The topic of sport psychology is hardly new—but
Essentials of Dance Psychology applies it to dance in a way that sets it apart from all other sport psychology texts available to dance students, instructors, and professionals.
Through
Essentials of Dance Psychology, readers will come to understand why dancers think and behave as they do and how to design healthy, creative dance environments that lead to both well-being and optimal performance.
The book is built on a foundation of evidence from dance and sport psychology research, with applied experiences used as examples throughout. Where appropriate, evidence from other areas of psychology—for example, cognitive behavioral therapy—is used. A thorough coverage of topics relevant to dancers, teachers, and others working to support dancers is included, making the book suitable for one slightly longer course or two short courses in introductory dance psychology.
The book is organized into four parts.
Part I delves into dancers’ individual differences, examining how personality, perfectionism, self-esteem, self-confidence, and anxiety factor into performance and well-being.
Part II explores topics related to dance-specific characteristics such as motivation, attentional focus, and creativity. In
part III, readers learn about a range of psychological skills, including mindfulness, goal setting, self-regulation, and imagery.
Part IV examines topics related to dance environments and challenges, zeroing in on the social aspects of teaching and learning dance, the challenges of talent identification and development, injuries, body image, and disordered eating.
Student-friendly textbook features in each chapter include the following:
- Relevant definitions
- A case study that shows how the chapter’s topics can be expressed or experienced in practice
- One or more Get Practical exercises, which prompt readers to apply or reflect on the chapter’s concepts (These exercises come with either downloadable worksheets or audio, delivered through HKPropel Access.)
- A roundup of further research needed in each content area, which can inspire research projects for students and professionals alike
- Key points to reinforce the learning, with particular emphasis on applications
Materials available through HK
Propel Access include downloadable worksheets, three audio files with guided exercises, vocabulary study aids, lettering art, and two goal-setting templates. In addition, an instructor pack provides chapter summaries, a course outline, a test bank, and a PowerPoint presentation package.
Essentials of Dance Psychology offers readers the opportunity to understand sport psychology from the vantage point of a dancer. The text will help develop dance teachers who are able to inspire and sustain high levels of performance and psychological health among dancers. It will also help other professionals who work with dancers to implement evidence-based practices that enhance and sustain dancers’ lives and careers.
Note: A code for accessing HK
Propel is included with all new print books.
Audience
Textbook for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in dance science, dance wellness, and dance pedagogy for dance teacher training. Professional reference for dance instructors in academic settings, private studios, therapists, and dance companies.
All ancillaries are free to adopting instructors through HKPropel.
Instructor guide. Includes a sample course syllabus as well as chapter summaries, activities, essay topics, websites, and teaching tips.
Test package. Contains 249 questions in true-false, fill-in-the-blank, essay and short-answer, and multiple-choice formats. The files may be downloaded for integration with a learning management system or printed for use as paper-based tests.
Presentation package. Features more than 400 PowerPoint slides of text, artwork, and tables from the book that can be used for class discussion and presentation. The slides in the presentation package can be used directly within PowerPoint or printed to make handouts for students. Instructors can easily add, modify, and rearrange the order of the slides.
Instructors also receive access to all student materials in HKPropel. For Essentials of Dance Psychology, this includes forms and audio (where applicable) for each chapter’s Get Practical exercises, key term flash cards, lettering art, and two goal-setting templates.