Spiritual experiences of post-performance career ballet dancers: a qualitative study of how peak performance spiritual lived experiences continued into and influenced later teaching lives

ABSTRACT

This study focusses on how peak performance lived experiences (identified as spiritual) during a dance career continued into and influenced the later teaching lives of former ballet dancers. The study is located in academic discussion of Western mystical and spiritual experiences. Five professional ballet teachers, who were formerly professional ballet dancers, were interviewed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis qualitative research approach. The three major themes identified indicated that the dance career peak performance spiritual lived experiences: continued into later professional teaching life; influenced teaching techniques; and changed world life points of view. These findings confirm previous research and provide significant in-depth insights of the focus area under review. A table with a summary of the findings is included.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance
• dance instruction
• spiritual
• lived experiences
• peak performance
• ballet

Acknowledgment

Particular thanks to Associate Professor Richard Hutch, Studies in Religion, The University of Queensland, who provided invaluable advice and comment on the final draft of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lynda Flower

Lynda Flower is a Master of Arts (Studies in Religion) graduate and an Honorary Research Fellow (2016-2017), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Her research areas of interest are psychology of religion and spiritual lived experiences, particularly those related to peak performance.