"Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical..." - Brené Brown
Adolescent dancers experience a growth spurt between the ages of 11 and 14 that can last from 1-2 years. As was discussed in the post Dancing Through the AdolescentGrowth Spurt, major physical changes affect how the body moves and can make dancing difficult. The body seems foreign to the dancer, and movements that were once performed easily may now seem impossible. It is also important for dancers, dance parents, and dance educators to understand and acknowledge the psychology of the adolescent dancer.
Studies on
dancers indicate that they tend to be perfectionists. Perfectionists are
individuals who are overly critical of themselves, strive to achieve because
they have an intense fear of failure, and look at most opportunities as risks
for failure rather than chances for success.
Perfectionism
can be divided into three different categories:
self-oriented – An individual who wants
to be perfect,
sets unrealistic/unattainable goals, focuses on flaws, is his/her worst
critic, and believes he/she is only as good as his/her performance.
sets unrealistic/unattainable goals, focuses on flaws, is his/her worst
critic, and believes he/she is only as good as his/her performance.
other-oriented – An individual who
judges others harshly, sets
unrealistic expectations for family, friends or peers, and has trouble
trusting others to follow-through with plans.
unrealistic expectations for family, friends or peers, and has trouble
trusting others to follow-through with plans.
socially-prescribed
– An individual who becomes obsessed with
trying to live up to others' standards or expectations.
trying to live up to others' standards or expectations.
A 2014 study found that university age dancers showed significantly higher levels of self-oriented perfectionism than their peers. This tendency to be overly critical of themselves led them to feel negatively about themselves in general, made them feel they could not live up to the expectations of others, and resulted in high levels of socially prescribed perfectionism.
If dancers
are normally hard on themselves and display perfectionist tendencies, it seems
logical that these feelings would be amplified during adolescence.
As dancers
experience changes in body mass and shape which
lead to decreased flexibility and difficulties with coordination and balance,
they begin to feel defeated. It is not uncommon for adolescent dancers to
feel that they should quit studying dance because they cannot perform as well
as they once did. Although the physical effects are temporary, the adolescent
will still struggle with a decrease in self-confidence.
It is
important for dance educators and parents to provide emotional stability and
support during this time. While corrections should still be given, the educator
should acknowledge that there are some areas, like flexibility and
coordination, over which the adolescent dancer may have little or no control.
Letting the
dancer know that people understand what is happening validates everything the dancer is experiencing and can help relieve some of the
psychological pressure. Encouraging adolescent dancers to be patient with
themselves will help them realize that once the growth spurt is over, they will
soon feel in control of their bodies once again and will no longer feel
frustrated with their dancing.
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Eusanio, J., Thomson, P., & Jaque, S.V. (2014) Perfectionism, Shame and Self-Concept in Dancers as a Mediation Analysis. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 18:3.
Krasnow, D., Mainwaring, L., & Kerr, G. (1999) Injury, Stress & Perfectionism in Young Dancers and Gymnasts. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 3:2.
Eusanio, J., Thomson, P., & Jaque, S.V. (2014) Perfectionism, Shame and Self-Concept in Dancers as a Mediation Analysis. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 18:3.
Krasnow, D., Mainwaring, L., & Kerr, G. (1999) Injury, Stress & Perfectionism in Young Dancers and Gymnasts. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 3:2.
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