Age- and Gender-Related Psychological Characteristics of Adolescent Ballet Dancers

Ballet school students (n = 90) aged 11-17 years, and nondancing adolescents (n = 156) aged 13-17 completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). Significant differences between female dancers and controls were seen in five subscales, with higher scores for the dancers ('Drive for thinness', 'Bulimia', 'Interpersonal distrust', 'Ineffectiveness' and 'Perfectionism'). Their highest scores on most subscales were for the 16-year-olds. The only difference between male dancers and controls was seen for Ineffectiveness. Our data suggest important psychological inconsistency in the course of the adolescence of female ballet dancers, whilst the psychological profile of male ballet dancers appeared quite similar to that of nondancing adolescents.