Description
Objectives: Emotions experienced by dance students in vocational training can have debilitating effects on multiple outcomes including performance, drop-out considerations, career aspirations, and mental health (Pekrun et al., 2023). These potential effects can be mitigated if dance students are able to use healthy emotion regulation strategies to modify their emotion experiences (Robazza & Ruiz, 2018). However, the specific emotions experienced and regulation efforts by dance students on these emotions is unclear. The purpose of this study was to understand the emotions experienced by vocational dance students and the strategies they use to regulate these emotions.Methods: Using interpretive description (Thorne, 2008), semi- structured interviews including 11 primary interviews and 10 member reflection interviews were conducted. Participants included 11 dance students (aged 17-22 years) enrolled on 3-year UK vocational training courses. The interview guide asked participants questions about the types of emotions they experienced, and how they attempted to manage these emotions. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2018).
Findings and Discussion: Dance students experienced intense emotions, but struggled to label what these were. To regulate emotions, dance students avoided acknowledging and expressing emotions, isolated or distracted themselves, and reflected on memories. Findings provide implications for practitioners to work with dancers to increase emotional awareness and encourage the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as acceptance and cognitive reappraisal.
Conclusion: Dance students experience a range of emotions but lack emotional awareness and would benefit from learning how to best regulate emotions from applied practitioners.
| Period | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | International Conference on Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Bath, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |