Passion and performance anxiety: How it affects the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in dancers

This study aimed to examine the association between the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder episodes (MDEs) and obsessive and harmonious passion as well as performance anxiety throughout a dance season, which lasted 38 weeks.

Prospective cohort study.

A total of 118 professional and preprofessional dancers were recruited and assessed at baseline, while 88 completed the follow-up. Their levels of passion and performance anxiety were assessed at the beginning of a dance season using the Passion Scale and the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory, respectively. To monitor the incidence of MDEs throughout a dance season, dancers were asked to complete a weekly electronic diary.

A higher level of obsessive passion was associated with a higher incidence of MDEs causing an interruption of dance activities (β = 0.264, p = 0.022). Harmonious passion and performance anxiety were not associated with MDEs throughout the season.

Findings of this study support the role of obsessive passion in the development of MDEs in dancers.