CAT Research Project

Sanna Nordin, PhD

Imogen Walker, MSc

Dance talent in young people: A unique

approach to interdisciplinary research and

pedagogy in dance training

Relationships between injury,

perfectionism and anxiety

Imogen Walker, MSc PhD Candidate

Sanna Nordin, PhD Research Fellow

Emma Redding, PhD Principal Investigator &

Head of Dance Science

Sarah Irvine, MSc Dance Science Lecturer &

Researcher

Outline

• Introduction to dance science

• The CAT Talent Project

• Methods

• Findings

• Recommendations

• Questions

IADMS enhances the health, well-

being, training, and performance of

dancers by cultivating educational,

medical, and scientific excellence.

International Association of Dance Medicine

and Science Mission Statement, 2008

What is dance science?

What is dance science?

Examples of studies:

• Relationships between muscular strength and injury incidence

• Performance anxiety experiences of professional dancers

Biomechanics

Psychology

Physiology

Somatics Dance Science

Why research talent?• Recent research indicates that by taking a systematic,

scientific approach we might better understand

– What talent is

– How it is best developed

• Talent models & research common in sport and

some in music: e.g. increased

– Recognition of the role of psychological and social factors in

addition to traditionally emphasised physiological factors

– Emphasis on the role of specific forms of practice over innate

talent

Talent in dance

• Dance: talent is much talked about & sought after, but definitions of what & how important it is are– Varied

– Lacking in research / systematic evidence

– Traditional dance talent ID based on:

• Technical skill

• Physical characteristics (limb lengths, slenderness) & control

• Other dance-specific criteria: artistic/creative

– Sanders’ Gifted and Talented Dancers: A Resource Booklet for Teachers deals largely with 2 factors:

• Psycho-behavioural characteristics

• Dance-specific criteria: artistic/creative

Introduction & Background

Overall aims:• Profile & screen CAT

dancers over 3 years– What are they like?

– How do they develop?

• Interdisciplinary

for a holistic view:

Physiology

Adherence

CreativityInjury

Psychology

Aims

• Track CAT dancers twice per year for 3 years,

examining which factors in their

– Background, training

– Physicality

– Psychology

• Are related to

– Well-being (injury, health)

– Performance outcomes

– Adherence/dropout

… so that eventually, we may better understand

how to best develop talent in young dancers

Dancer characteristics

• Initial set of data collected November 2008 –February 2009

• 347 CAT students took part from 8 centres

– Average age: 14.4 ± 2.

– Average years in dance: 8.1 ± 3.8

– 75% female, 25% male

– Mixed ethnicities; 75% White British

– Average hours CAT training: 7.9 hrs per week

Current research study

• Is injury incidence related to perfectionism and

anxiety in young dancers?

• Relationships not been previously studied in

combination nor with such a large sample size

• Interdisciplinary inquiry valuable to shed light

on new relationships

Injury• High prevalence of injury in dance

• 80% of pre- and professional dancers in the UK suffer from at least one injury per year

(Brinson & Dick, 1996; Laws, 2005; Noh & Morris, 2004)

• Perceived causes of injury:

– Overtraining– Faulty technique– Repetition– Demanding choreography– Fatigue

(Laws, 2005)

• Adolescent dancers may be particularly vulnerable to injury

(Garrick, 1999)

Injury

• Previous research has shown relationships between injury and psychological variables:

– Perfectionism (Hamilton, 1998; Krasnow, Mainwaring & Kerr, 1999)

– Stress (Udry & Andersen, 2008; Williams & Andersen, 1988)

– Coping skills (Noh & Morris, 2004)

– Anxiety (Smith, Ptacek & Patterson, 2000)

• Injured dancers may feel under pressure to continue dancing when injured (Hamilton, 1998)

Perfectionism• Dancers are said to have perfectionist tendencies

(Cumming & Duda, 2005; Neumärker et al., 2000; Robson, 1991)

• Recent research suggests two types of perfectionism:

Conscientious Perfectionism

• Striving for excellence

• Planfulness

• High standards for others

• Organisation

Self-Evaluative Perfectionism

• Concern over mistakes

• Rumination

• Need for approval

• Perceived parental pressure

(Hill et al., 2004)

Anxiety

• Anxiety common in performing arts (e.g.

Hays, 2002)

• Dancers’ anxiety experiences far

from fully understood

• Anxiety may predispose dancers to injury (Smith, Ptacek & Patterson, 2000)

Measures

InjuryQuestionnaire asking:• Number of injuries in previous 12

months – retrospective self-report(based on Laws, 2005)

• Currently injured (yes/no)

AnxietySport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2: Smith,

Smoll, Cumming & Grossbard, 2006)

– Worry

– Somatic anxiety

– Concentration disruption

• During class

PerfectionismPerfectionism Inventory (Hill,

Huelsman, Furr, Kibler, Vicente &

Kennedy, 2004)

– Conscientious

– Self-Evaluative

Findings: averages

Injury

• Injured in past year:

55%

• Average no. of injuries in past 12 months:

1.1 ± 0.7

• Injured at time of testing: 23%

Perfectionism & Anxiety

• Average perfectionism scores:

– Highest scores reported for Conscientious perfectionism

• Anxiety scores:

– Highest scores reported for the Worry subscale

Perfectionism and injury

Analysis revealed a relationship between those injured in dance

in past 12 months and self-evaluative perfectionism (p<0.05)

10.4

10.6

10.8

11

11.2

11.4

11.6

11.8

12

12.2

12.4

Dance Non-dance physical

activity

Outside all physical

activity

Injury location

Per

fect

ion

ism

sco

res

Anxiety and injury

22

22.5

23

23.5

24

24.5

25

25.5

Injured Not injured

An

xie

ty s

co

re

Currently injured

dancers were

significantly more

anxious than

non-injured

dancers (p<0.05)

