Crystallising experiences among young elite dancers

Abstract

Crystallising experiences are defined as memorable reactions an individual has to some quality or feature of an activity or domain that yields a long-term change in the individual performance and their view of themselves (Walters & Gardner, 1986; Freeman, 1999). This paper explores the nature and consequences of crystallising experiences from interviews with 63 male and female ballet dancers, between the ages of 9 and 15, early in the process of their career development. The research was undertaken in two elite ballet schools, one in the North and one in the South of England, where the young ballet dancers participate in a non-residential ballet education and training programme during evenings and weekends. We suggest that such significant experiences and memorable moments are common occurrences among young dancers and that their affective responses to the experiences are significant and sometimes dramatic. Crystallising experiences tend to signal greater commitment, motivation, self-awareness and identity as a dancer. Consequently, crystallising experiences can have an important and powerful impact on dancers’ identification with a particular domain and their development within it.

Keywords:

• Crystallising experiences
• Dance
• Ballet
• Self-esteem
• Self-concept

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of Ian Wellard and Vanessa Vanessa Wennerstrom. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for very constructive comments on an earlier draft of this article. Finally, we are grateful to the two elite dance schools reported in this study, their teachers, parents and, most of all, dancers.