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Dance Psychology: An Introduction

September 12, 2016 by 4dancers

Dance Psychology

Aloha – Happy back to school / class / rehearsal month!

This month I’m so pleased to bring you a new guest contributor, Dr. Lynda Mainwaring, with an introductory post about the field of dance psychology. This is a topic I’ve wanted to introduce for a long time, and I’m so pleased to have Lynda offer to do it for us–she is on the faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto (Canada), and a registered Psychologist. She has been a longtime colleague of mine in IADMS, and I have enjoyed her many presentations on dance psychology over the years. I’m so glad to now be able to bring this important topic to 4dancers.org.

Pass it on!
Aloha,
Jan Dunn, MS


by Lynda Mainwaring, Ph.D., C. Psych.

Alexandra and Micah were skilled soloists who trained at prestigious schools. Their technique was flawless, and their artistry mesmerizing. They were loved around the world, yet, both suffered from intense anxiety that created muscle tension, stomach upset, elevated heart rate and a barrage of doubts about their performance. At times they were paralyzed with the fear of not living up to their usual perfect performance. Before major events they would psych themselves into a state that made them feel ill.

This is performance anxiety.

stress-391657_640 Feeling a heightened sense of arousal and anxiety before a performance is common. A certain level of energy sparks a good performance. However, on occasion our thoughts and feelings can be out of control, and they can negatively impact performance. They can create a situation in which we think we are not good enough, or we fear that we may not be the right body shape. Before stepping on stage we may worry that we will miss the jump in the opening sequence.

What do you think about when you dance? What do you think about just before or after dancing? Do you experience performance jitters? Do you worry about what you look like, what others look like, or what others think about your dancing? These are the kinds of questions that often arise in performance. Knowing how to handle intrusive and sometimes negative thoughts, or how to manage performance anxiety, are some of the topics addressed by dance, sport and performance psychology. Today’s blog is about dance psychology in general. The next will be about managing your performance jitters.

What is Dance Psychology?

Dance psychology is a field that entertains the following questions, among others:

  • how the mind can facilitate performance?
  • how can performance anxiety can be managed?
  • how do you recover from injury?
  • how do you cope with the stressors of working in highly demanding situations?

It is an area of study and practice that uses research, theory and practitioner’s wisdom to address psychological issues related to dance and dancers. The field of dance psychology has evolved from sport psychology, which is some 50 years old. Dance psychology is about using the mind to enhance dance, improve well-being, and offset negative aspects of life in the unique and challenging world of dance. It is about using psychology and the mind to help us be the best that we can be.

Using The Mind In Dance

Often we overlook the importance of the mind despite knowing that the mind and body are intimately tied. The interaction between the two can have profound effects on our performance, health, motivation, and sense of who we are. Dance psychology can provide us with insights, skills, strategies and techniques to enhance dancing, create stronger selves and to improve our ability to navigate through the creative, challenging, and complex culture of dance. board-752051_640 There are numerous benefits of including psychological skills into the artistry, and athleticism of dancing. Here are some of the benefits of training your mind as well as your body:

  • Improved management of performance jitters.
  • Improved coping with the stressors in daily living.
  • Increased confidence.
  • Improved attention and focus.
  • Identification of short and long-term goals to improve performance.
  • Emotional regulation to move through performance highs and lows with greater ease, and reduced anxiety.
  • Performance enhancement.
  • Enhanced well-being and the ability to feel in control of your career and your life.
  • Better energy management to help you with your resources.
  • Enhanced injury management and coping.

Stay tuned: next time, I will provide some pointers on how to overcome and manage pre-performance nerves. Until then, dance with the joy and contentment of knowing that you are extraordinary.


Lynda Mainwaring
Lynda Mainwaring, Ph.D.

BIO: Lynda Mainwaring is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, and a Registered Psychologist in Ontario. Her background in human kinetics, performance and rehabilitation psychology focuses her research and professional practice on emotional sequelae of mild traumatic brain injury in sport, psychological impact of injuries in sport, dance and work; perfectionism, and performance enhancement. She is a member of the Research Committee for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, and is co-founder of the Canadian Centre of Performance Psychology. Dr. Mainwaring has presented and published over 200 works to international audiences.       Save

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Filed Under: Dance Wellness Tagged With: Canadian Centre of Performance Psychology, dance psychology, International Association for Dance Medicing and Science, Lynda Mainwaring, performance anxiety, performance jitters, performance psychology, sports psychology

The Specter Of Stage Fright…

October 30, 2015 by Rachel Hellwig

"Dança" by Luci Correia. Licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic. [Changes to photo: filter added]
“Dança” by Luci Correia. Licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic. Changes to photo: filter added
by Rachel Hellwig

Stage fright can feel like the ultimate self-betrayal. After all, dancing is what you love most, you’ve put in hours and hours of rehearsals, you’ve carefully warmed up, you’ve reviewed the steps in your head, the big moment has come… And now, you’re caving to fear. However, rest assured—

Your fear is not irrational. Don’t beat yourself up over it.

As Aaron Williamon, professor of performance science at the Royal College of Music, has explained:

“It’s not a natural thing to do, going out and dealing with such high levels of stress in public. And it’s nothing to do with age or inexperience. No matter how highly skilled a person is, the body’s preprogrammed stress responses mean they can enter a different physical state and sometimes even a different psychological state.”

For me, as a regular performer (albeit in the “passionate amateur” category) stage fright is inversely proportional to the size of the performing venue. In a larger theater, where in the audience is mostly consumed in darkness, I experience minimal nervousness. In a smaller theater, where I can see the people sitting in the front rows, nervousness is more of an issue. In a studio performance, where I can see the faces of everyone watching…well, let’s just I say this is where I need the most improvement…

My experience with a frustrating bout of stage fright during a studio performance this past summer inspired me to research the topic more. Beyond the common suggestions of calming techniques and “be prepared”, here are some interesting thoughts and reminders I came across:

The Audience Is Not Hoping to See You Fail

“The audience is not there to see [you] fail. Think about it. Every time you go to a performance or a play or a musical, do you sit in the audience and think, “I hope they fall…I hope she messes up…oh, I really want to see them do badly…”? You don’t!” – Kathryn Morgan, Performance Anxiety & Stage Fright

So true and yet so easy to overlook. Also, when you do see a performer make a mistake in a show, are you filled with delight or scorn? No. You probably feel empathy and as well admiration for their courage to keep going.

The Audience Probably Isn’t There to See You At All

“Remind yourself that they’re not here to see or hear you, unless you’re a very famous person, or your mother’s in the audience.”- Blocked by Performance Anxiety?

This is especially true in school dance shows, recitals, and semi-professional productions. (It’s probably even true in many professional productions) Be honest. In most performances, most people are just there to watch their family members and/or friends perform. So, “dance like no one is watching” because there’s probably quite a bit of truth in that!

It Could Be Helpful to Imagine Worst Case Scenarios

“Try to think of the worst case scenario, and then give yourself advice what to do if it happens: I could forget my steps (OK, I’ll improvise). I could fall off or on the stage (well, in case something like that really does happen, I should only worry about not injuring my legs, not my pride, and after all, it will make a great anecdote some day!). I could fall out of rhythm and completely mess up the whole dance (I’ll catch up with it after just a few seconds, I know I will), etc.”- 3 Tricks To Help Irish Dancers Overcome Stage Fright

This takes “be prepared” to another level. But, if it makes you feel more comfortable to consider different backup plans like this, then why not? If nothing else, the idea that a major error will “make a great anecdote someday” is a good frame of mind to keep things in perspective and take the pressure off yourself. (See Kathryn Morgan’s Performance Mishaps & Funny Moments video for a good laugh.)

You Might Not Be Able to Completely Free Yourself From Stage Fright…

“I am onstage more than fifty years. Sometimes I do shows every night for weeks. Still, it never doesn’t come. Starts four hours before. I don’t even try to fight it anymore. I know it will always be there.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov, I Can’t Go On!

Yes, it’s a rather horrifying thought. But, when all else fails, you might just have to accept that stage fright is an obstacle you will regularly have to ride out. But dancers are used to dealing with obstacles, and, at the end of day, it will be well worth the ride. Remember, you’re in good company if Baryshnikov knows exactly what you’re going through!

"IMG_9361.JPG" by  Gabriel Saldana. Licensed under CC Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.
“IMG_9361.JPG” by
Gabriel Saldana. Licensed under CC Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic. Changes to  photo: filter added

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Baryshnikov, dance performance, Kathryn Morgan, performance anxiety, stage fright

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