Unlocking Self-Compassion in Dance: An Infographic Resource for the Studio and Beyond
- SPRINT project
- Jul 18
- 5 min read
“Unlike self-criticism, which asks if you’re good enough, self-compassion asks, what’s good for you?” – Kristen Neff
In the highly demanding world of dance, where excellence can often be pursued with relentless intensity, self-criticism can easily become a dancer’s default response to setbacks and struggles. But what if the key to improving performance, maintaining motivation, and protecting mental health is not found in pushing harder or being tougher on yourself?
What if it begins with practicing greater kindness and understanding to yourself with self-compassion? In this blog post, we explore how self-compassion can support dancers’ well-being and performance, and introduce a visual infographic designed to help dancers bring these ideas into practice.
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-compassion is a strengths-based approach of meeting personal struggles with patience and care rather than harsh judgment. It is not about lowering standards or avoiding accountability. Rather, self-compassion provides you with the capacity to acknowledge difficulty, and then to offer yourself the support that you would perhaps extend to a close friend or family member (Neff, 2003).
Psychologist Dr Kristin Neff (2003), who pioneered research in this area, identifies three core components of self-compassion:
Mindfulness: Being present and aware of your experience without over-identifying with it.
Common Humanity: Recognising that everyone can struggle from time to time, and that imperfection is part of being human.
Self-Kindness: responding to yourself with warmth and understanding.
In dance, self-compassion might look like:
Holding yourself with care during injury, a tough rehearsal, or audition rejection.
Embracing the learning process, even when progress feels slow.
Choosing rest instead of pushing through exhaustion or pain.
Introducing the Infographic: “Unlocking Self-Compassion in Dance”
To support dancers to integrate self-compassion into their practice, we have developed this visual infographic resource. It presents three metaphorical doors along a winding path, each representing a core element of self-compassion (Neff, 2003). Each door can be unlocked with a corresponding practical ‘key strategy’.
In the section that follows, we explore each of these keys with added detail and actionable strategies you can try in and outside of the studio.
Mindfulness
Pick your first key strategy in the component of mindfulness. This is the starting point for self-compassion, because before you can respond with care, you need to recognise that you are struggling.
Pause and Breathe: Before class or rehearsal, take three slow deep breaths. Do a body scan by noticing where tension is showing up in your body?
Micro Check-in: Between dance combinations or exercises ask yourself: “what is happening for me right now?”. This quick reflection helps build awareness of your physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions.
Notice Your Self-Talk: Are you over-analysing a mistake? Judging yourself harshly? Catch the ‘inner critic’ mid-sentence and observe the thought.
Name the Feeling: Identifying and labelling your emotions can help reduce their intensity and build emotional awareness. Tools like the ‘Feelings Wheel’, or even music, can support this process by helping you tune into and express what you are feeling more easily.
2. Common Humanity
This second key reminds us that struggle is not unique to us, and others face it too. Acknowledging this helps reduce isolation and builds connection to others. In practice this might be:
Connecting with Peers: After class, share how you are feeling with a friend. The chances are, they have felt something similar and relatable.
Daily Affirmations: Before, during, or after classes, as well as for rehearsals and performances, you can use self-talk phrases such as: “I’m not the only one who feels this way”, “many dancers have moments of doubt too”, and “It’s okay to feel overwhelmed – we all feel this at times”.
Create a Self-Compassion Wall: Invite dancers to anonymously share challenges in dance on sticky notes. Over time, this can become a visual reminder of shared experience as well as to open the possibility for conversation and dialogue amongst dancers and teachers.
3. Self-Kindness
Once you are aware of your struggle and know you are not alone, self-kindness invites you to respond with care. Pick your third key:
Supportive Touch: Place a hand on your heart or gently hold your arms. Research shows this can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help regulate emotional responses (Germer & Neff, 2013).
Mental Rehearsal (Imagery): Reimagine a challenging rehearsal as if coaching a close friend. What would you say to encourage them? Picture yourself moving with confidence and receiving kind, constructive informational cues (Sackett et al., 2024).
Write a compassionate letter to yourself: Set a timer for 10 minutes to write a “Dear Dancer” letter from the voice of a kind, supportive friend. Research showed that athletes who wrote compassionate letters to themselves felt less self-critical after making mistakes (Mosewich et al., 2013).
Why Self-Compassion Matters for Dancers
Dance provides a rich and rewarding means of artistic expression. Yet, the infographic reminds us: “challenges and setbacks shape every dancer’s journey”. Whether it is injury, perfectionism, or rejection, dancers navigate high demands in this performance domain. Self-compassion does not remove these difficulties. Rather, it shifts the way dancers relate to them.
Research provides evidence of its benefits:
ReseTake The Next Step… One Key at a Time
Download the infographic
Use it in class: Try one strategy this week and reflect on what you noticed.
Start the conversation: Share the infographic with your peers, teachers, or dance community, and consider displaying it in your studio. Also ask: “What might self-compassion look like in our dance space?”
Shortlisted for the 2025 IADMS Infographic Competition!
We are excited to share that Emma’s infographic, “Unlocking Self Compassion in Dance”, was shortlisted as one of three finalists for the 2025 International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) Infographic Competition. IADMS promotes the health and well-being of dancers globally, and their annual infographic competition invites entries to turn research into creative and evidence-based visuals for the dance community. Congratulations to Emma!
Stay up to date with the latest developments in the self-compassion in dance research project by visiting the SPRINT Project website. You can also explore related research led by the team on a range of topics in dance. For more infographic resources, take a look at team member Michelle’s infographic on safeguarding in dance.
Written by Emma Morgan (PhD student in the SPRINT Project)
Image credit Canva
To reference infographic: Morgan, E. (2025, July 18). Unlocking self-compassion in dance [Infographic]. The SPRINT Project. https://www.sprintproject.org/post/ unlocking-sef-lcompassion-in-dance-an-infographic-resource-for-the-studio-and-beyond
References
Morgan, E., Cumming, J., Quinton, M., & Nordin Bates, S. (2024). Exploring self compassion as a protective factor of dance students’ mental health. IADMS Annual Conference Proceedings Abstract Book.
Mosewich, A. D., Crocker, P. R., Kowalski, K. C., & DeLongis, A. (2013). Applying self-compassion in sport: An intervention with women athletes. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 35(5), 514-524. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.35.5.514
Neff, K. (2003). Self compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032
Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self‐compassion program. Journal of clinical psychology, 69(1), 28-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21923
Sackett, S. C., Alicea, S., & Winter, A. (2024). Enhancing athletes’ self-compassion and psychological well-being through imagery. Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, 19(s1). https://doi.org/10.1515/jirspa-2023-0026
Walton, C. C., Kirby, J. N., McKenzie, S., Gao, C. X., Purcell, R., Rice, S. M., & Osborne, M. S. (2025). A preliminary investigation into self-compassion and compassion-based intervention for mental health in the performing arts. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1512114. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1512114
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