Community Assessment of

Ballet West and Ballet West II

Westminster College
Nursing 408
Diane Forster-Burke
Diane Van Os
Community Assessment Process Paper
September 25, 2014
Group Members:
Sarah Lewis
Chris Taylor
Kristin Harko
Michelle Morholt
Jason Linsley

I. INTRODUCTION:
Ballet dancers are members of a unique community who have dedicated their
youth striving for what can be seen as an unattainable perfection in their craft in an effort
to ascend to professional status. It is common knowledge that here in the United States
and worldwide, the competition to become a professional dancer, is extremely high as
hundreds of dancers audition to be in a company that may have only one or two positions
available. The elite few that become professionals are then continuously subjected to
competition between fellow company dancers for roles, physical and emotional stress
from self-perfectionism, all while working with many dynamic personalities from
directors, choreographers, and fellow dancers. Being intrigued by these factors that could
potentially have a direct effect on overall health and wellness, we have chosen to further
assess the community of Salt Lake Citys Ballet West and Ballet West II. For the
purposes of this community assessment, we have identified community members to be
current employees and dancers of Ballet West and Ballet West II.
Ballet West is a non-profit performing arts organization established in Salt Lake
City by Willam F. Christensen in 1963 (www.balletwest.org). Ballet West studio
rehearsal space is currently located at Trolley Square while a new building is being built
adjacent to The Capitol Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. Currently, Adam Sklute is
the artistic director, a position that he has held since 2007. Ballet Wests current annual
operating budget for the 2014-2015 season for is approximately seven million dollars
(www.balletwest.org). Ballet Wests company is comprised of 23 women and 15 men
ranging in ages for 20 to 36 years old. The companys members hail from all across the
globe. It is important to note that none of the dancers are native Utahns--all of the

[Type the company name] 3

[Type the document title]

companys members have relocated to Salt Lake City to join Ballet West
(www.balletwest.org).
The dancers contract performance season is 36 weeks. During the demanding
contract season, dancers practice approximately seven and half-hours five days a week.
During non-performance rehearsal weeks, the dancers begin their day with an instruction
class at 10:00 followed by two rehearsal sessions held from 11:45 to 14:45 and 15:45 to
18:45. It should be noted that the times the performers are required to dance are
individual and frequently fluctuate--not all dancers are called for every rehearsal. Yearly,
the company has five repertoires (sets of performances) with one to three national and/or
international tours averaging about 75 to 80 performances. Typically, during performance
weeks, dancers will have morning class, rehearsals in the early afternoon, and then
performances beginning at 19:00 or 19:30 in the evening.
Professional ballet dancer careers can be rather short. According to Wulffs 1998
book that emphasizes and explains the transnational context of the world of ballet
entitled, Ballet across Borders: Career and Culture in the World of Dancers, professional
careers here in the United States can range from a few years to as much as twenty (p. 85).
Moreover, Wulff notes that elsewhere in the world, for example Russia and Sweden,
dancers are typically awarded lifetime contracts or enjoy contracts that afford them surety
they cannot be fired (pp. 48-51). Few dancers performing with American companies, are
able stay physically healthy long enough to have a career into their 40s. Many of the
dancers start to look for the next stage of their life in their late 20s or early 30s.

Ballet Wests second company, Ballet West II, was created in 2007 to introduce
pre-professional dancers into a company setting. The second company dancers consist of
six men and six women between the ages of 17 and 22. Two out of the 12 members are
local Utahns. Each dancer hired to Ballet West II is offered a two-year contract that
consists of a season lasting 30 weeks per year. After the two years, the dancers are either
hired into Ballet West if there are positions available, apply for college, or look for
employment elsewhere. These dancers are able to take classes alongside the company
members three times per week, perform with the company in The Nutcracker or full
length ballets such as Swan Lake, or The Sleeping Beauty. Ballet West II also tours
throughout Utahs public schools, offering free performances, via the Ballet West for
Children program (www.balletwest.org).
For the purposes of full disclosure, one of our group members, Jason Linsley, is a
former Soloist with Ballet West and danced with the company for 11 consecutive years.
Linsley possesses insight into the history, health, social dynamics, and day-to-day life of
being a professional dancer that assisted with our community assessment and access to its
community members. However, in an effort to avoid biases, Jason Linsley, was not
permitted to complete the online survey assessment tool, serve as a key informant, or
perform any of the key informant interviews.
II. COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS:
The methods of research we used were an online convenience survey through the
company Survey Monkey and key informant personal interviews. We were able to
disseminate the survey via email with assistance of Ballet Wests company manager,
Summer Wilson.

[Type the company name] 5

[Type the document title]

Of the total 50 Ballet West and Ballet West II dancers available for our online
survey the demographics of the respondents are as follows:

A total of 25 respondents completed our online convenience survey assessment

tool.

Twenty members of Ballet West and five members of Ballet West II completed
our survey.

Nine males and 16 females completed our convenience survey.

Online survey respondents ages range from 18-37.

Online survey respondents highest education levels include: 11 respondents are

high school graduates or have obtained a GED, 10 respondents have some college
(1-4 years attending college but do not hold a degree), two respondents have
obtained a college degree, one respondent has obtained a graduate level degree,
and one respondent has not finished high school or completed the GED.

Online survey respondents years employed include: six people employed for zero
to two years, 11 people employed for three to five years, five people employed for
six to eight years, and three people have been employed for over 10 years.
A total of five key informants were available for voluntary interviews. Three

Ballet West members--one male and two females as well as one male dancer from Ballet
West II served as our key informants who are dancers with ages ranging from 20 to 33. We
were also able to interview Kevin Semans, the physical therapist for Ballet West. Being
that many of the dancers were out of town, it is important to note that more informants may

have been available if the assignment period was not during a company dancer layoff
period.
III. COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ACCORDING TO GORDONS FUNCTIONAL
HEALTH PATTERNS:
Health Perception/Health Management
According to the data discerned from our online survey, 92% of the respondents
consider themselves healthy or extremely healthy. However, 10% of those who chose to
answer the survey question regarding smoking or use of illicit drugs, claimed to use both.
Four respondents chose not to answer this question. We cannot make assumptions as to
why these four respondents chose not to answer the question, but it is possible they were
afraid of the implications if they did answer the question truthfully although the survey
was anonymous.
We also found from our survey, that dancers use many different methods to cope
with and relieve pain. Most of the respondents utilize some form of complementary or
alternative medicine. Forty-eight percent of respondents report using massage therapy.
Additionally, sixteen percent of dancers said that they use meditation to cope with or
relieve pain. None of the respondents report they utilize prescription medication to
relieve pain, however four percent admit to using alcohol and illicit drugs as a method to
manage pain. One limitation to our survey, regarding how people cope with pain, was the
omittance of the use of physical therapy. Interestingly enough, three respondents wrote in
the open text field that they go to the physical therapist or use rest and ice. Based on our
key informant data, we believe that more respondents would have chosen these options if
it were specified.

[Type the company name] 7

[Type the document title]

Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Health Perception/Health Management)

Strengths:
1. Most dancers identified themselves to be healthy.
2. Many dancers employ complementary and alternative health practices regularly to
manage pain.
Weaknesses:
1. Some dancers engage in unhealthy behaviors.
Nutritional/Metabolic
Fifty-five percent of male respondents reported that they dont count calories and
fat in their food and drink. The percentage of female respondents that do not count
calories and fat is 88%. However, 12% of female respondents felt they only need 1000 to
1500 calories per day. This data opposes a possible societal assumption that women count
calories and fat more often than men would. According to Kevin Semans, as ballet
dancers, men and women should be having 3500-4000 calories each day (K. Semans,
personal communication, September 20. 2014).
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Nutritional/Metabolic)
Strengths:
1. Community members report being less obsessed with weight and body image than
current societal perception of dancers.
Weaknesses:
1. A small percentage of female community members have unrealistic expectations
of caloric intake requirements.

