Santone 1

The Pressure to Bend:

The Mental and Physical Effects of Pressure from Dance

Educators to be Flexible on Adolescent and Teenage

Students
Rebecca L. Santone

Dr. Donna A. Dragon, Instructor

Dance Methodology

8 November 2017
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Flexibility is a commonly desired quality in the dance community. Because of

this, dance teachers may demand high levels of flexibility from their students, whether

their students are physically capable of this flexibility or not. The problem with this is

that it follows a Darwinian system of weeding out students that are genetically

determined to be less flexible than desired. I am one of those students, and I was pushed

by my dance teacher to be more flexible than I am physically capable of being. Because

of this, I was both injured and emotionally manipulated by my dance teacher. Dance

teachers may be physically and mentally be harming adolescent and teenage students

through this pressure to be flexible. The main question I am addressing in my research is,

“How may to pressure to be flexible be physically and mentally harming adolescent and

teenage students”. The sub questions I am asking are as follows: “How can dance

teachers support their students who are not as flexible as desired?” “How can dance

students succeed when they are not as flexible as desired?”

The sources I included are all from an online search of research databases from

the library. I searched key words such as “flexibility”, “dance”, “injury”, and related

these terms to both physical and mental health. Along the way, I realized there are two

major components to my research (physical and mental harm). Some of my research is

also indirectly related to my position. For example, the article by Susan W. Stinson does

not discuss flexibility, but speaks of the responsibilities of dance teachers (Stinson 1993).

I am relating this information to my research to emphasize the impact of a teacher’s

choice of teaching methods on a student.

The article “Flexibility in Dance”, by Martine Deighan (2005), contributes basic

information about how valuable flexibility is to the dance community, and injuries that
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may occur because of the pressure for dancers to be flexible. “Realities, Myths, and

Priorities: Teacher Competencies in Dance”, by Susan W. Stinson (1993), contributes

information about the qualities that are important for a dance educator to be effective,

having knowledge of students’ physical, mental, and emotional health (Stinson 46).

“Don't Damage Their Dignity”, by Tim Lucas (2012) contributes anecdotal information

about how a teacher can impact a student negatively, such as a causing a student to

withdraw from social activities (Lucas 1). “Ballet and Pain: Reflections on a Risk-Dance

Culture, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health”, by Krista McEwen and

Kevin Young (2011), contributes significant information about how dancers view their

own bodies and injuries, and what kind of pressure they are under to push their bodies to

and past their limits. The article “Extrinsic and Intrinsic Risk Factors Associated with

Injuries in Young Dancers Aged 8–16 Years”, by Nili Steinberg, Itzhak Siev-ner, Smadar

Peleg, Gali Dar, Youssef Masharawi, Aviva Zeev, and Israel Hershkovitz (2012) focuses

on my research population and discusses dance injuries among them. “Psychosocial

Factors and Ballet Injuries”, by Young Eun Noh, Tony Morris, and Mark B. Andersen

(2005) discusses the possible correlation between psychosocial factors (such as pressure

from dance teachers) and dancers’ injuries.

From my research, I have learned that there is a good amount of research done on

dance related injuries, but less done on the impact of dance on mental health. This

missing aspect was a minor setback to my research. I became concerned that I would not

be able to find enough support for my position, but I learned that there were other ways to

support this, such as personal testimonies from dance students, and data that shows a

correlation between pressure and injuries among dancers. I also learned that other
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professionals share my beliefs. For example, I have concluded that my knee injuries were

caused by forcing “turnout” (external hip rotation) as a child and young adult, and one of

my articles stated that forcing turnout can lead to many different injuries, including knee

injuries. For future research, I would need more information that focuses on flexibility

specifically, and more information from students that are not naturally as flexible as

desired by some dance educators.

My research is valuable to dance teachers because they need to know how they

may be unconsciously causing their students to be physically and mentally harmed. It

may also be helpful to students so that they realize that they need to take care of their

bodies and how pushing themselves beyond their physical limits may cause injury.

Flexibility is something that is desired in the dance community, but this desire may be

leading students to harm. My research is significant to the dance community because it

supports students that may be harmed by this pressure and prevent more students from

being harmed.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Deighan, Martine A. "Flexibility in Dance." Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, vol.
9, no. 1, 9, no. 1, Feb. 2005, pp. 13-17.

“[T]here is evidence of a relationship between injury and both ligamentous laxity and
muscle tightness” (Deighan 14).

