More about this research opportunity

Needed: Contemporary dancers with performance experience, performing in a show (ideally, a show which repeats itself for two nights, though this is not a requirement) 

About the Research: 

Dancers will complete a 5-minute questionnaire that measures arousal 45 minutes prior to performance, and then again 15 minutes prior to performance.  Repeated performances would consist of the same questionnaires, with some dancers taking part in an imagery intervention about 30 minutes prior to performance.  For this intervention, the researcher will read a 6-minute imagery script promoting self-confidence, which has been shown to decrease anxiety symptoms and promote symptoms that are perceived as more helpful in performance.

If dancers wish to volunteer, they may gain a better understanding and awareness of their pre-performance arousal levels, as well their effects on performance. Dancers who are in the control group and do not receive the imagery intervention will have a chance to experience it once results are analyzed so that all participants will eventually receive the intervention. Research will be tailored to dancers schedules to allow for normal performance preparations, and will not disrupt warm-up or pre-performance rituals.

About the researcher: Shauna Meredith is a current MSc Dance Science student at Trinity Laban and has been a dancer for the last ten years. She has suffered from pre-performance anxiety for much of that time. Therefore, she is looking at imagery and its possible effect on performance anxiety in contemporary dancers for her thesis project.  

This research opportunity is now closed to participants. Watch this space for updates.