Dancing Toward Positive Body Image? Examining Body-Related Constructs with Ballet and Contemporary Dancers at Different Levels

The present study examines the suggestion that associations between dance participation and body image are influenced by dance
type and level. A total of 82 female dancers varying in dance type (ballet vs. contemporary dancers) and level (beginner vs.
advanced) completed measures of body appreciation, actual-ideal body weight discrepancy, body awareness, body responsiveness,
dancer identity, length of time as a regular dancer, and provided their demographic details including age and body mass index.
Analyses of variance showed that beginner ballet dancers had significantly higher body appreciation compared with advanced
ballet dancers, whereas advanced contemporary dancers had significantly higher body appreciation compared with their beginner
counterparts. Additionally, advanced ballet and contemporary dancers both had significantly higher body weight discrepancy
compared with their beginner counterparts. Multiple regressions showed that body awareness, body responsiveness, dancer identity,
and time as a dancer did not significantly predict body image once dance type and level had been accounted for. These results
are discussed in relation to the promotion of positive body image using dance/movement therapy.