This article analyzes the relationship between genetics and flexibility, and the
relationships between flexibility and dancers’ injuries. The first part of the article focuses
on the genetic factors behind flexibility. Deighan writes, “[s]ince joint factors are largely
hereditary, the potential for young dancers to achieve optimum flexibility for functional
and aesthetic purposes is probably constrained by their genes” (Deighan 13). The author
also discusses how this flexibility is expected of dancers. The next part of the article
focuses on flexibility’s relationship to injury. When discussing external rotation of the
lower limb (referred to as “turnout”), the author writes, “externally rotating the lower
extremity beyond its limits...is likely to encourage biomechanically and aesthetically
unfavorable compensations...” (Deighan 14).

This article is peer reviewed and is written in a professional tone. The information
presented is objective and comes from a scientific perspective. The article relates dance
terminology to anatomical terms.

This source provides research on how flexibility is related to injury. It contributes this
data to my research, as well as research on how flexibility and pushing beyond physical
limitations can lead to injury. This source will support my position that pushing beyond
genetic limitations can lead to injury, as well as support my point that flexibility is valued
in the dance world.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Stinson, Susan W. "Realities, Myths, and Priorities: Teacher Competencies in Dance.

(Cover Story)." JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &
Dance, vol. 64, no. 9, Nov/Dec93, p. 45.
“The list of skills and personal qualities required [of an effective teacher]
includes...teacher as caring person [which] seems obvious; teachers should care about
students” (Stinson 46).

This article is about what qualities are expected of dance educators by a successful dance
educator. One of the qualities that Susan W. Stinson writes about is a teacher’s need to be
caring. When listing competencies, she includes, “knowledge about students’ physical,
mental, and emotional health...” (Stinson 46). Stinson is saying that teachers need to have
an understanding of what their students need. Teachers that know their students’ needs
know what teaching methods are effective for each student, and which are ineffective. A
teacher also needs to be aware of the physical and mental state of each student. Every
student will behave different in a dance class, and it is important for a teacher to
understand the possible reasons behind these behaviors, such as mental and physical
limitations.

This source is peer reviewed and is written by the director of one the largest teacher
preparation program in dance in North Carolina. Stinson also notes that North Carolina is
one of the only states that has a significant demand for dance educators in the public
school system. In other words, Stinson is an educated, reliable source on dance education.

This article contributes to my position that dance teachers should responsible for the
emotional health of their students. While there is a difference between a dance teacher
and a dance therapist, Stinson writes that teachers need to care for their students (Stinson
46). This means that dance teachers are not trying to solve their students’ mental and
emotional problems, but should care about their students’ well-being. In the context of
this research, this would mean that dance teachers would care about how their students
are feeling both physically and mentally under the pressure to be flexible. Stinson also
explains that dance teachers play a big role in the emotional health of students (Stinson
46). This supports my position because I am stating that how teachers care for or do not
care for their students’ health can affect their students’ health, both physically and
mentally.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Lucas, Tim. “Don't Damage Their Dignity. (Bullying Attack by Teachers Hurts the
Mental Status of a Students) (Management of School Discipline).” Times
Educational Supplement, no. 5018, 2012, pp. 8–9.

“But how often do [teachers] say each child has value and deserves respect and that
learning is tied to pupil perceptions of the respect they receive and their own sense of
worth?” (Lucas 2).

This article focuses on the story of a young girl who did not learn as much in an
elementary school classroom because her teacher was unkind to her and demanded
perfection.

The article is anecdotal information. It provides thoughts on how a teacher can impact a
student emotionally.

This article is significant to my research because it supports my position that how a

teacher treats his/her/their students can impact the student’s success. If a teacher demands
perfection and incredible flexibility, then the student may become discouraged if
he/she/they cannot meet these demands.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Krista McEwen & Kevin Young (2011) Ballet and pain: reflections on a risk-dance
culture, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 3:2, 152-173, DOI:
10.1080/2159676X.2011.572181

“[T]he dancers in our study understood that they needed to attain a certain level of skill
and even surpass their peers in order to be successful...” (McEwen and Young, 156).

This article is a study of dance (mainly ballet) students and dance professionals and their
experiences and statements on injuries they have sustained while dancing. This article
acknowledges a subculture of dance that promotes perfection. Many of the dancers
interviewed have accepted that injury and pain are aspects of dance that must be tolerated
to reach the professional level.

This article is peer reviewed and the data comes right from the source of those affected
by the problem I am studying: dancers. These dancers’ experiences and feelings about the
subject are intriguing and realistic. However, the author is making the assumption that
these interviews are honest, and that nothing is being left out of them.

