Mindfulness, recovery-stress balance, and well-being among university dance students

ABSTRACT

Dance students face many physical and psychological stressors in their training and daily lives, therefore methods for coping with stress are essential for performance enhancement and general wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between mindfulness, stress, recovery, and wellbeing among university level vocational dance students. Seventy-two dance students at two Australian universities completed online self-report measures of mindfulness, recovery-stress states, and affect. Correlation coefficients indicated a significant positive relationship between mindfulness and positive affect, and significant negative relationships between mindfulness and stress, and mindfulness and negative affect. MANOVA revealed differences between high mindfulness and low mindfulness groups on general stress, negative affect, and dance-specific recovery. The findings suggested that low mindfulness may be a risk factor for stress in general, and improvements in mindfulness may provide a protective buffer for students coping with a vast array of general and dance-specific demands.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance training
• overtraining
• performance enhancement
• underrecovery

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship. We acknowledge and thank all of the participants who contributed to this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peta Blevins

Dr Peta Blevins is a researcher, consultant, and performing arts educator, specialising in psychological skills for performance and safe dance practice. Her PhD research, supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship, investigated overtraining and psychological recovery in dance training and culminated in the development, delivery, and evaluation of a mindfulness and acceptance training program for dance students. Dr Blevins currently serves on the National Executive Committee of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare and is a research coordinator and sessional academic at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Gene Moyle

Professor Gene Moyle is a graduate from the Australian Ballet School and QUT Dance, retraining as a sport and exercise psychologist following a brief career as a professional dancer. Gene has focused upon both the application and research of performance psychology and performance enhancement, particularly within the performing arts and has significant experience in working with and leading multidisciplinary teams within high performance settings (i.e., Olympic programs). She possesses specific expertise in the area of career development and transition in both elite sport and the performing arts, and contributes regularly to the literature on the ethical considerations of sport, exercise and performance psychology practice. 

Shona Erskine

Dr Shona Erskine is a registered psychologist in private practice with an expertise in delivering psychology for performing artists through professional companies, universities, and in private practice. Dr Erskine has developed curriculum in areas of mental wellbeing and creativity with an interest in disseminating best practice models to performing artist, teachers, and directors. 

Luke Hopper

Dr Luke Hopper is a Vice Chancellor's Researcher Fellow at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Dr Hopper has published over 20 papers in the field of performing arts health in collaboration with major ballet companies and industry partners. In the interests of disseminating of health evidence which prevents injury and illness in performing artists, Dr Hopper has served on the Board of Directors (2014-2016) of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science and as President of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare.