Identity Reconstruction Following Injury in Dancers.

Shiloh, Shoshana; Halfon, Aviv

Objectives: To explore reconstructed identities of dancers who experienced an injury, using a model of identity reconstruction post-injury. Methods: An online questionnaire study with 145 dancers who had experienced a significant dance-related injury. Measures included a questionnaire measuring dancers' reconstructed identities, injury perceptions and injury centrality to self-concept. Statistical analyses included factor analysis, regression analyses and discriminant analysis. Results: Four latent variables discovered "supernormal self," "former self," "middle self," and "resentful self" reconstructed identities. Injury centrality to the self and specific injury perceptions were correlated with reconstructed identity scales in the predicted directions. Conclusions: The findings validated the existence of 4 distinct reconstructed identities associated with time distance from the injury. Classifying injured dancers according to these identities can help dance educators, practitioners and counselors detect dancers needing help and tailor counseling methods to modify the relevant injury perceptions.

SCALE analysis (Psychology); PEARSON correlation (Statistics); ATTITUDES toward illness; QUESTIONNAIRES; PROFESSIONAL identity; QUANTITATIVE research; WORK-related injuries; EXPERIMENTAL design; DANCE; RESEARCH methodology; FACTOR analysis; PSYCHOSOCIAL factors; ENTERTAINERS; SELF-perception; REGRESSION analysis; DISCRIMINANT analysis

Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 2024, Vol 28, Issue 3, p143

1089-313X

Academic Journal

10.1177/1089313X241233717