Harnessing Flow: Can Mindfulness-based Training Augment the Propensity for Access to and Experience of Flow States in Dancers During Performance. A Mixed Methods Investigation. / Tomislav English (2021)

The phenomenon of flow refers to a psychological state of high (but subjectively effortless) attention, with a sense of high self-control, low self-consciousness and low overall temporal awareness, and of intrinsic enjoyment, which has been associated with optimal output in performance settings. In recent years, an increased number of mindfulness and acceptance-based training approaches have been utilised as a means to augment peak performance in elite-level sporting settings, supported by strong empirical evidence, with mindfulness being demonstrated as a performance-relevant trait in athletic performance, with a mindful state being theorised as a potential antecedent to flow. Research on the topic of mindfulness-based training in dance specific settings is notably absent. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a mindfulness-based training program on mindfulness scores and flow scores within a population of undergraduate dance students training in a conservatoire setting. Results from a repeated measures t-test indicated that participants demonstrated a significant improvement in overall mindfulness and flow scores respectively. Bi-variate correlation analysis found a significant positive relationship between mindfulness scores and flow scores. Thematic analysis of reflective interviews with participants reflected the quantitative findings. Both quantitative and qualitative findings implied a substantiation of the study’s hypothesis; that mindfulness-based training can positively affect the propensity for performers to experience flow states in performance settings. This supports the prospective utility of similarly structured training-programs for the development of flow related performance skills in contemporary dance education. This article also presents the limitations of the study, and shares potential directives for future research, such as a deeper understanding of the causality of the changes observed, and more clarity on any directional correlational relationship between flow and mindfulness.