Perfectionism and eating disorders among professional ballet and contemporary dancers

Compared to the general population, professional dancers are more prone to higher levels of perfectionism and a higher prevalence of eating disorders due to the high emphasis on the physical aspects of the individual. The aim of this thesis was to compare the prevalence and correlation of perfectionism, eating disorders and well-being in the genres of classical and contemporary dance. To this end, quantitative research was conducted on a sample of 109 probands (74 females, 35 males). Classical and contemporary dance probands did not differ significantly in perfectionism nor eating disorders. However, for the total sample (without distinguishing the genre), a moderate positive correlation (r = .32, p = <.001) was found between perfectionism and eating disorders and a weak negative correlation (r = -.23, p = .02) between perfectionism and well-being. The tested mediation model of the relationship between perfectionism and well-being mediated by eating disorders did not reach statistical significance (β = -.08, SE = .04, p = .43). Although no significant differences were found between the classical and contemporary dance groups, the correlations found are consistent with the results of previous research and suggest the importance of developing and applying prevention programs in the professional dance..