‘Hell Week’; Impact and Effectiveness of Intensive Hip-Hop Team Rehearsals Preceding Competitions / Andrea Valentini (2025)

Limited research exists in dance science on hip-hop, particularly on the practice techniques utilised by competition teams. This study is the first to examine the practice method colloquialised as “hell week” and its impact on dancers’ physiological and psychological health. This study aimed to establish a foundational understanding of hell week, assess changes in dancers’ stress, injury, and illness rates, and identify if the primary goals of hell week were accomplished. Participants were recruited from one competitive hip-hop team for a mixedmethods study. The mean age of the sample was 23.55 years (SD = 2.23). Participants completed digital questionnaires pre- (N=31) and post-hell week (N=14) assessing perceived stress, injury status, and illness status. In-person participants (N=20) wore Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitors on chest straps and self-reported RPE (Borg 6-20 scale) during five continuous days of hell week rehearsals. Exercise intensity was determined based on participants’ maximum and average heart rate relative to their age-predicted maximum heart rate (220 – age). This team’s hell week qualifies as a varying low- to high-intensity intermittent activity with insufficient rest between practices. Data analysis found a significant increase in perceived stress scores (Pre: 17.36 ± 5.58; Post: 20.79 ± 6.49; t(13) = 2.76, p = .008, d = .74). Injury and illness rates increased, but were not significant (p = .157, p = .083, respectively). Thematic analysis from open-ended questionnaire responses determined that complete competition readiness was not achieved; however, dancers felt relatively more prepared, indicating a benefit for intensive rehearsal processes. This study is the first to analyse competitive hip-hop hell week and will contribute to efforts to prepare dancers for competition without increasing their stress, injury risk, or illness risk. Key Points • This team’s hell week can be classified as a varying low- to high-intensity, intermittent activity over a short period featuring long practice times and limited opportunities for rest. • Participation in this hell week significantly increased stress levels in dancers and may 5 increase risk of injury or illness. • Dancers find hell week to be vital for set progress and team bonding, despite reporting incomplete competition preparedness at its conclusion.