The Student Dancer: Emotional Aspects of the Teaching and Learning of Dance

by Julia Buckroyd

This work deals with the psychological as opposed to the physical aspects of dance training. In "The Student Dancer" Julia Buckroyd brings together the fields of education, welfare, counselling and psychology in relation to dance teaching and training. She considers the ways these can deepen our understanding of the human dimension of dance training, and how they can be practically applied in vocational training schools. Following the substantial body of evidence which shows a high incidence of illness, smoking, injury and eating disorders among dancers and trainees, Buckroyd argues that current dance training is damaging to the welfare of students and needs to change. With examples of good practice, and many ideas, arguments and proposals, she looks at questions such the self and the body; adolescence and dance training; learning in groups; male trainees; eating disorders; and career transition. This book is aimed at teachers, students and administrators involved in professional dance training, and professional dance companies. It is also useful for parents of dance trainees as well as for students and teachers in other performance disciplines.

Genres: Psychology

254 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Uxue Fuertes · Rating 3 out of 5]

He leído hasta donde necesitaba leer. Gracias por tener un capítulo específicamente dedicado a la salud mental y a los TCA en estudiantes de danza. Me ha servido muchísimo para mi trabajo de investigación.

[Shanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly informative how dance teachers can create a more positive environment for learning and offer more sufficient support for their students!

[Nora Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book I had a peculiar sense of familiarity. Oh, yeah! I remember having these thoughts during my own training! Only I didn't have the intellectual ability to abstract my feelings into ideas. I felt relieved to finally see in print the inchoate thoughts I had had in my ballet class. My dance training was in the school of "tear 'em down in order to build them up."As I remember it there was a great deal of tearing down and not much building up. But most particularly I remember feeling frustrated and resentful that I had many feelings I had believed (naively perhaps) could be expressed in dance that instead were repressed and denied. Buckroyd deals with this problem (Why does an art medium designed to express feelings, repress them instead) and many other similar problems that dance students face as they pursue their pre professional training. Her book also guides teachers in learning how to facilitate such development in their teaching and how professional dance schools can support dancers as they navigate in both their development and maturation as people and dancers.