Psychological Well-Being and Adult Ballet: From the Perspective of the Adult Ballet Teacher

Adult recreational ballet is a growing area and is an under-researched area within the literature, especially with regard to the well-being of the teachers who teach adult ballet. This qualitative study examines teacher well-being, their teaching practices, and their perceptions of how they can enhance the well-being of the adults they teach. Participants also outlined their views, own experiences, and values with regard to adult ballet. Reflexive thematic analysis of 17 teacher interviews highlighted that positive well-being outcomes were experienced by these participants when teaching adult ballet. It also emphasizes a disparity between professional ballet and adult ballet, where professional ballet was more outcome focused and perceived to require a stricter and more disciplined teaching not always conducive to well-being. Adult ballet, however, was more process focused with an emphasis on dancer well-being through a more caring pedagogy.