Elimination
Fifty-six percent of respondents feel the studio is cleaned enough; forty-four
percent feel it is not cleaned enough. While cleanliness is subjective, with only a little
over half of the respondents reporting the studio is sufficiently clean, we believe,
improvements can be made.
Four percent of respondents (one individual) reported using laxatives for weight
loss purposes while 96% of respondents (twenty-four respondents) reported never using
laxatives for the purpose of weight loss.
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Elimination)
Strengths:
1. The vast majority of community members do not misuse laxatives.
Weaknesses:
1. Many community members believe that the studio facilities should be cleaned
more often.
Activity/Exercise
Sixty-four percent of respondents stated that they do not currently have pain that
inhibits certain movements when dancing. Again, it should be noted that the survey and
key informant interviews were performed during a layoff period and many of the Ballet
West and Ballet West II company members were not available.
Survey respondents report exercising at least five hours every day. According to
WHO, adults should participate in at least "150 minutes of physical activity every week
which benefits include: lower rates of overall mortality, coronary heart disease, high

[Type the company name] 9

[Type the document title]

blood-pressure, type II diabetes, and less of a risk for hip or vertebral fracture"
(http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/).
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Activity/Exercise)
Strengths:
1. Community members engage in exercise every day.
Weaknesses:
1. The numerous hours spent exercising could lead to exhaustion and puts them at
greater risk for overuse injury.
Sleep/Rest
Forty percent of men and women feel they have trouble getting to sleep at
night. With 30% of men and 43.8% of women feel they have trouble getting to sleep at
night. Sixteen percent of respondents feel rested when they wake up, with 36% feeling
somewhat rested. 48% of respondents feel either tired or exhausted.
Seventeen of the 18 survey respondents said that they get between six and nine
hours of sleep, with only one responding not very many. Ten dancers get six to seven
hours of sleep per night and seven dancers get eight to nine hours of sleep per night.
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Sleep/Rest)
Strengths:
1. Employer promotes rest and recuperation.
Weaknesses:
1. Ballet West/Ballet West II dancers do not utilize offered recuperation days.
2. Most respondents report chronic fatigues and difficulties achieving restful sleep.

Sexuality/Reproduction
Nearly sixty-three percent of respondents reported they are sexually active,
compared to nearly thirty eight percent of respondents who are not sexually active. Only
32% of respondents claimed they were currently in a relationship with another dancer,
compared to the sixty-eight percent who reported they were not. Forty-one percent of
female respondents reported they are able to keep their personal and professional
relationships separate. Additionally, nearly 42% of female respondents reported to have a
regular menstrual cycle. All of the key informants who admit to being sexually active
report using birth control contraceptives and barrier methods.
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Sexuality/Reproduction)
Strengths:
1. Most of the respondents suggested they are sexually active.
2. The majority of respondents keep their personal and professional relationships
separate.
3. The majority of female respondents menstruate regularly.
4. To the best of our knowledge, safe sex practices are performed.
Weaknesses:
1. Relationships that develop within the company that come to an end can create
tensions and anxiety between dancers.

[Type the company name] 11

[Type the document title]

Cognitive/Self-Perception
Forty percent of respondents feel their physical body determines their sense of
worth. 30% of men and 43.8% of women feel their physical body determines their sense
of worth.
Sixty-four percent of respondents felt hesitant, uncomfortable or very
uncomfortable discussing movement modification when experiencing pain or have an
injury with the choreographer. This finding is congruent with Wulffs research, It is not
good for a dancing career to get a reputation for being fussy about injuries or illnesses,
especially when it risks jeopardizing performances (p. 77). We believe, it is safe to
assume, that this hesitation and unwritten rule within the ballet community at-large
effects other aspects of health, wellness, and Gordons functional health patterns-specifically health management, activity and exercise, coping and stress management,
and value-beliefs.
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Cognitive/Self-Perception)
Strengths:
1. Strong self-perception amongst community members.
2. Community members of Ballet West and Ballet West II are less obsessed with
weight and body image than the perception society has of dancers.
Weaknesses:
1. Community members are hesitant to seek guidance from their superiors regarding
pain relief.

Role Relationships/Coping-Stress Management

Seventy-six percent, of the respondents report feeling they get along with the
other company dancers. Twenty-four percent, of the respondents believe they always get
along with each other. This data informs us that 100% of the respondents report positive
relationships with their community members and reveals that all the members believe
they have a strong sense of community. We hypothesize that these predominantly young,
independent, non-native Salt Lake City residents who are disconnected from their
families and original support systems have successfully created their own unique
community that thrives on positive interpersonal relationships.
Ballet West II, only have two years in the company to prove themselves and
either are promoted to becoming full-fledged members of Ballet West or they are laid off.
Lack of communication between dancers and staff causes a lot of worry in the dancers.
One key informant said:
you think you are doing well but then you can get fired and find out you werent
doing well but because of the lack of communication you have no idea...Three
female spots opened up this last year but they only hired one from Ballet West II,
the rest from open auditions. Dancers are competing with 300 people at a time for
maybe one position; that makes people feel very insecure about their employment.
We dont get weighed by the directors but if they can tell you are gaining weight
you are called in for a weight talk. If you continue to gain weight you may get
fired as my good friend did. (Anonymous III, personal
communication, September 20, 2014).
Key informant Anonymous IV said, Ballet as an art-form keeps progressing and new
and younger people get hired every year so it is very competitive. The older you get the
harder it is to improve (personal communication, September 13, 2014).
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Role Relationships/Coping-Stress
Management)

[Type the company name] 13

[Type the document title]

Strengths:
1. One hundred percent of respondents felt support when they chose to become a
professional dancer.
2. Employer promotes rest and recuperation.
3. Strong sense of community and trust within the dancers of Ballet West/Ballet
West II.
Weaknesses:
1. Nearly ninety-six percent (95.8%) of respondents feel stress with their job and
only 44% of respondents felt secure in their employment.
2. Sixty-four percent of respondents to the questionnaire felt hesitant,
uncomfortable, or very uncomfortable approaching staff, director, or
choreographer and telling them that they may need to modify movements due to
pain or injury.
Values/Belief Patterns
Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they were spiritual or religious. In The
Benefits from Marriage and Religion in the United States: A Comparative Analysis,
published in 2003, Waite and Lehrer explain:
A growing body of research documents an association between religious
involvement and better outcomes on a variety of physical health measures,
including problems related to heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer,
gastrointestinal disease, as well as overall health status and life expectancy
(Waite and Leher, 2013, p. 2).
Ballet is the sole focus in many dancers lives. They often do not have other outlets that
make them happy. It is an elite level skill and many younger dancers believe ballet is the
only thing of value in their life. Kevin Semans said, They are just like the Real soccer

team, or Jazz players. They put their heart and soul at this elite level; it is their life. But
the sports team players have outlets and other things they enjoy doing. Many of the
dancers do not know what else they enjoy so ballet is it, the only thing they think about
24/7 (K. Semans, personal communication, September 20, 2014).
Identified Strengths and Weaknesses (Values/Belief Patterns)
Strengths:
1. Strong sense of community and trust within the dancers of Ballet West and Ballet
West II.
2. The majority of community members feel
Weaknesses:
1. Younger dancers tend to hold their value in ballet over anything else (personal
communication, Kevin Semans, 2014).
IV.

IDENTIFIED STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES:

Strengths

Strength: Strong self-perception amongst community members.

Sixty percent of the survey respondents reported that most or all of the time they

accept compliments when given to them. Twenty-eight percent said they occasionally
accept compliments, whereas only 12% said they dont accept compliments very often
and none of the respondents admit to never accepting compliments. Ballet is an art form
that demands perfection both from the dancers themselves as well as the choreographers
and directors. This is ingrained at a very young age. We asked all our key informants why
the need for perfection is so profound and their replies were synonymous. One key
informant said, If you walk off stage and you feel like you have had a perfect

[Type the company name] 15

[Type the document title]

performance you should retireballet is never perfect but that is what everyone strives
for, perfection (Anonymous V, personal communication, September 13, 2014). Given
that statement, we were pleased that more than half of the respondents said they accept
compliments most or all of the time. Another key informant stated: I feel as though I
perform pretty well most of the time but when I make a mistake I dwell on the mistake
and not the positive aspects of my performanceI cant speak for other dancers but I
think most feel the same way (Anonymous I, personal communication, September 13,
2014). Yet another key informant said, Even though some dancers may not accept
compliments, that doesnt mean they dont still need themno one likes getting a
compliment when a mistake was very apparent but we are a close-knit group and feel the
need to support each other (Anonymous III, personal communication, September 13,
2014). A strong self-perception is an important key to the overall health of any
community, particularly in a community where perfection is expected.
A key respondent made an interesting comment about self perception and the
need for perfection: Perfection in dancing creeps over into their every regular day life
and a lot of dancers want everything to be perfect (Anonymous II, personal
communication, 2014).

