Of dancing and the importance of acceptance....

Following an earlier post I wrote back in 2012 about Gareth Malone and his choirs and the link between engagement in occupation and wellbeing (http://frederickroad.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/occupation-singing-and-gareth-malone.html) I have recently had occasion to consider a similar thing in relation to dancing.
Wayne Sleep, an award winning ballet dancer, trained at the Royal Ballet School in the UK and well known for his cross over into popular culture (and of course that dance with Princess Diana), has started a new 'reality tv' show where he is bringing 18 plus-size amateur ballerinas together to perform Swan Lake. His approach seems to be one of battling the stereotype of the profession - something he has done throughout his career, constantly being told he was too short to be a successful dancer.   Now he is challenging the stereotype body shape and fighting back “just because you’re big in weight or width doesn’t mean you can’t dance” (although patronising asides such as "they are having a go which is the main thing" doesn't necessarily help the cause).

In a culture that increasingly judges people on their looks and shape, the world of ballet is possibly
one of the most forceful (apart from modelling perhaps) in preventing people from engaging in an occupation they love - whether that be for leisure or for chosen vocation - a situation that we as occupational therapists would recognise as occupational deprivation : " A state of prolonged preclusion from engagement in occupations of necessity or meaning due to factors outside the control of the individual" (Christiansen & Townsend 2004 cited in ENOTHE 2004).

As occupational therapists we consider occupation in terms of form and performance. Form is defined by Nelson (1988) as a 'pre-existing structure that elicits and guides subsequent human performance' (p634) and is made up of the physical and the socio-cultural dimensions. The form in the case of ballet dancing could be:
a) Physical: the dance steps, the costumes, the place in which dancing happens.
b) Socio-cultural: the stereotypes given by the community of professional dancers, the stereotype given by the wider community, one of the participants demonstrates this by stating "I didn't fit tjhe mold"

Wayne, by making this programme is challenging the socio-cultural aspect of the form. By changing the form he is attempting to engage those who have previously been excluded and I will be interested to see how this progresses.

What was significant was the effect this potential to engage is having on the participants. In his early career, Wayne was often told to stop and told 'no' but this only made him want to engage more demonstrating that his intrinsic motivation and self belief was strong. Some of the participants in the programme were not so able to find this level of self-belief but the pull to engage never went away:
" ballet was my life" and "I lost my dance" which clearly show a sense of self that was connected to dance - and once this was severed then poor self-image and low confidence ensued. This was highlighted by comments following the audition process - a process that was rigorous and was rather beautiful to watch the joy exhibited alongside unexpected grace and musicality (my own preconceptions of stereotype perhaps?).  More than one participant stated that they felt "beautiful" or "pretty" again. Even one that did not get through to the final troupe was full of confidence - "I can go home and be proud of myself".

Just goes to show how important it is that, as occupational therapists,  we should be led by the individual in what empowers them, what enables them to gain intrinsic motivation, self-identity and a sense of worth - despite what others may think - whilst acknowledging the challenge to be had in subverting the form.

I wait for the second episode and look forward to seeing how the troupe progress.

A state of prolonged preclusion from engagement in occupations of necessity or meaning due to factors outside the control of an individual, such as through geographic isolation, incarceration or disability.  (Christiansen and Townsend 2004, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpufA

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf

A sense that one’s occupations are meaningless and unfulfilling, typically associated with feelings of powerlessness to alter the situation. (Hagedorn 2001, cited in ENOTHE 2004) - See more at: http://www.cot.co.uk/standards-ethics/key-terms#sthash.iLX948M0.dpuf