Psychology of Dance

by Jim Taylor

Psychology of Dance is the long-awaited guide to helping dancers of all ages and abilities reach their fullest artistic potential. This first-of-its-kind reference not only gives you an understanding of the psychological issues that most influence dance performance, but also provides easy-to-use techniques that help you meet the psychological needs of your dancers. With Psychology of Dance , you'll learn how to design, implement, and maintain a Psychological Program for Enhanced Performance (PPEP). This comprehensive mental training program will enhance each dancer's performance as it:
-builds motivation and develops self-confidence; -presents techniques for maintaining optimal performance intensity; -shows how to improve concentration and use dance imagery; -provides strategies for overcoming slumps and avoiding stress and burnout; and -helps the injured dancer through the physical and psychological rehabilitation process.
The book also features a special format that follows the progression of a dance performance. Each chapter begins with a quote from a famous dancer that sets the mood. Then "Dress Rehearsal" describes a common scenario related to the topic at hand and asks how you might handle the situation. "Center Stage" appears in each chapter to highlight and suggest possible applications of the information covered, and "Encore" revisits key points in the chapter. The authors also include inventories that help both you and your students identify their strengths and areas of concern. Whatever the age and ability level of your dancers, Psychology of Dance provides the essential concepts and practical applications you can use to enrich their performance and personal and artistic growth.

Genres: Psychology

168 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Jim Taylor, PhD, CC-AASP, is an internationally recognized consultant and presenter on the psychology of sport and parenting. He has served as a consultant for the U.S. and Japanese ski teams, the United States Tennis Association, and USA Triathlon. He has worked with professional and world-class athletes in tennis, skiing, cycling, triathlon, track and field, swimming, golf, and many other sports. He has been invited to lecture by the Olympic Committees of Spain, France, Poland, and the United States, and he has been a consultant to the athletic departments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Taylor has authored or edited 18 books, published more than 800 articles, and given more than 1,000 workshops and presentations throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

A former world-ranked alpine ski racer, Taylor is a second-degree black belt and certified instructor in karate, a marathon runner, and an Ironman triathlete. He earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a former associate professor in the school of psychology at Nova University and a former clinical associate professor in the sport and performance psychology graduate program at the University of Denver. Taylor is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco.

Reviews

[Tiffany]

Not just for dancers: good basic study of psychology, group interactions, individuals, personal thinking, etc.

[Lisa]

Geared for a professional ballerina but still had some useful stuff. The last chapter on injury was very good.

[Tania Gee]

Though the language is a bit outdated (we all know now how much psychology is involved in learning any physical skill), this book in pretty damn invaluable for teachers of all sorts.