The Tree of Life in Dance Psychology: A Tool for Identity and Healing

‘I didn’t really have a teenage life. I never went to bars. I never had anything like that. It was always dance.’

-  Shirley Ballas on ‘We need to talk’ podcast

The life of a dancer can be very demanding, balancing training, rehearsals and performances with a ‘normal’ everyday life. High dedication to their craft can sometimes blur the boundaries between personal identity and the demands of the dance world. This often results in struggles with identity, both within and outside of the dancing world, and mental health.

‘1 in 5 dancers reported having moderate symptoms of mental health conditions such as, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.'

- (Junge and Hauschild 2023).

So, can a tool like the Tree of Life help dancers rediscover their identity?

Let’s recap about the Tree of Life from a previous blog:

The Tree of Life model originated from Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, a child psychologist from Zimbabwe. This was later co-developed by David Denborough at the Dulwich Centre into a strength-based tool/activity. Using narrative psychology, the tree metaphor allows participants to explore their life stories, focusing on their skills, hopes and dreams. By doing this the Tree of Life helps build resilience and a positive outlook on life.

The tree is broken down to its key components to help participants articulate their life stories:

·       Roots: history and significant life influences

·       Ground: Current life

·       Trunk: Skills and Values

·       Branches: Hopes and dreams

·       Leaves: Supportive people in their lives

·       Fruits: Gifts received

So how can the Tree of Life help dancers with identity and healing?

Dancers often begin at such a young age, dedicating years of emotional and physical energy to their craft, to classes, rehearsals and performances. Due to the level of commitment, there’s often little time to socialise (Warnick et al., 2016) and explore who they are outside of dance. It can also lead to a diminished wellbeing and difficult experiences in dance (Kouali et al., 2022).

By adapting the Tree of Life model, dancers, at any level, can use this tool to reconnect and reflect on themselves and life in dance to promote resilience and motivation to promote overall wellbeing.

So, what does the Tree of Life model look like when adapted to help dancers with identity?

(Image description: A large tree with roots visible beneath the surface)

·       Roots – Early experiences with movement/dance, first dance memory, first inspirations to dance, any cultural influences

·       Ground – Current life with dance – training, community and how this balances life (relationships etc.)

·       Trunk – Core values in dance, mental skills, personal qualities supporting wellbeing and performance

·       Branches – goals and aspirations, reflecting on potential future identity

·       Leaves – Important people in your support network (peers, coaches, physiotherapists, family etc.) and can include inspirational figures

·       Fruits – Rewards and learnings come from dance

Dancers can create their own Tree of Life by drawing or writing or even using movement, whatever helps participants reflect on their journey. This can be done as an individual reflection activity or a group workshop to promote and encourage openness and understanding.

Here are some examples of how the Tree of Life could be used in dance settings:

·       Warm-up exercise – think of your first dance memory, what or who inspired you to start dancing. Use any feelings associated with this and express them through movement. They could be literal grounding movements like stomping or simply whatever movement helps express those feelings.

·       Branches, leaves and fruits – using expressive, expansive and reaching movements while thinking about where you would like your branches to grow next, what has dance given you, what lessons have you learned. This can be done individually or as a group to also show how people be interconnected and support one another.

·       During ‘Storms’ e.g. injury or transition – using the trunk part of the tree to remind what their core values and strengths are. Also, how can these help them weather the storm?

Reconnecting with roots and values whilst learning to recognise their strength and identity, dancers can learn to look beyond their identity linked to performance outcomes.  

This approach can also help navigate through ‘storms’ (e.g., injury) by reframing challenges to be seen as part of their journey and something to adapt and grow stronger from.

Every dancer’s Tree of Life will look different. People’s unique combination of experiences, values and aspirations will shape their personal identity both in and out of dance. Taking time to reflect on these values help dancers feel more grounded and resilient, able to grow and adapt to whatever challenges they may encounter both in dance and in everyday life.

Try creating your own Tree of Life!

How can you use your strengths in your dance journey and in other parts of your life?

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Written by Jessica Cheshire, research placement student in the SPRINT team.

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References

JUNGE, A. & HAUSCHILD, A. 2023. Behind the Curtain: Prevalence of Symptoms of Depression, Generalised Anxiety and Eating Disorders in 147 Professional Dancers from Six Opera Houses or State Theatres. Sports Med Open, 9, 92.

KOUALI, D., HALL, C., DIVINE, A. & POPE, J. P. 2022. Motivation and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Athletes: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective. Res Q Exerc Sport, 93, 457-466.

WARNICK, J., WILT, J. & MCADAMS, D. P. 2016. Dancers’ stories: A narrative study of professional dancers. Performance Enhancement & Health, 4, 35-41.