Pain catastrophizing in Flamenco dance students at professional dance conservatories

Flamenco is marked by the deep emotional impression it creates and its percussive footwork steps, performed in traditional high-heeled shoes. It places high demands on the dancer which leads to risks of injury, pain and associated emotional repercussions. Catastrophizing is a key factor determining how the context is valued and pain is experienced. The objectives of this study were: firstly, to analyse the general incidence of catastrophizing among flamenco students and secondly, to determine the repercussion this has on catastrophizing in professional practice among dancers who perform on stage even though they are still students. Material and method: The sample analyses 70 students from the Conservatorios Profesionales de Danza de Andalucía (Andalusian Professional Conservatoires for Dance) (17.67±5.65 years old); 44.29% (n=31) also danced professionally. The dancers completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Results: The results do not show significant differences in categories: rumination, magnification, nor in the overall catastrophizing of pain when comparing participants who were dance students with those who also danced professionally. However, in terms of helplessness, there is a significant difference between both groups, with those who danced both as students and professionals displaying higher levels of helplessness than those who were only students. Conclusions: The artistic professional development on stage before spectators can trigger anxiety states that can have a directly proportional association to the levels of catastrophism. Perhaps being a student at the same time as dancing professionally signifies a greater physical and mental load which can lead to certain psychological processes.