Mindfulness and contemporary dance students’ preperformance preparation (PPP): an exploration of the efficacy in using Mindfulness to support student contemporary dancers’ embodied presence / David Waring (2017)

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact and value of creating an intervention integrating mindfulness into undergraduate dance students’ preperformance preparation (PPP), and to also understand the consequences of that for onstage presence. As no existing studies have been undertaken in this field this project is unique and will potentially support the PPP and enhance the performance work of dance students, whilst also demonstrating the application of Mindfulness in the performing arts domain to creative positive performance outcomes. The participants were final year Trinity Laban undergraduate Dance students. Grounded Theory methodology was used for data gathering and analysis and the Mindfulness Association’s Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC) programme formed the basis for the intervention. Literature from the areas of Dance, Sport Psychology, Acting and Mindfulness covering themes such as motivation, presence, intention, embodiment, attention and awareness, were reviewed to provide a contextual framework within which to evaluate the findings. The study revealed that this PPP integrating mindfulness created positive outcomes and supported the needs of the student dance performer to take time to prepare, to become embodied and to connect with the audience confidently and clearly. An emphasis was placed on a foundational element of the mindfulness practice: setting an intention and motivation, alongside the inherent awareness and attention, which proved beneficial to the overall outcomes.