Strength: One hundred percent of respondents felt support when they chose
to become a professional dancer.
For members of any community to unanimously report they feel supported in their

chosen career path is an incredible strength to have. We feel this is particularly relevant
and important for a community of ballet dancers who both hold themselves to such high
standards and are being critiqued by others every day. The key informant interviewees

confirmed this without hesitation that they felt support from their friends and family
when they chose to be a professional dancer. One key informant also said: Even though
all of us are extremely competitive with each other, we are still supportive of each other
in any way we can be (Anonymous IV, personal communication, September 13, 2014).

Strength: Employer promotes rest and recuperation.

Ballet West and Ballet West II encourages dancers to take days off to recuperate

mental and physical health. Ballet is both physically and mentally taxing. Ballet West and
Ballet West II allowing their dancers to take time off shows invests them in their
employees health and this shows they care about their wellbeing. Performing or
exercising while injured can perpetuate that injury and could possibly turn an acute injury
into a chronic injury that would be detrimental to the dancer. A key informant stated:
Within the last couple weeks I pulled a muscle in my foot. I let the director know and
the director told me to just be careful. I thought I should probably sit out and let it rest
because there was a performance in three days but didnt want to because I didnt want
the director to think Im lazy or faking it (Anonymous III, personal communication,
September 13, 2014).
Allowing dancers to practice or perform while injured also affects the employer.
Ballet West has invested time and money in the dancers, so if they lose one to an injury
that could have been preventable, they lose their investment. The key informants we
spoke with felt grateful their employer offered time off. However, the majority of dancers
are reluctant to take a day off due to fear of being looked at as lazy and not wanting to
miss out on any opportunity that may arise when they are off.

[Type the company name] 17

[Type the document title]

Strength: Community members of Ballet West and Ballet West II are less
obsessed with weight and body image than the perception society has of
dancers.
Through our interviews with key informants we found that while the dancers are

very aware of their physical status they were less concerned about counting calories and
daily weights. They were more concerned with the type of food they were eating in terms
of nutritional status opposed to being overly concerned with the amount of calories they
consume. Only sixteen percent of respondents reported weighing themselves every day;
all were female. Sixteen percent of respondents reported weighing themselves weekly
and 68% of respondents weigh themselves monthly or not at all. There seems to be a
general assumption and stigma in society that ballet dancers are compulsory when it
comes to weighing themselves and counting calories, however these practices are not
consistent with our findings within Ballet West/Ballet West II community.

Strength: Strong sense of community and trust within the dancers of Ballet
West/Ballet West II.
All 25 respondents felt they got along with other dancers most or all of the time.

As we looked at the social dynamics of this unique population of artists within a

professional company, we wanted to see how they felt about each other in a competitive
environment. The competition is thick due to the fact that there are only a few principal
and soloist roles in each production, each dancer is striving for their chance in the
limelight. Another reason is due to the limited promotions to move out of the Corps and
into Soloist or Principal positions or for the Ballet West II dancers, getting hired at all
into Ballet West. We asked the dancers: How often do you feel like you get along with

other members of the company? Results were, 100% of respondents feel they get along
with other dancers most or all of the time. As all of the Ballet West company members
are from out of state and young we consider this to be a strength as they are displaced
from their families and hometowns. Furthermore, we identify this response rate to be
indicative that all the members of the Ballet West value a strong cohesive community as
evidenced by having successfully created a healthy nurturing community.

Strength: Ninety-two percent of the respondents consider themselves healthy

or extremely healthy.
According to Kevin Semans, the companys hired physical therapist, there are no

Ballet West dancers that he feels concerned about health wise. If something becomes
concerning to him, he may inquire into what people are eating if they are feeling sluggish
or tired in the last hours of the rehearsal. Semans informs:
Im trying to consistently tell the dancers that they cant just eat at their lunch
break. If they do they will bonk by the time they get to the final hours of the day,
which can be the toughest. When your body is calorie deprived the memory is one
of the first things to shut down and dancers need to remember all day long
(personal communication, September 20, 2014).
He suggests that men and women should be having 3500-4000 calories each day. Semans
continues to educate dancers on their basic metabolic rate in order to understand how
much they need.
Weaknesses

Weakness: Only sixteen percent of Ballet West/Ballet West II respondents

felt rested when they wake up in the morning and 40% of respondents have
trouble falling asleep at night.

