The experience of well and ill-being among elite dancers: A test of basic needs theory

The social-environmental antecedents and motivational mechanisms associated with healthful sport participation have recently been considered within the Basic Needs mini-Theory (BNT), an integral component of the Self-Determination Theory framework (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000: Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–68). Research has supported a BNT-based theoretical model in which athletes’ perceptions of the motivational climate predict their degree of need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, relatedness), and, in turn, well-being (Reinboth & Duda, 2006: Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 7, 269– 286). Despite evidence suggesting elite dance participation is not always health conducive (Laws, 2005: Fit to dance 2, London: DanceUK), a paucity of research has systematically examined predictors of variability in dancers’ welfare. The tenets of SDT are hypothesised to be invariant across settings, yet SDT-driven research in dance contexts remains in its infancy. Grounded in BNT, this study examined a theoretical model of optimal functioning in dance.