The Embodied Work of Professional Dancers: Understandings of Pain, Injury and Health
Date
2012-09-24
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Abstract
This qualitative study explores how the health and wellness of workers in a relatively low status physical occupation - - in this case professional dancers in Western Canada - - is understood, managed and negotiated within its specific occupational culture. These embodied workers are at risk of pain, injury and other body-related issues, including image and eating issues, in the pursuit of career goals. In-depth interviews with professional theatrical dancers employed in company settings and working as independent artists, and a limited number of clinicians who treat dancers, were conducted. Drawing upon literature from the sociology of dance, sport, health and illness, and work, and framing the discussion in terms of the dramaturgical, phenomenological, and art world perspectives, this project details the lived, embodied experiences of this specific group of workers. A number of important themes (e.g., how pain and injury are hidden and downplayed in a culture of risk, how impressions and potential stigmas related to damaged bodies are managed, how embodied identity is impacted by injury experiences, and how the relationship between dancers and clinicians is negotiated) are explored.
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Sociology
Citation
McEwen, K. (2012). The Embodied Work of Professional Dancers: Understandings of Pain, Injury and Health (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28123