Under The Spotlight
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
In my research, I investigate competitive dance and how it impacts dancers' mental health. Within the dance community, competitive dance has been a controversial topic regarding ethics and participants' mental safety. Being a competitive dancer and coach, I have felt and seen the mental toll competitive dance can take. I examine why this dance genre can be so taxing and what changes can be made to improve it. I will use interviews with present and past dancers, analysis of a competition dance, and existing research to investigate the mental effects of competition dance. This research will shine a light on the unhealthy habits woven into the competitive dance community. There is an intention with this research to break these threads to create a healthy and steady learning environment for competitive dancers.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Kate Mattingly
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
Kmatting@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Communication and theatre
College/School Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Event
Under The Spotlight
In my research, I investigate competitive dance and how it impacts dancers' mental health. Within the dance community, competitive dance has been a controversial topic regarding ethics and participants' mental safety. Being a competitive dancer and coach, I have felt and seen the mental toll competitive dance can take. I examine why this dance genre can be so taxing and what changes can be made to improve it. I will use interviews with present and past dancers, analysis of a competition dance, and existing research to investigate the mental effects of competition dance. This research will shine a light on the unhealthy habits woven into the competitive dance community. There is an intention with this research to break these threads to create a healthy and steady learning environment for competitive dancers.