Morgan Milne
Thesis Title: The Culture of Vocational Dance Training and its Effect on Dancers’ Mental Health and Well-being
Culture, which refers to the norms of how people participate within a group (Blevins et al., 2020) is an important contributor to various athlete outcomes. Performance and mental well-being are some of the potential outcomes that have been identified as being affected by the culture of a group or sport organisation (Fletcher & Wagstaff, 2009). Therefore, the culture in which athletes train should be managed accordingly to facilitate their experiences (Wagstaff & Burton-Wylie, 2018). A context where the culture needs to be considered is vocational dance training. Research is needed to better understand the characteristics of the training culture of vocational dance programmes in the UK. Therefore, the aim of this PhD is to investigate the culture in vocational dance institutions around the UK and its influence on young vocational dancers’ mental health and well-being. By using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the project will explore two research questions: 1) What are the key features of the culture in vocational dance training as experienced by vocational dance students? and 2) How does the culture of vocational dance training influence dancers’ mental health and psychological well-being? This novel study will contribute to existing literature by providing insight into the culture vocational dance students are embedded within during their training. This will provide dance coaches with an understanding of how the dance culture that they create can influence young dancers’ mental health and psychological well-being, and the type of culture they should be aiming to implement to promote better mental health and well-being.
Biography
I have a strong passion for dance, particularly commercial and contemporary dance, as well as dance psychology. At three years old I began taking dance lessons leading to participation in dance examinations and competitions. When I was 17 years old, I entered vocational dance training at the MGA Academy of Performing Arts, where I gained my bachelor’s degree in dance performance. During training, I performed in live events, musicals, and several performances, and upon graduating, I began auditioning for professional dance jobs. This caused me to encounter mental challenges which negatively affected my passion and joy for dance. So, I decided to take a new venture within dance, and returned to university to study an MSc in Sport and Exercise psychology, with the aspiration of entering a career in dance psychology to improve awareness of dancers’ mental health and well-being. During my MSc, I conducted research to understand dancers’ emotions and coping following deselection, which is a sensitive topic to me. Through this process I decided research in dance psychology was the route I wanted to continue. I enjoy discussing and listening to other people’s experiences during research and working with data to understand different perspectives of experiences. As such, I hope to contribute to knowledge with my own dance psychology research during my career. Outside of academia, I dance as a hobby (which I have found my passion for again), workout, and enjoy reading. I also like to socialise with my friends and family at the weekends.
Publications
Milne, M., & Neely, K. (2022). Exploring female dancer’s emotions and coping experiences following deselection: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychology Of Sport And Exercise, 63, 102289. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102289
Sport & Exercise Science
University of Birmingham
2022 Cohort, +3.5
www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-milne
Supervisory Team
Dr Maria Kavussanu
Dr Sarah Williams