Debilitative Personal qualities
The scoping review identified three main personal qualities that appeared to nurture stressors that jeopardize or imbalance mental processes: perfectionism, obsessiveness and ego-orientation.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is usually considered to be a personality trait or disposition that influences domains of personal significance (Nordin-Bates et al., 2014). Further, it can be broadly defined as a combination of perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns (Nordin-Bates et al., 2014).
Perfectionistic striving
Perfectionistic striving captures aspects of perfectionism that reflect the pursuit of perfection and setting exceedingly high standards (Nordin-Bates et al., 2014)
Perfectionistic concerns
Perfectionistic concerns entail aspects of perfectionism reflecting concerns over performance, evaluative fears about others, and negative reactions to imperfection (Nordin-Bates et al., 2014)
Overall, perfectionism is related to fear of failure, self-critique, overly evaluative processes, and linking self-worth to achievements (Stornæs et al., 2019). Maladaptive perfectionism can entail a large perceived discrepancy between performance and personal standards, that individuals doubt themselves and avoid negative consequences (Van Staden et al., 2009). This might result in conditional self-worth, risk of over-training or the use of avoidance strategies and that perfectionistic tendencies might color the perception of and the way dancers cope with the dance environment.
Obsessiveness
Obsessiveness describes the way dancers exhibit compulsive striving, which can be described as a perceived need for progress and internalized pressures for achievement at the expense of their social and emotional needs and development (van Staden et al., 2009). These strivings appear to be nurtured by the dance cultural ideals, pre-determined identities and expected behaviors, such as dedication and mental toughness, and for male dancers, they may also include debunking stereotypes and enduring homophobia, heterosexism bias, and harassment. Hence, compulsive striving often entails forms of self-objectification that can lead to lack of self-awareness, self-alienation, and to dancers isolating themselves from their social life (van Staden et al., 2009). Similarly, evidence showed that these ideals and ingrained values can lead to obsessive passion, which is described as a rigid persistence to participate in dance, often resulting in dancing taking up disproportionate importance in an individual’s identity and leaving little space for other interests, decreasing their overall life quality.
Ego-orientation
Ego orientation is a form of external motivation that depicts a tendency to focus on outperforming others and demonstrating superior ability (Carr and Wyon, 2003). To ego-oriented individuals, high effort implies low ability whereas low effort indicates high ability. This view is negatively affecting their efforts and learning opportunities. It is also linked to avoidance strategies concealing lack of competence and fear of failure. Additionally, a strong sense of competitiveness and comparison seems to enhance ego-orientation while environmental factors, such as teaching style, motivational climate and cultural ideals, are potential contributing factors.
Unrelenting environment
The majority of studies included in the scoping review describe the dance environment as unrelenting. This is a climate that has tacit or explicit expectations to conform to ideals, exerts pressure to perform and to fit the mould dictated by the dance world. Gatekeepers, such as teachers, choreographers, and artistic directors, have often been successful performers themselves and, thus, wield a lot of power and authority in this climate and dance culture in general.
Teachers in an unrelenting environment often adopt an authoritarian teaching style and tend to compare their students and thus enhance peer-competition. Consequently, revealing incompetence or disloyalty, or disappointing these stakeholders represents a risk to hamper dancers’ social position, career opportunities, or their chances for further development. Overall, an unrelenting environment was characterized by little care for dancers’ mental health, unhealthy competition, and the tacit or explicit expectation to conform to ideals and expectations were the most important features.
Debilitative personal qualities
Perfectionism
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Obsessiveness
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Heiland, T. L., Murray, D. S., and Edley, P. P. (2008). Body image of dancers in Los Angeles: the cult of slenderness and media influence among dance students. Res. Dance Educ. 9, 257–275. doi: 10.1080/14647890802386932
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Pickard, A. (2013). Ballet body belief: Perceptions of an ideal ballet body from young ballet dancers. Research in Dance Education, 14(1), 3-19.
Polasek, K. M., and Roper, E. A. (2011). Negotiating the gay male stereotype in ballet and modern dance. Res. Dance Educ. 12, 173–193. doi: 10.1080/14647893.2011.603047
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Ego-orientation
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Carr, S., & Wyon, M. (2003). The impact of motivational climate on dance students’ achievement goals, trait anxiety, and perfectionism. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 7(4), 105-114.
Hancox, J. E., Quested, E., Ntoumanis, N., and Duda, J. L. (2017). Teacher-created social environment, basic psychological needs, and dancers’ affective states during class: a diary study. Personal. Individ. Differ. 115, 137–143. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.033
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Haraldsen, H. M., Abrahamsen, F. E., Solstad, B. E., and Halvari, H. (2021). Narrative tensions in constrained junior elite performers’ experiences of becoming elite performers. Front. Psychol. 12:1767.
van Staden, A., Myburgh, C. P., & Poggen- poel, M. (2009). A psycho-educational model to enhance the self-development and mental health of classical dancers. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 13(1), 20-28
Unrelenting environment
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Backlund, H., & Wallén, F. (2016). Pre- professionella balettdansares upplevelser och erfarenheter av dansrelaterade skador.
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Bennett, D. (2009). Careers in dance: Be- yond performance to the real world of work. Journal of Dance Education, 9(1), 27-34.
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Bottamini, G. L. (2000). Ballet teachers: A source of perceived weight loss pressure in female ballet students. University of Ot- tawa (Canada).
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Gittens, C. Y. (2012). A comparative study: Perfectionism in elite ballet dancers and artistic gymnasts (Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham).
Green, J. 1999. Somatic authority and the myth of the ideal body in dance education. Dance Research Journal, 31(2): 80–100.
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