Performing in Flow: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Professional Dancers’ Performance Experiences / Gretchen Erickson (2021)

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine and develop a contextualized
perspective of professional dancers’ experiences while performing and how they relate
to Csikszentmihalyi’s pre-existing theory of flow. Within the field of dance, research
into flow theory and optimal experience is particularly sparse. To mitigate this
knowledge gap, the present study explored professional dancers’ lived experiences to
better understand how they relate and to give context to existing literature. A
secondary aim was to identify and advance the understanding of dancers’ unique
facilitators and inhibitors of flow. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted
with twelve accomplished professional dancers and then analysed using Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis to construct a framework for understanding their
experiences. The findings suggest that professional dancers not only are able to
achieve flow during performance but also that the experience of flow was a goal and
key motivator for the participants. All nine of Csikszentmihalyi’s (1975) dimensions of
flow were identified as themes: challenge and skill balance, merging of action and
awareness, total concentration, autotelic experience, loss of self-consciousness,
sense of control, time transformation, clear goals, and unambiguous feedback.
Additionally, heightened importance of self-confidence was identified, as well as new
themes of authenticity and a sense of connection. Collectively, these findings advance
the limited literature on dancers’ optimal experiences and expand on existing
research, expanding the knowledge of flow theory.