[Type the company name] 19

[Type the document title]

The key informants mentioned they do their best to keep the same routine every
night to get a good night sleep. Practices that promote sleep: hot shower to relax, cold ice
bath, turn the T.V. off, read a book, use valerian root tea, meditation, listen to music,
limit alcohol consumption. One respondent said:
I was recently in Colorado and tried some edible marijuana treats to assist with
sleep. This helped me sleep all the way through the night and I felt rested in the
morning. I would be interested in looking into this in Utah but I am concerned
because it is not legal here and do not want to become dependent on any type of
drug for sleep assistance (Anonymous IV, personal communication, September
13, 2014).
When asked why dancers dont feel rested when they wake up in the morning one
key respondent said: Dancers probably dont take good enough care of their bodies as
they should. They go out for drinks after work to relieve stress, stay out late and hang out
with friends to forget about the studio for a while and then they dont get much sleep
because they have to wake up early (Anonymous III, personal communication,
September 13, 2014). A key respondent who said they have trouble staying asleep and
does not feel rested in the morning said: I dont get home from the studio until pretty
late so Im eating dinner around 10pm or so at night. I tried buying a new mattress and
pillows and that still didnt help. I take an ice bath after work to help calm my system but
I still feel I have trouble staying asleep (Anonymous IV, personal communication,
September 13, 2014).

Weakness: Nearly ninety-six percent (95.8%) of respondents feel stress with

their job and only 44% of respondents felt secure in their employment.
One question that received the most congruent data in our survey assessment tool

evaluated the community members perception of stress associated with their job. An

astounding 95.8% of respondents report experiencing stress with their job. Our key
informants said this can be from, the physical demands that are required everyday. We
are under immense pressure to keep your body in top notch shape, the body gets no rest
(Anonymous IV, personal communication, September 13, 2014). Another source of stress
was identified by Anonymous I related to dealing with certain personalities (personal
communication, September 13, 2014). Three key informants stated uncertainty with
casting is a stressor. This was expanded by one informant; they are always rehearsing
new choreography and theres no sure thing of what part you will play in it and that is
stressful to think about (Anonymous II, personal communication, September 13, 2014).
Another element of stress they felt was the uncertainty of employment. Their
contracts are renewed annually and in the case of Ballet West II one informant said he
doesnt know if he will be offered a job in Ballet West. I am unsure of my future
because this is my last year in Ballet West II (Anonymous IV, personal communication,
September 13, 2014). This same informant mentioned, your close friends are other
dancers employed in the company, if they are fired and leave to another company you
may not hear from them or see them again as it can be sad for that person that is gone to
hear about things that are happening at a place they were fired from (Anonymous IV,
personal communication, September 13, 2014). One informant simply stated, Contracts
are renewed annually, you dont know if you will have a job next year (Anonymous I,
personal communication, September 13, 2014). When professional dancers are fired from
a ballet company, there typically is not another job waiting for them, especially in Utah.
They would have to audition to multiple companies across the country or internationally,
costing them time and money for travelling. The fear of unemployment and not being

[Type the company name] 21

[Type the document title]

able to pursue their passion for ballet in a professional company is clearly a stressor for
any dancer not feeling secure in their employment.

Weakness: Many community members believe that the studio facilities

should be cleaned more often.
Slightly over half of the questionnaire respondents, 56%, feel that the Ballet West

facilities are clean enough including the studio, break room, and bathrooms. The biggest
concern over cleanliness concerns the floors. The dancers spend a lot of time on the
studio dance floors and felt that they needed to be cleaned more often. Another concern
was the cleanliness of fellow dancers. One informant felt that the dancers needed to clean
up after themselves more often, especially cleaning up their toe tape. While the floors
needed to be cleaned more often, the informants felt that the studios overall were quite
clean. They felt that the bathrooms were clean enough and maybe some dancers were
just too picky about the facilities being clean enough (Anonymous III, personal
communication, September 13, 2014).

