd, 2000; Lee, 1995; Schnitt and Schnitt, 1988). Surely the incidence of injury (Michelli, 1987; Ryan and Stephens, 1987), alcohol, smoking and substance abuse (Horosko and Kuppersmith, 1987), and eating disorders (Buckroyd, 2000; Hamilton, 1991; Vincent, 1989) are proof of the consequences experienced by many dancers.


Several dance researchers have identified the need to consider and ultimately employ advances in the field of performance psychology to dance (Buckroyd, 2000; Hamilton, 1998; Lee, 1995; Taylor and Taylor, 1995). The substantial increase in literature in the sport psychology domain has clearly indicated that psychological preparation and mental skills are paramount in the development of successful performers (Garfield, 1984; Greenspan and Feltz, 1989; Mahoney and Avener, 1977).

Drawing from principles and research in sport psychology, this workshop, seeks to illustrate how the field of sport psychology and specialized consultants may aid our process of training and developing healthier dancers. Teachers might support those efforts through the conceptualization of training approaches that incorporate a psychological perspective. Training will be addressed from a humanistic approach, interested in developing healthy individuals who can dance.

Actual examples that are relevant to the audience will be provided, by allowing the audience to guide the approach by gathering actual scenarios. It will then be demonstrated how that specific ‘case study’ can be dealt with from a sport psychology consultant perspective, and how teachers can support and complement those efforts. Experiential exercises and tools to use with dancers will be provided.