STRESS AND ANXIETY IN AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL DANCERS

Abstract

Igor Gasparini, Cristina Landgraf Lee e Dante De Rose Jr.

This study tried to identify the situations that generate stress in rehearsals and performances of amateur and professional dancers, as well as to understand anxiety as a trait and a state. The sample was composed by 28 dancers, of both genders and who practice several different dance styles. It was used the Sport Anxiety Scale -trait anxiety-, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 -state anxiety- and an instrument about antecedent factors related to stress. Several situations were pointed as stressful, showing differences between amateur/professionals and between man and woman. The average of anxiety intensity was moderate and coincides with what was found in other studies. It can be concluded that the main sources of stress for amateurs refers to fellows of the group, while for professionals refers to the choreographer. Data allows distinguishing which subjects need support to deal with the higher levels of stress or negative perceptions of some symptoms, underlining different pressures between genders and moments of their careers.