Understanding Young Dancer Talent: The first findings from the Centres for Advanced Training CAT Research Project research project Sanna Nordin, PhD Imogen Walker, MSc Sanna M. Nordin , Research Fellow Imogen J. Walker , PhD Student Emma Redding , Principal Investigator
1: How can dance science inform us about dancer talent? 2: What are CAT 4: What does the dancers like? future hold? 3: What kind of team is required to apply these findings in practice?
1: How can • Recent research indicates that by dance science inform us about taking a systematic, scientific dancer talent? approach we might better understand – What talent is – How it is best developed • Talent models & research common in sport: e.g. increased – Recognition of the role of psychological and social factors in addition to traditionally emphasised physiological factors – Emphasis on the role of specific forms of deliberate practice over innate talent
1: How can • E.g. The model of potential talent dance science inform us about predictors in soccer (Williams & Franks, dancer talent? 1998; Williams & Reilly, 2000) includes: • Physical Predictors – e.g. Height, weight, body fat • Physiological Predictors – e.g. Aerobic capacity, anaerobic power • Psychological Predictors – E.g. Perceptual-cognitive skills, personality characteristics • Sociological Predictors – E.g. Parental support, coach-child interaction
1: How can In music, MacNamara & dance science inform us about colleagues (2008) took a similar dancer talent? scientific approach, finding that: “These [psychological characteristics] appear similar to those employed in other performance domains and support increasing empirical evidence of the development of psycho-behavioural characteristics as a core feature of talent development processes.” (MacNamara et al., 2008, p. 335)
1: How can • Dance: talent is much talked about dance science inform us about & sought after, but definitions of dancer talent? what & how important it is are – Varied – Lacking in research / systematic evidence – Traditional dance talent ID based on: • Technical skill • Physical characteristics (limb lengths, slenderness) & control • Other dance-specific criteria: artistic/creative – Sanders‟ Gifted and Talented Dancers: A Resource Booklet for Teachers deals largely with 2 factors: • Psycho-behavioural characteristics • Dance-specific criteria: artistic/creative
1: How can And... Is it innate, dance science inform us about or trainable? dancer talent? Some people seem to think that good dancers are born, but all the good dancers I have known are taught or trained. (Fred Astaire)
1: How can Altogether, it appears that: dance science inform us about • Using a systematic, scientific dancer talent? process has helped develop a better understanding of – talent ID – talent development in sport and music • Aim : further such an understanding in dance – Collaboration with CAT centres – Unprecedented participation - entire cohort of dancers labelled “talented” / “exceptional potential”
1: How can Overall procedure dance science inform us about • Profile & screen CAT dancers dancer talent? – What are they like? – How do they develop? • Longitudinal: – Visit CATs twice yearly – 2.5-year period • Interdisciplinary for a holistic view
1: How can dance science inform us about Physiology dancer talent? Injury Adherence Creativity Psychology
1: How can Specific Research Aims dance science inform us about dancer talent? • Track CAT dancers across 3 years, examining which factors in their – Physicality – Psychology – Background, training • Are related to – Well-being (injury, health) – Performance outcomes (adherence, graduate destinations) – Creativity … so that eventually, we may better understand how to best develop talent in young dancers
Data collection 1 2: What are CAT dancers like? • November – December 2008 • 324 dancers from all then-active CATs • 73.8% female • Mixed ethnicities; 78.2% White British • 10 – 18 years old ( M = 14.47) • 1 – 60 months experience of CAT training ( M = 14.58) • 2 – 29 hours of CAT training per week ( M = 3.34) • 0 – 35 hours in other dance schools ( M = 4.78) In other words – a mixed cohort!
Injury 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Dance literature: approx. 80% of pre-professional & professional dancers are injured each year (e.g. Laws, 2005) • In CATs: – 57.3% had been injured in the past year – 23% reported being injured at the time of screening
Injury 2: What are CAT dancers like? Injury Locations CAT class 16.6 23.0 Other dance setting Mixed dancing 32.7 25.3 Other physical activity incl sport and PE Outside all physical 2.3 activity
Injury 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Dancers injured in the past year: – Were younger – Had spent LESS time in CAT training • In other words - older dancers who spend more time in CAT training do NOT seem more likely to get injured Future research will examine whether psychological & physiological characteristics at „baseline‟ may predict injury over time – for instance, does fitness guard against injury?
Fitness 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Indicators include: – Jump height – Upper body strength – Flexibility – Turnout • In general higher scores for: – Older dancers (except turnout) – Males on jump height & strength – Females on flexibility & turnout
Fitness example: Turnout 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Average 53.0° • Range 26.7° – 73.2° • No relationship between turnout (average or discrepancy) and injury In other words, having large or small external hip rotation, or uneven turnout, does not seem to be associated with injury proneness
Fitness example: Turnout 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Favourable comparison to 1 st year undergraduate contemporary dance students: Turnout 54.00 53.50 53.00 52.50 52.00 51.50 51.00 50.50 50.00 Females Males 1st year Undergraduates
Fitness example: Jump height 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Favourable comparison to contemporary 1 st year undergraduate dance students & to contemporary professional dancers: 70 60 50 40 Females 30 Males 20 10 0 CAT students 1st year students Professional dancers
1: How can dance science inform us about dancer talent? Many other women kicked higher, balanced longer, or turned faster. These are poor substitutes for passion. (Agnes de Mille)
Passion 2: What are CAT dancers like? • 78.7% met criteria for being classified as passionate about dance • Most display an adaptive form of passion – dance fits into their lives and exists in harmony with other activities • Some report a more obsessive passion – dance threatens to “take over” and become the main focus for their identity – Previous research suggests such passion is related to injury Future research will explore potential health implications for different types of passion
Self-Esteem 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Most dancers display healthy levels of self-esteem – comparatively high scores ( M = 3.06 on 1 - 4 scale) • Previous literature suggests dancers suffer from low self-esteem (e.g. Bettle et al., 2001; Buckroyd, 2000) • Is this a thing of the past? Future research will explore what aspects of dance leadership and feedback is related to optimal levels of self-esteem
Motivational Climate 2: What are CAT dancers like? • Psychological atmosphere in the dance studio has previously been found to relate to well-being (e.g. Quested & Duda, in press) • In CATs, the motivational climate appears very favourable – and more in line with recommendations for how to structure optimal dance and sports training than • CAT dancers‟ other (“home”) dance training Future research will explore what aspects of the motivational climate is related to health and well- being over time
3: What kind of team is • Science appears capable of required to apply these generating: findings in practice? – Valid findings – Meaningful relationships between variables • Thus, we believe that dance science can be of assistance in promoting dance health and performance • However , it is not a „be -all, end- all‟ approach - simply a complement to existing teaching and training methods
3: What kind of team is Translating findings into practice required to apply these findings in practice? • CAT results are fed back / presented: – To individual dancers – To teachers (with dancers‟ consent) – To CATs (as group presentations) – At national & international conferences • 8 presentations planned for 2009 – As peer-reviewed journal articles
3: What kind of team is Translating findings into practice required to apply these findings in • Overall, we advocate a team-based practice? approach to optimising student performance and well-being, e.g.: – Dancers & CATs – what do you want to know? – Open communication between • CATs • Therapists • Dance science support staff • Teachers • Research team keeping all on the same page
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