Inspirational teachers: their role in the development of excellence in professional dancers

In the study of outstanding performers, research has established the important
role of significant people at different stages of excellence development.
Specifically, teachers and mentors seem to have a central role in
this process, contributing to the investment and persistence of individuals
in learning, developing, and mastering a given task, as to professional
socialization and influence. In this study, types of support and influence
of teachers and mentors at different stages of dancers’ excellence pathways
are identified and analyzed. Using a case study approach, four
dancers nominated for revealing excellence in performance and being
actively engaged in their field were interviewed. Results confirm past research
on the influential role of teachers and mentors in talent and expertise
development. Dancers identify significant teachers and
choreographers in their careers, particularly their important support on
skill acquisition and mastery. Also, their role on dancers’ careers as “inspirational
teachers/choreographers” was also referred to. Reflections on
future research are discussed.