The Culture of Vocational Dance Training and its Effect on Dancers' Mental Health and Well-being

Culture, which refers to the norms of how people participate within a group (Blevins et al., 2020) is an important contributor to various athlete outcomes. Performance and mental well-being are some of the potential outcomes that have been identified as being affected by the culture of a group or sport organisation (Fletcher & Wagstaff, 2009). Therefore, it is important that the culture in which athletes train is managed accordingly to facilitate their experiences and development (Wagstaff & Burton-Wylie, 2018).

A context where the culture needs to be considered is vocational dance training. Little is known about what the culture of this context entails. A recent study (Blevins et al., 2020) identified that the culture in Australian vocational dance training endorsed normalisation of injury and pushing through pain and fatigue, which could lead to greater stress and poorer mental health and well-being. Other studies have shown that competitive dancers experience a culture that demands continual peak performance, high commitment, frequent interpersonal conflicts (Schmitt, 2019), and a dancer body (i.e., tall, slim, and lean). This type of culture has been suggested to result in trait anxiety and worry (Carr & Wyon, 2003). Research is needed to better understand the characteristics of the training culture of vocational dance programmes in the UK.

The aim of this PhD is to investigate the culture in vocational dance institutions around the UK and its influence on young vocational dancers' mental health and well-being. By using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the project will explore two specific research questions: 1) What are the key features of the culture in vocational dance training as experienced by vocational dance students? and 2) How does the culture of vocational dance training influence dancers' mental health and psychological well-being?

This novel study will contribute to existing literature by providing insight into the culture vocational dance students are embedded within during their training. This will provide dance coaches and teachers with an understanding of how the dance culture that they create can influence young dancers' mental health and psychological well-being, and the type of culture they should be aiming to implement to promote better mental health and well-being.