This article provides important information about how dancers feel pressure to be
physically perfect. They discuss how they hide injuries and other pain in order to
continue dancing. The author writes, “[o]ften as a result of the pressure placed on
dancers, in addition to their own drives to succeed, a hyper-critical and perfectionist (and
obviously unhealthy) attitude can develop where the dancer makes no allowances for
flaws (McEwen and Young, 157). This article supports my position that the pressure
from dance teachers may be physically and mentally harmful to dance students. It also
sheds a light on the pressure that dancers may put on themselves to be flexible, and I am
curious to see if this pressure is relate to the pressure from dance educators to be flexible.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Nili Steinberg , Itzhak Siev-ner , Smadar Peleg , Gali Dar , Youssef Masharawi , Aviva
Zeev & Israel Hershkovitz (2012) Extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors associated
with injuries in young dancers aged 8–16 years, Journal of Sports Sciences, 30:5,
485-495, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.647705

“[T]he emphasis placed on ‘turnout’ may be the origin of some of the spinal and lower
extremity injuries seen in dancers” (Steinberg, Siev-ner, Peleg, Dar, Masharawi, Zeey,
and Hershkovitz 493).

This article features a study of 8-16 year old recreational dancers (similar to my
population) and the injuries they face in dance. The article discusses the origins of many
of their injuries. For example, the article states that certain dancing positions may result
in extreme stress on joints, causing injury (Steinberg, Siev-ner, Peleg, Dar, Masharawi,
Zeey, and Hershkovitz 485).

This article is peer reviewed. It is also an objective study of dancers and their injuries.
The author is finding correlations between dance and injuries, but is not proving a
causation for any of the injuries. For example, the article states that this study showed
“significant associations between hypo and hyper joint range of motion and injuries”
(Steinberg, Siev-ner, Peleg, Dar, Masharawi, Zeey, and Hershkovitz 491).

This article provides important support to my position. Much of the information provided
discusses how injuries may be caused by over stretching and pushing for flexibility. As
the quote above mentions, the article discusses how dancers that are not as genetically
flexible as others may be pushed to overcompensate and this injure themselves as I was
as a young dance student.
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Rebecca L. Santone Bridgewater State University

October 24, 2017 Dance Methodology

Young Eun Noh , Tony Morris & Mark B. Andersen (2005) Psychosocial factors and
ballet injuries, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3:1, 79-90,
DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2005.9671759

“Patterson et. al found that psychosocial factors, such as life stress and social support,
influenced injuries in ballet dancers” (Young, Morris, and Andersen 80).

This article discusses the relationship between psychosocial factors and injuries in
dancers. The article explains how a dancer’s mental state can make the dancer more
susceptible to injury. For example, the article states, “peaking under pressure, goal
setting/mental preparation, freedom from worry, and confidence and achievement
motivation subscales were related to injury frequency” (Young, Morris, and Andersen
86).

The biggest assumption that the authors of this article are making is that psychosocial
factors do in fact have an impact on a dancer’s injury, as this is not a proven causation.
However, the article is peer reviewed and comes from a reputable source.

This article supports my position in a unique way. My position is that pressure from
dance teachers to be flexible may both physically and mentally harm a student. The
physical and mental harm were not related in my mind when I created this position, but
this article brings a unique perspective of how they may be connected. The article
discusses how psychosocial factors may cause injury supports my position. For example,
the article identifies various coping skills that may be correlated to injury in dancers
(Young, Morris, and Andersen 86). Pressure from dance educators for student to be
incredibly flexible may affect these coping skills. If a dance teacher creates an unstable
environment for a student, the student may be mentally harmed, but according to this
article also physically harmed.
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Works Cited

Deighan, Martine A. "Flexibility in Dance." Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, vol.

9, no. 1, 9, no. 1, Feb. 2005, pp. 13-17.

Krista McEwen & Kevin Young (2011) Ballet and pain: reflections on a risk-dance

culture, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 3:2, 152-173, DOI:

10.1080/2159676X.2011.572181

Lucas, Tim. “Don't Damage Their Dignity. (Bullying Attack by Teachers Hurts the

Mental Status of a Students) (Management of School Discipline).” Times

Educational Supplement, no. 5018, 2012, pp. 8–9.

Nili Steinberg , Itzhak Siev-ner , Smadar Peleg , Gali Dar , Youssef Masharawi , Aviva

Zeev & Israel Hershkovitz (2012) Extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors associated

with injuries in young dancers aged 8–16 years, Journal of Sports Sciences, 30:5,

485-495, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.647705

Stinson, Susan W. "Realities, Myths, and Priorities: Teacher Competencies in Dance.

(Cover Story)." JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &

Dance, vol. 64, no. 9, Nov/Dec93, p. 45.

Young Eun Noh , Tony Morris & Mark B. Andersen (2005) Psychosocial factors and

ballet injuries, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3:1, 79-90,

DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2005.9671759