Findings: relationships

Anxiety & perfectionism

• Correlations found between anxiety and

perfectionism subscales– Strongest correlation between Worry and Self-

Evaluative Perfectionism (r=.66, p<0.05)

• Supports previous findings that perfectionism

can predict performance anxiety (Sharp & McLean,

1999)

Recommendations

• Dancers should be reminded that:– They should report

early warning signs

– Injuries should not be overlooked or ignored

– They need to look after their instrument

– Being injured need not affect their feelings about their dancing or ability

Recommendations• Certain psychological atmospheres in dance

classes (motivational climates) can reduce

anxiety and perfectionism (Carr & Wyon, 2003)

Dance classes should emphasise:

– Self-referenced learning

– Cooperation with other students

– Effort (rather than success)

– Mistakes as part of learning process

Recommendations

Classes could include

– Goal-setting (SMART)

– Coping skills (e.g.

positive self-talk)

– Building social support

networks (peers,

teachers)

– Information about

injuries

– Physical fitness work

Teachers can– Provide support and

exercises for injured students going through rehabilitation

– Be role models

Hardy et al., 1996; Hamilton, 2008; Hays, 2000; McArdle et al., 2006

Summary

• Anxiety and perfectionism are related to injury incidence in dancers

– Many other factors involved in injury occurrence

• Findings applicable to general dance pedagogy

– Encourage striving for excellence, not for perfection

Future research

Background Psychology Physiology InjuryPerformance-

related

Demographics Self-esteem Jump height Type Adherence / Dropout

Hours of dance &

other activitiesAnxiety Upper body strength Body area

Graduate

destinations

Dance experience Perfectionism Flexibility Location Reasons for leaving

Health & injury

backgroundEating attitudes Hypermobility Severity

Teachers’

perceptions of talent

Performance

experienceMotivational Climate

Anthropometry, incl.

growth

Interruption to

dancingCreativity

Attendance Passion Aerobic fitness Treatment

Turnout Perceived causes

CAT Research Project

Sanna Nordin, PhD

Imogen Walker, MSc

Thank you for your attention!

Questions?

Imogen Walker: I.Walker@trinitylaban.ac.uk

CAT Research Project

Sanna Nordin, PhD

Imogen Walker, MSc

References

• Andersen MB, Williams JM. A model of stress and athletic injury: prediction and prevention.

J Sport Ex Psychol. 1988;10:294-306.

• Brinson P, Dick F. Fit to Dance? The Report of the National Inquiry Into Dancers' Health and

Injury. London: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 1996.

• Carr S, Wyon M. Motivational climate and goal orientations, trait anxiety and perfectionism

in dance students. J Dance Med Sci. 2003;7 (4): 105-114.

• Cumming J, Duda J. Demanding perfection vs. striving for personal excellence. Dance UK

News. 2005; 59: 16-17.

• Hays KF. The enhancement of performance excellence among performing artists. J Appl

Sport Psychol. 2002;14: 299-312.

• Hays KF. Breaking out: Doing sports psychology with performing artists. In Andersen MB

(ed). Doing Sport Psychology. Leeds: Human Kinetics, 2000.

• Hill RW, Huelsman TJ, Furr RM, Kibler J, Vincente BB, Kennedy C. A new measure of

perfectionism: the Perfectionism Inventory. J Personality Assessment. 2004; 82(1): 80-91.

• Hamilton L (1998). Advice for Dancers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Krasnow D, Mainwaring L, Kerr G: Injury, stress, and perfectionism in young dancers and

gymnasts. J Dance Med Sci. 1999; 3(2): 51-58,.

• Laws H. Fit to Dance 2: Report of the second national inquiry into dancers’ health and injury

in the UK. London: Dance UK. 2005

• Garrick JG. Early identification of musculoskeletal complaints and injuries among female

ballet students. J Dance Med Sci. 1999; 3: 80-83.

CAT Research Project

Sanna Nordin, PhD

Imogen Walker, MSc

References

• McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL: Exercise Physiology (6th ed). Lippincott Williams &

Wilkins: 2006.

• Noh YE, Morris T. Designing research-based interventions for the prevention of injury in

dance. Med Probl Perform Art. 2004;19(2):82-90.

• Neumarker KJ, Bettle N, Neumarker U, & Bettle O: Age-and gender- related psychological

characteristics of adolescent ballet dancers. Pschopathology. 2000; 33: 137-142.

• Robson BE: In search of perfection. Med Probl Performing Artists. 1991; 6(1): 15-20.

• Sanders, L. Gifted and Talented Dancers: A Resource Booklet for Teachers. Commissioned

by the Dance Network.

• Sharp LJ, McLean N. Performance Anxiety: The Roles of Perfectionism, Anxiety Sensitivity,

and Cognitive Appraisal. Unpublished Masters Thesis, University of Western Australia. 1999.

• Smith RE, Ptacek JT, Patterson E. Moderator effects of cognitive and somatic trait anxiety

on the relation between life stress and physical injuries. Anxiety Stress Coping.

2000;13(3):269-288

• Smith RE, Smoll FL, Cumming SP, Grossbard JR. Measurement of multidimensional sport

performance anxiety in children and adults: the Sport Anxiety Scale-2. J Sport Ex Psychol.

2006; 28, 4.

• Udry E, Andersen MB. Athletic injury and sport behaviour. In Horn TS. Advances in Sport

Psychology (3rd edition). Human Kinetics, 2008.