Strictly Ballroom: Examining how the Culture of Collegiate Ballroom Dance Influences Body Image Perceptions

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence that collegiate ballroom dance programs have on participants’ body image perception and self-esteem and to identify what sort of effect those perceptions have on performance satisfaction. In this project the researcher surveyed twenty-four students, ten males and fourteen females, who were presently involved in a collegiate ballroom dance program with a goal of identifying what sort of influence the culture of their ballroom dance programs had on each participant’s body image and self-esteem. The research instrument used in this study was an electronic survey that included yes or no questions, numerical scale questions, and short answer questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized to analyze data in this study. Limitations to this study include the survey questions and the number of participants. The survey was created by the researcher in an attempt to be unbiased, but it was not tested for validity or reliability. The total number of participants was also very limited possibly due to universities and colleges throughout the country transitioning to virtual learning to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic which occurred at the time of distribution of the survey. All participants except one completed the survey while still attending school in person. An analysis of the data suggested that there is no specific ballroom influence on body image perception and self-esteem in most participants. Although almost all the participants noted that their appearance does influence their performance satisfaction and feelings in costumes, there was no data to suggest their collegiate ballroom dance programs had any sort of influence on this perception. Recommendations for further research would include focusing on competitive collegiate ballroom dance programs or including a survey question that asks about years involved in dance or competitive involvement. The research questions that were the focus of this study were: Q1 In what ways does the culture of collegiate ballroom dance programs promote a specific body image perception? Q2 To what degree does body image perception influence performance satisfaction and self-esteem