About this Research Topic
The high physiological and psychological demands of dancing means that (pre-) professional dancers are prone to health-related problems, such as injuries and mental health problems. Health problems can have tremendous effects leading to discomfort, medical treatment and inhibition of artistic development due to absences from dance activities.
Especially for injuries, the inability to participate in classes can negatively impact academic success and professional development. Furthermore, mental health is a necessary basis in order to optimize performance and development. It involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in productive activities, healthy relationships, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity, whereas mental health problems result in difficulties with these aspects. Mental health problems can be severely disadvantageous for (pre-) professional dancers and result in fatigue, performance decrements, and feelings of lower achievement.
For a successful, sustainable study period and career, prevention of health problems and optimizing health and well-being is essential to maximize performance. This collection aims to shed light on identifying the magnitude of physical and mental health problems, establishing aetiology and mechanisms of health problems and assessing the effectiveness of preventive measures, as well as the implementation of them in different dance contexts.
Topics of primary interest include, but are not limited to:
• Examine mental risk factors for injuries and performance;
• investigate appropriate forms of social support for dancers before, during, and after injury;
• Examine the effect of education as to the mental aspects of dance and dance injuries (e.g., pain appraisal, body awareness, the influence of their thoughts and emotions on their behaviours);
• Effects of varying stress levels on injury risk and performance;
• Examine relationships among mental and physical health, sleep, workload and exposure;
• Effects of COVID on health and well-being.
We welcome a wide variety of articles within this Research Topic, for example, systematic and narrative reviews, case reports, brief research reports, empirical studies with quantitative or qualitative research approaches, and articles which focus on theoretical discussions and assessment approaches related to health and wellbeing promotion. Empirical studies with longitudinal designs and interventions studies are especially welcomed, as well as studies targeting topics related to assessment of health and wellbeing in (pre-) professional dance settings.
Especially for injuries, the inability to participate in classes can negatively impact academic success and professional development. Furthermore, mental health is a necessary basis in order to optimize performance and development. It involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in productive activities, healthy relationships, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity, whereas mental health problems result in difficulties with these aspects. Mental health problems can be severely disadvantageous for (pre-) professional dancers and result in fatigue, performance decrements, and feelings of lower achievement.
For a successful, sustainable study period and career, prevention of health problems and optimizing health and well-being is essential to maximize performance. This collection aims to shed light on identifying the magnitude of physical and mental health problems, establishing aetiology and mechanisms of health problems and assessing the effectiveness of preventive measures, as well as the implementation of them in different dance contexts.
Topics of primary interest include, but are not limited to:
• Examine mental risk factors for injuries and performance;
• investigate appropriate forms of social support for dancers before, during, and after injury;
• Examine the effect of education as to the mental aspects of dance and dance injuries (e.g., pain appraisal, body awareness, the influence of their thoughts and emotions on their behaviours);
• Effects of varying stress levels on injury risk and performance;
• Examine relationships among mental and physical health, sleep, workload and exposure;
• Effects of COVID on health and well-being.
We welcome a wide variety of articles within this Research Topic, for example, systematic and narrative reviews, case reports, brief research reports, empirical studies with quantitative or qualitative research approaches, and articles which focus on theoretical discussions and assessment approaches related to health and wellbeing promotion. Empirical studies with longitudinal designs and interventions studies are especially welcomed, as well as studies targeting topics related to assessment of health and wellbeing in (pre-) professional dance settings.
Keywords: Dance, Ballet, Mental health, Injuries, Wellbeing, Performance Enhancement
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
