Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Community-based Adapted Tango Dancing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Older Adults
Published on: December 9, 2014
Personality, stress, and injuries in professional ballet dancers
L H Hamilton1, W G Hamilton, J D Meltzer
1Miller Health Care Institute for Performing Artists, St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York.
Abstract:
Twenty-nine soloist and principal dancers (mean age, 29.08 years) from America's two most celebrated ballet companies were administered questionnaires measuring personality (API), occupational stress (OES), strain (PSQ), and coping mechanisms (PRQ), and injury patterns. The results revealed that male dancers demonstrated significantly more negative personality traits and psychological distress than female dancers or men in the general population. In addition, physical stress and personality traits, characteristic of the "overachiever," distinguished injured dancers. It is suggested that classical ballet's emphasis on the ballerina may be at odds with a masculine identity in male dancers. Furthermore, the qualities that lead to success in this profession may contribute to injuries if carried to an extreme.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Types of Stressors
Catastrophes
Catastrophes refer to large-scale, unpredictable events that create overwhelming stress and a sense of threat. Examples include natural disasters like...
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques I
Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals tend to be organized, responsible, and disciplined. They prioritize completing tasks and following structured routines,...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques II
Type A Personality: Driven and Easily Stressed
Individuals with Type A personalities are often highly competitive and ambitious and operate with a strong sense of urgency. Commonly labeled as "workaholics," they...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer

