Dancers' Reflections on Their Healthcare

Dancers’ Reflections on Their Healthcare Experiences: Perspectives from Australia and the USA A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctorate of Philosophy Jill Descoteaux August 2018 © 2018 Jill Descoteaux. All Rights Reserved 2 This dissertation titled Dancers’ Reflections on Their Healthcare Experiences: Perspectives from Australia and the USA by JILL DESCOTEAUX Has been approved for the Individualized Interdisciplinary Program and the Graduate College by Christine Suniti Bhat Professor of Counseling and Higher Education David Koonce Interim Dean, Graduate College 3 Abstract DESCOTEAUX, JILL, Ph.D, August 2018, Individualized Interdisciplinary Program Dancers’ Reflections on Their Healthcare Experiences: Perspectives from Australia and the USA Director of Dissertation: Christine Suniti Bhat In the field of dance medicine and science, there is limited literature addressing dancers’ access to healthcare. Between 2007 and 2009, the journal Medical Problems of Performing Artists published three articles evaluating the current status of performing arts medicine in three countries; Cuba (2007), Australia (2008), and the United States (2009). American physician and researcher Mary Air identifies that “in many countries…dancers are largely disconnected from medical resources readily available to other professional athletes due to low income, tenuous job stability, lack of adequate health insurance, poor Workers’ Compensation, and underdeveloped networking systems between dancer and medical institutions” (Air, 2009, p. 42). The research that forms the basis of this abstract (presentation) directly addresses the gap in research on dancers and healthcare. It has implications for the health and wellbeing of professional dancers, both freelance and companied, throughout their careers and life. Through a narrative qualitative lens, the purpose is to describe and compare American and Australian dancers’ experiences with healthcare. Twenty self- identifying professional dancers (10 in the United States and 10 in Australia) participated in semi-structured interviews reflecting on their experiences with healthcare. Their narratives address topics such as injury, access, self-care, mental-health, pregnancy, and insurance. Data collection took place during August of 2016 through August of 2017. 4 After member-checking and participant-feedback to validate the accuracy of narratives, content analysis of themes was conducted and is ongoing. Emergent themes included: 1. “knowledge of body”, 2. “complementary and alternative medicine”, and 3. “receiving dance-specific care”. Implications for healthcare professionals include growing a dance- specific network of different kinds of practitioners and working towards an integrated care model. 5 Dedication There’s nothing we can’t do if we work hard, never sleep, and shirk all other responsibilities in our lives. -Leslie Knope Parks and Recreation; S4, E10 “Citizen Knope” 6 Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without the help of many groups and individuals. First, an enormous thank you to my advisor, Dr. Christine Bhat who has supported me through various semesters, states, and hemispheres - I am so very lucky to have a mental health counselor as an advisor. I’d also like to express great thanks to the committee: Dr. Claire Hiller for being my Australian advisor and counsel while overseas, Dr. Janet Simon for her continued support, Dr. Peter Mather who guided the methodological intricacies of this project, and finally Dr. Tom Davis who first encouraged me to start this endeavor. Moreover, thank you to Dr. Amy Vassallo and Dr. Evangelos Pappas for being a part of my Australian research support team. Big thanks to Dorothy Carrien for transcribing each interview and for the morning office chats that I miss. Thank you to Ohio University; for supporting my research travels through the Student Enhancement Award and the Patton College’s Graduate Research Fund, without my work would have been impossible. Moreover, a huge thank you to my good friend, Kelli Brazier, for agreeing to come into this project as my editor – I treasured our Facetime/Google Doc/Catch-up nights. Thank you to the family who have supported me like friends and to the friends who supported me like family. A special thank you to my mother whose loving nature and work ethic always inspires me. To my loving partner Kevin Sweet, for his monumental support and never-wavering belief in my ability to accomplish this task, thank you. An earnest appreciation for Shane Wiechnik, whose digital support from across the globe has been the secret weapon of my life. 7 And finally, it goes without saying that the words and experiences lived and relayed by the dancers that I have met have been instrumental. I began this work being inspired by dancers and I complete it still inspired. Merde 8 Table of Contents Page Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ....................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 6 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ 8 Page ................................................................................................................................ 8 List of Tables ................................................................................................................ 13 List of Figures ............................................................................................................... 14 Page .............................................................................................................................. 14 Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................. 15 Dancers .............................................................................................................. 15 International Dancer Healthcare Perspectives ..................................................... 18 Dancer Healthcare Access .................................................................................. 18 Statement of the Problem and Rationale ............................................................. 20 Research Questions ............................................................................................ 21 Significance of Study ......................................................................................... 21 Definitions ......................................................................................................... 22 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .......................................................................... 23 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 23 Being a Dancer .................................................................................................. 23 Physical and psychological burdens of dance. ......................................... 26 Dancers’ salary. ...................................................................................... 28 Dancers’ healthcare. ............................................................................... 30 International perspectives. ........................................................... 32 Public health services. ................................................................. 34 Healthcare Policy ............................................................................................... 36 History of United States Healthcare ................................................................... 37 Current affairs in the United States. ........................................................ 40 History of Australian Healthcare ........................................................................ 41 Current affairs in Australia. .................................................................... 43 Comparing Healthcare Systems.......................................................................... 44 Elements of Healthcare Delivery ........................................................................ 46 Integrated care. ....................................................................................... 46 9 Complementary and alternative medical practices. ................................. 47 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 49 The Interview Questions .................................................................................... 50 Part one. ................................................................................................. 51 Injury. ......................................................................................... 51 Pregnancy. .................................................................................. 52 Part two. ................................................................................................. 53 Part three. ............................................................................................... 54 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................

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