Learning From the Vulnerabilities of Professional Dancers: A Relational Study (Presentation at the 38th EGOS Colloquium 2022)

Abstract

<p>This paper aims to explore professional dancers’ vulnerabilities. Drawing on 26 interviews conducted with ballet dancers from the Finnish National Ballet in the spring of 2021, I aim to verbalize the complex notion of vulnerability and what it means to professional dancers. I approach vulnerability as a relational endeavour – an activity or a bodily state that always materializes and is felt in relation to others. The wider contribution of this paper lies in its potential to broaden our understanding of how work organizations can be seen in a more humane and empathetic light and, by doing so, increase our well-being and connection to the others.<br></p>