Weakness: Sixty-four percent of respondents to the questionnaire felt

hesitant, uncomfortable, or very uncomfortable approaching staff, director,
or choreographer and telling them that they may need to modify movements
due to pain or injury.
All informants felt that the dancers are concerned with saying too much with

regards to effects on casting, or that saying something is a sign of weakness. One

informant discussed how dancers are taught at a young age to not show pain or injury, as
it can be seen as a sign of weakness or laziness. The informants felt that a lot of injuries
result from people not warming up properly or by just not taking care of their

bodies. One informant gave a personal experience as an example, he said within the last
couple weeks he pulled a muscle in his foot, he let the director know and the director told
him to just be careful. The respondent said he thought he should probably sit out and let it
rest because there was a performance in three days but didnt want to because he didnt
want the director to think he was lazy or faking it. The dancers are constantly told that it
is okay to take a day off but many dancers do not take advantage of this for fear of
missing their shot, especially if a new choreographer is in town.
According to the physical therapist that the company uses for the dancers, about
60% of the people you may see on stage have an injury. He feels that there was an old
school mentality of not letting anyone know you are hurt or have pain because it showed
a weakness and you may lose a part is no longer the case. However, dancers are starting
to realize that if you take care of aches and pains earlier on they will not turn into
injuries (Anonymous I, personal communication, September 13, 2014). This is in line
with one informants comments that it should be the part of the concern of the company to
keep dancers healthy, i.e. making them feel comfortable discussing pain or injuries, so
that they may perform to the best of their abilities and not have to deal with an injury.
This could also relate to the fact that their contracts are renewed yearly. The
dancers must be able to perform to the best of their ability and be competitive enough to
maintain their contract the following year.

Weakness- Twelve percent of female respondents felt they only need 10001500 calories per day.
Fifty-five percent of male respondents said they do not count calories and fat in

their food and drink. The percentage of women that do not count calories and fat is 88%.

[Type the company name] 23

[Type the document title]

Only two female respondents felt they need 1000-1500 calories per day. One respondent
felt it was ridiculous how some dancers felt they needed 1000-1500 calories per day and
inferred that it was because of body issues, especially with the demands as a dancer that
significantly includes the perception of others. Additionally, the respondent stated that
theyve never met with a nutritionist and felt as though people may be less educated on
the meaning of needing calories as well as the true meaning of health.
Another respondent thought that dancers feeling as if they only need 1000-1500
calories per day were those who are trying to lose weight. The respondent reports that he
focuses on the type of food he is consuming rather than calories themselves. He states, I
eat around 3500 calories per day (Anonymous II, 2014). This data contradicts a possible
societal assumption that women count calories and fat more often that a male would.
Additionally, twenty-four percent of female respondents have struggled with a Bulimia or
Anorexia eating disorder.
V. POTENTIAL AND REAL HEALTH PROBLEMS & AVAILABLE AND
POTENTIAL PROGRAMS
There are several programs currently available to dancers in the Ballet West
community. A physical therapist, hired by Ballet West, is available year-round to the
dancers. Real health problems that the physical therapist treats on a daily basis are
injuries and weekly maintenance of the wear and tear on dancers bodies. Kevin Semans,
the physical therapist, sees about eighty percent of the dancers each week. During
rehearsal weeks, community members are able to see him from 13:45 to 16:45 Monday
through Friday at the studio or at his clinic. Semans also attends every show the dancers

perform in Salt Lake City and is available for necessary and maintenance treatments
before and after the performances.
Based off of respondents from the online survey and the key informant interviews
we can identify the need for a number of programs that may have a positive influence on
the community members of Ballet West.
One program we feel would be a benefit to the community is to have a nutritionist
available occasionally on site, in a private setting, at the dance studio to educate
performers about healthy diet requirements for professional dancers, advice on
recommendations of energy dense foods to consume during performances, to assist the
artists in tailoring personalized diets and individualized meal planning. Even though our
respondents claimed to be knowledgeable about nutrition, nutritional status can change
frequently and will always be a potential health problem. Younger dancers without prior
exposure or education to proper nutrition are particularly at a higher risk of nutritional
deficits.
The companys physical therapist said that he often counsels the dancers on their
nutrition and he feels that many of the dancers do not understand nutrition and do not
get the calories they need (K. Semans, personal communication, September 20,
2014). It should be noted that Ballet West does provide contact information of a few
nutritionists in Salt Lake City if the dancers express they wish to speak with one.
However, to the best of our knowledge, based off of key informant interviews, many of
the dancers do not utilize this resource. We hypothesize that if a nutritionist would meet
the performers and offer short informal sessions about nutrition within the easily
accessible studio, perhaps more dancers could experience health and wellness benefits.

