Psychological coping strategies of Spanish dance companies

Abstract

Dancing is the artistic physical activity par excellence.This discipline exerts a psychological strain for those who practice it, but there is scarce evidence on what environmental characteristics are adequate for dancers to evolve in optimum conditions. This study analyses the existing differences in the psychological coping strategies between Spanish Dance and Flamenco dancers from the best Spanish companies.This research is the first in achieving this kind of sample. A total of 14 highly prestigious professional dance companies participated in this study. All participants were asked to complete the Questionnaire of Coping Strategies (ASCI-28) created by Graupera, Ruiz, García and Smith (2011). The results showed significant differences in all the surveyed factors, being Sara Baras Company the one obtaining the best values in all variables, except for the performance under pressure.Therefore, this study shows how important effective strategies are for dancers to meet a higher performance and enjoyment of their discipline.