A study is currently being carried out at Cambridge University on the lives of dancers who have sustained a serious injury affecting their ability to perform, and that may influence – or has already influenced – their career choices. The aim of this research is to identify how injury affects dancers’ lives, and the most effective ways of dealing with its impact.
Are you eligible to participate?
You are eligible to be part of the study if all three of the following points describe you:
· I am or previously was a professional dancer.
· I have or had an injury that prevents/prevented me from dancing as I did before.
· Because of my injury, I am currently considering or previously considered changing the kind of work I do.
What is involved?
· This is an interview study in which participants are asked to talk about their experience of injury, and how this has affected them, professionally and in other ways.
· Each participant will be interviewed one-on-one by the researcher.
· The interview will last 1-2 hours, and will be conducted privately, and in complete confidence.
· Wherever possible, the interview will be conducted in person, but can also be carried out by phone if this is preferred.
· The names of those involved in the study will be kept completely confidential and will not be shared with anyone, either during the research process or after the study is complete.
Why participate?
This study explores how dancers deal with the impact of a debilitating injury on their lives. By participating in this study, you will be contributing to important research that may change the lives of other injured dancers, and help in the training of future dancers. You will also receive feedback on the study’s key findings. In addition, you may find that the interview provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on your experiences and the choices that you have made.
The researcher: Sally Maitlis
Dr Sally Maitlis is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Cambridge University. She has studied creative organizations and their members for over 15 years, including British symphony orchestras, a Canadian game design company, and artistic and other performers with significant injuries. She is also a trained counsellor. For more information, please see: http://tinyurl.com/sallymaitlis
Would you like to join this study?
Please contact Sally at maitlis@sauder.ubc.ca to learn more about the study and decide if you would like to participate in it.
I have decided to embark on a 6 mile run for Sport Relief on the 21st of March 2010! Having never completed a long distance race before, I have been training for the past year to improve my 5 min jog on the treadmill, to a real race of a reasonable distance! I thoght that this was a cause, and since dance is becoming more and more closely linked to sport, it is something dear to my heart. 
