Although the inclusion of dancers with disabilities in professional dance companies has expanded in the past decade, there is a lack of research concerning the impact of social-environmental factors on participation in integrated dance companies. Findings of studies involving only typical dancers (Quested & Duda, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013) have provided support for the used of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) to gain understanding of the social-environmental dance climate. Yet, literature concerning integrated dance companies consists primarily of essays and testimonies. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of motivations, challenges, and rewards of dancers participating in the AXIS Dance Company, a physically integrated dance company with international acclaim. Self-determination theory (SDT) served as the foundational framework. Research questions were: 1) What social-environmental factors were most relevant to these dancers and impacted their motivations to dance with the AXIS Dance Company? 2) Did the dancers’ perceptions of their participation correspond to a key tenet of the basic needs mini theory of SDT, specifically, the three areas of need (autonomy, relatedness, and competence)? 3) In what ways did the challenges and rewards voiced by these dancers impact their participation with AXIS?
Method:
This study employed a phenomenological study design to “describe the meaning for several individuals of their lived experiences of” (Creswell, 2007, p. 57) involvement in the integrated AXIS Dance performance. In-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 10 dancers (F=6, M=4) were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Among those, three were dancers with disabilities.
Analysis/Results:
Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Several strategies were utilized to ensure and maintain credibility and trustworthiness of the findings in this study including triangulation between investigators, peer review and debrief, and member checking between investigators and participants. Four themes emerged which significantly impacted their participation with AXIS: 1) passion for dance, 2) commitment to inclusion, 3) dedication to innovation, and 4) sense of belonging.
Conclusions:
Two themes voiced by these dancers, dedication to innovation and sense of belonging, clearly supported the tenets of SDT, specifically the mini theory of basic needs. These results highlighted the importance of creating an integrated dance environment which values and fosters discovery of unique movements, individual decision making, and a sense of belonging.
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