DANCING IN THE ACCIDENT
Causes and psychological consequences
Anastasia's Sardo (see references below)
(Originally published in Experience magazine of IDA - International Dance Association)
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For several years now, psychology has been expanding its scope, with its interventions in the various sports, to reach a better understanding of specific problems. The studies in sport psychology have found application in the succeeding dance so to give wider support to athletes and dancers, to difficulties - not only physical and medical - but also
psychological. A precious help to ensure that those benefits
dancer athlete in need often do not have awareness, to give a firm footing in those
psychological components of the conscious and the unconscious as the emotions, the
attentional capacity, depression, ' anxiety and all those elements which, if unchecked, can be a dancer for the cause of business interruption, failure in career, failure or illness. In this world full of contradictions, therefore, must be rebuilt a balance between physical and mind.
One of the major problems is by the student or professional dancer since the accident. For a dancer, in fact, obtain an accident being one of the most serious because it involves a departure from the asset and the possible disruption of its
career, with the inevitable risks associated with the possibility of being replaced, not
to achieve a full recovery quickly.
According to research published in the British Medical Journal, eight out of ten dancers suffer -
each year - an accident that forces them to suspend their activities.
Very often, for fear of being replaced, return to their work without having recovered
best compromise full recovery.
Until now, the accident was treated as a result of physical trauma, accidents have been attributed to factors "outside" (eg physical inadequate, insufficient equipment, etc..), To be treated, therefore, only one point medical grounds.
Recent studies, however, have shown that the mental element or "internal" may affect and be - at times - because of the accident itself. Many of these are based on the theory of stress and try to evaluate the relationship between stress and incident
then identifying interventions that can reduce risk. In the psychological perspective of the accident, Lucinda Sharp says that there are three important aspects that those who practice the dance must know whether students, teachers or professional dancers: 1
. the psychosocial factors that may predispose the dancer to the accident;
2. different psychological reactions that each dancer has before the accident;
3. issues that may arise following a hospitalization for an injury.
The probability of accidents tend to increase with increasing level of stress in life daily (eg change of residence, family problems, the end of a romantic relationship) or the level of stress caused by the environment in the dance (
bad relationships with teachers, choreographers, colleagues, or show concern for exams), as this can result phenomena of stiffness and muscle tension, thus reducing the motor coordination and flexibility, but also the llivello
of attention and concentration. Many scholars, therefore, have all attributed to the increased responsibilities of the accident, pointing out also how life events affect the risk of injury. If the stressful life events can negatively influence
the performance of the dancer with a reduction in attention and concentration, resulting in an increased risk of injury, however, the support of friends and family - even in stressful situations - always has positive psychological effects
and helps the individual to overcome the event negative. The successful competition leads to stay focused on your goal and gives rise to a positive stress, called eustress, unlike the stress of competition linked to fear, poor concentration or view the event as threatening, said distress, which increases the risk of accidents.
Another important consideration is related to different physiological responses of the dancer: he facing unexpected events with the ability and consideration of the situation, deal with stress in a positive way,
is less subject to risk of injury, and conversely, those who demonstrate less ability to control stress develop a high competitive trait anxiety and coupled with a high risk of injury. Although there is a personality type, have been approved in more risk of injury
those dancers who are: individuals who are highly competitive and anxious personality. The individual reactions can vary depending on the severity of the accident
and lead to loss of self-esteem in dancers from all
considered strong and capable. For these dancers the forced break due to injury, but even more impossible to maintain the level of their professional identity can cause anxiety, confusion, depression, leading to a return to business until you have completed the full rehabilitation and thus jeopardize the his full recovery.
To facilitate and improve the recovery of the injured in the psychological rehabilitation therapy, scientists have also focused on the psychological factors that may help identify the best mental strategies. The injured dancer should learn to:
a. accept the condition of injured, as the denial of this can cause more damage and problems;
b. decrease the level of stress related to clinical treatment;
c. look at family and friends support;
d. maintain an emotional balance, thinking skills and abilities to their rehabilitation in the recovery, focusing attention on this and not the past;
e. accept rehabilitation recovery time without the use of forcing with unrealistic projects that have adverse effects;
f. think future activity, overcoming the frustration of inaction;
g. search for the best chance of recovery, living a positive their efforts;
h. where the total recovery is not possible, change their standard of life thinking about what you can do and not what you can do: regret the past can lead to depression.
The dancer must have the capability, by maintaining his balance and his emotional control, to confront and overcome with courage all adverse circumstances and despite the complexity of his being an artist, athlete, man must discover
the whole person, working with lucidity, the will and knowledge and above all self-acceptance.
ANASTASIA SARDO
graduated from the National Academy of Dance (AND)
in Rome and graduated in Philosophy at the University of Siena with a thesis on
"Psychology of the Dancer" . Professor of Psychology
applied to dance "for the graduate course in Psychology of Sport University
University of Siena and the AND for the Biennium
Specialist - Institute of High Culture.
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