Preparing for a professional ballet dance career requires dedication, discipline and single-minded focus. But, as training becomes increasingly competitive, many dancers must give up this aspiration and reinvent themselves for a life after dance. The transition is challenged by identity loss and limited consideration of alternative careers. Although researchers have studied the transition to a post-dance life for professional ballet dancers, the transition of younger dancers remains unstudied. The goal of this research was to analyze stories of what it means to be an elite, female dancer who was unable to achieve a professional dancing career, and had to make another life for herself. A qualitative study was conducted. Five women, who were former elite amateur ballet dancers, were asked to share their stories through three separate semi-structured interviews. Participants also shared personally meaningful objects. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and represented in the context of individual stories. A common overarching framework was identified that included: discovering the dream, living the dream, losing the dream, and life after the dream. Further thematic analysis generated insight about the culture of ballet (e.g., rites of passage, individual dancer characteristics, peer relations), as well as common challenges, facilitators and meaning making associated with negotiating a new work/life after failing to become a professional dancer. Findings contribute to the existing literature and suggest the appropriateness of conceptualizing the experience as one of loss and mourning (Worden, 2009). Implications for future research as well as for adults involved in the world of elite dancing (e.g., ballet teachers, school teachers and counsellors) are discussed.

Version remaniée de: Habilitation à diriger des recherches. / Bibliogr. p. 347-371.

Thesis (D. Mus. Arts)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-123).

Thesis (M.A.) in Theatre--University of Maine, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-41).

This thesis explores the professional practice of two highly accomplished expert teachers, ‘masters’ of classical ballet, with the aim of providing an understanding of their expertise. A qualitative case study methodology was used to illuminate the masters’ knowledge acquisition and teaching practices. Data collection comprised interviews with the masters and a sample of their students, and teaching observations of the masters at work. A metaphoric conceptual framework of a three-act ballet performance has been used to present the thesis. This dance-related metaphor was chosen: firstly, because it keeps the ballet context in focus; secondly, because it allows for the leading roles to be those of the masters, and their students, and; thirdly because it provides a fitting way to highlight key themes that emerged from the data analysis. Furthermore, just as an entire three-act ballet needs to be experienced in order to fully understand its story, so too, all three acts of the thesis ‘performance’ must be read in order to appreciate the complexity and inter-connected nature of the masters’ practice. Part One (The Programme) provides the foundation work of the thesis (introduction, literature review, methodology, and methods). Part Two includes The Performance, with the Prologue presenting biographic narratives for both masters and each of the three acts revealing key dimensions of the masters’ practice. Act One explores their knowledge acquisition, professional philosophies and beliefs. Act Two explores their professional orientations. Act Three illuminates their expertise in action, within the class and rehearsal environment. Important themes include the recognition that, for the masters, learning and teaching develop over a lifetime and are inspired by an immense passion and dedication for ballet and its teaching. Also, a master brings to the art- form his/her own individuality, and creativity, and actively contributes to ballet’s historical continuum through his/her professional legacy of practice. While some of the findings support aspects already described in the literature about expertise, the use of a domain-specific case study establishes this support, and illuminates a new perspective with much needed evidence. A Grand Finale concludes the study, with the development of a prototypical view of the professional practice of a classical ballet master. Such a prototype has the potential to inform researchers of exemplary practice in other art forms, and more importantly, to highlight the essential characteristics of exemplary ballet masters.

Thesis (M App Sci) -- University of South Australia, 1992

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. John Keller, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Dec. 17, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis.--Claremont Graduate School. / Photocopy of transcript. Ann Arbor, Mich. : University Microfilms, 1971. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 256-272).

Diss.--Philosophie--Columbus, Ohio--Univ., 1981. / Glossaire p. 261. Bibliogr. p. 265-272.

Na prática do Ballet Clássico, diversos autores, como Tomes (1995), Guillot e Prudhommeau (1974), Bertoni (1992), Kostrovitskaya (1995), Vaganova (1941) e Baryshnikov (1976) priorizam a postura corporal através do alinhamento vertical do corpo, pressuposto este que é defendido por Kendall et al (1995). Contudo, esses pressupostos teóricos nem sempre são aceitos por outros estudiosos, como Solomon, Minton e Solomon (1990), Mckenzie (1985), Chaitow (1982), Denys Struyf (1995) e Malanga (2002), os quais não se fixam na premissa de que uma postura alinhada pode produzir menor gasto energético, ser mais confortável e prevenir lesões. Diante dessa controvérsia não encontrou-se um referencial teórico consistente que justificasse a postura adotada pelas bailarinas clássicas, mas sim apenas uma proposta postural defendida por maitres e/ou professores de Ballet Clássico utilizada no sentido de proporcionar às bailarinas aprimoramento técnico, benefícios estéticos e controle do número de lesões. Diante disso, este trabalho tem como objetivos: (1) verificar a coerência entre a postura solicitada pela maitre e/ou professor de Ballet Clássico e a postura adotada pelas bailarinas avaliadas; (2) descrever e analisar as características posturais específicas do grupo de bailarinas clássicas avaliadas, caso estas existam; (3) verificar a existência e o tipo de algias nas bailarinas clássicas avaliadas; (4) relacionar as características posturais específicas encontradas com os sintomas álgicos apresentados pelas bailarinas clássicas avaliadas; (5) verificar se as características posturais, adotadas pelas bailarinas clássicas avaliadas, lhes satisfazem. Para tal, a amostra foi dividida em um grupo formado por bailarinas clássicas (n=30; idade média=13,06 anos +1,98), um grupo de referência formado por não bailarinas clássicas (n=30; idade média=13,86 anos +1,61) e um grupo de maitres e/ou professores de Ballet Clássico (n=22). Foram aplicados os seguintes instrumentos: (1) questionário de aspectos posturais específicos em 3 versões - (1a) para o grupo de maitres e/ou professores de Ballet Clássico (r=1, p=0,0001), (1b) para o grupo de bailarinas clássicas (r=0,99, p=0,0001), (1c) para o grupo de não bailarinas (r=1, p=0,0001); (2) questionário de informações gerais; (3) questionário de dor (testado e adaptado por Souza e Krieger, 2000), (4) avaliação postural a partir de fotografia digitalizada, com três tomadas de intervalos de 2 horas, a uma distância de 3 metros. Os resultados mostraram que existem características posturais específicas para as bailarinas clássicas avaliadas e estas são coerentes com aquelas solicitadas por maitres e professores de Ballet Clássico; existem sintomas álgicos nas bailarinas, contudo estes não se relacionam com as suas características posturais específicas; o tipo de algias assinalado pelas participantes corresponde a algias leves esperadas na prática do Ballet Clássico; as bailarinas clássicas avaliadas encontram-se plenamente satisfeitas com a postura que adotam.