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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Performance Science
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1392242

Exploring the Experiences of Dancers Who Have Achieved Peak Performance: On-Stage, Pre-Stage, and Post-Stage

Provisionally accepted
Soo Mi Nam Soo Mi Nam 1Hye Y. Park Hye Y. Park 2*Min Joo Kim Min Joo Kim 3*
  • 1 Division of Sports Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Institute of Sports Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The aim of this study is to identify and classify the different attributes that contribute to peak performance among professional dancers, and to understand how these attributes change over time.We conducted an analysis using inductive content analysis on open-ended survey data collected from 42 formally trained professional dancers. Additionally, we analyzed interview data from seven professional dancers who demonstrated outstanding achievements in the field among the survey participants. The main themes that emerged were related to various temporal events of peak performance experience: pre-stage, on-stage, and post-stage. During the on-stage, peak performance was perceived by both internal and external factors. During the pre-stage, emphasis was placed on technical, cognitive, and artistic strategies during practice, whereas just before going on the stage, attention shifted to psychological and physical strategies. During the post-stage, dancers reported immediate changes in their psychological and physical states following the peak performance experience, and thereafter, the peak performance experience was noted to influence psychological, technical, and cognitive aspects. These findings provide valuable insights into the key characteristics that emerge throughout a series of peak performance experiences and are consistent with previous research.

    Keywords: performance psychology, peak performance, professional dancer, on-stage, Pre-stage, post-stage

    Received: 28 Feb 2024; Accepted: 01 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Nam, Park and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Hye Y. Park, Institute of Sports Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea
    Min Joo Kim, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.