Lessons learned in the creative industries during lockdown can help dancers better handle uncertainties associated with the performing arts, research suggests. Job lay-offs prompted by the pandemic highlighted the vital role psychological and social skills can play in the professional development of performance artists, the study concludes. Investment is needed to teach performers techniques recommended for elite athletes —such as goal setting , coping strategies and focus—that will support them through future challenges, researchers say.
University of Edinburgh experts conducted an online survey to assess the COVID pandemic's impact on dancers' development and find out what skills, if any, they used to cope. Findings revealed the pandemic had significant impacts on dancers' physical health and psychological well-being. Varied questions Researchers asked performers, dance tutors and lecturers in creative disciplines a range of questions, including how performance artists maintained self-discipline and how willing they were to seek help.
Despite widespread recognition that psychological skills can build resilience, most survey participants were surprised by some performers' mental ability to cope with lockdown. Researchers also sought the perspectives of participants' families and partners, who said they had underestimated the impact of lockdown on their loved ones' well-being. The study highlights the potential benefits of so-called psycho-behavioral skills.
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