[Type the company name] 25

[Type the document title]

Another program we feel that would be a benefit to the community is to have a

counselor available for the dancers to confide in. The high demands required of dancers
puts them at risk to be emotionally unstable. If that is not addressed, a potential health
problem can quickly turn into a real health problem. Many of the key informants
discussed the stress of auditions and the stress that comes along with yearly-renewed
contracts. Also, the physical therapist, Kevin Semans, discussed that many of the dancers
see him as a counselor of sorts. He has an open door, confidential, unbiased policy. The
dancers need a space and a person to escape to that has nothing to do with their casting
or rehearsals. They can come in and yell, swear, let off the built up steam, and spill it out
if they want (personal communication, September 20, 2014). Semans also stated that he
has noticed dancers internalize and bottle up their emotions when in the rehearsal space,
and if they never let it go it can create physical manifestations and be a cause to injuries
(personal communication, September 20, 2014). We feel a professional counselor, who
possesses cultural competency, is knowledgeable and sensitive to the concerns as well as
potential health and wellness deficits specific to ballet dancers, would benefit the
community.
A real health problem identified through the interviews and key informants was
the constant presence of stress in the dancers lives. Respondents reported a number of
diversion activities to help them deal with stress such as listening to music, taking a bath,
spending time with family, and drinking alcohol. Diversion activities can be beneficial to
reduce stress. However if you simply put your body in a different environment but your
mind is still focused on the stressor from work that is not going to relieve your
symptoms. A proactive approach to treat stress within this community is for Ballet West

to make complementary and alternative medicines more available. It would be beneficial

for Ballet West to reach out to one of the local Nursing Schools, the Medical School and
the Massage Therapy school for instruction/implementation of guided imagery,
acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and any other stress relieving techniques that may help
them. Ballet West is a non-profit organization therefore it would be more cost effective
for them to reach out to a school opposed to a business.
VI.

LIMITATIONS
The survey was given online and although respondents do not have a motivation

to be untruthful, we cannot confirm the validity or truthfulness of their answers. The

survey was only open for one week and that could have limited the total number of
responses we received. Furthermore, our assessment tool is a convenience survey and
inherently is subjective to reflecting the opinions and biases of a subset or aggregate of
the entire community.
The key informants were not selected randomly.
VI.

WHAT WE LEARNED
Throughout the past five weeks we have had the opportunity to learn about an

elite group of dancers. Our research team was both impressed and amazed at the amount
of dedication these individuals have to their career. In general, the professional dancers at
Ballet West and Ballet West II are educated when it comes to nutrition. They recognize
appropriate nutrition is important, so that they are able to keep up with the high demands
of their rigorous training and performance schedules. Although some research around the
world has identified professional ballet dancers as being plagued by eating disorders, we
were pleased to find the occurrence very low in the respondents we surveyed.

[Type the company name] 27

[Type the document title]

The statistics that were most exciting to see was the strong sense of community
among the dancers and the unwavering support the dancers have from friends and family.
A strong sense of community may be the most important attribute any community can
possess.
Ballet West and Ballet West II must address the high prevalence of stress among
their employees. Stress is present in everyones life and is beneficial to an individual in
controlled amounts. It is detrimental to health when stress is affecting sleep and causing
individuals to participate in activities to relieve stress that are harmful to your health such
as excessive alcohol consumption and negative health practices. Mediating stress is a
reachable goal for Ballet West and preventative measures must be implemented to
maintain their dancers health. With that being said, we are extremely pleased to report
that the respondents embrace and utilize complementary and alternative health modalities
to positively manage and influence their stress as well as overall health and wellness.