Arbeitsfähigkeit von professionellen Bühnentänzer*innen: eine qualitative Erhebung von Chancen und Herausforderungen

The theatre as a workplace places high physical and psychosocial demands on professional dancers. The ability to work is influenced by structural and interpersonal factors and is of great importance to the theatre and its operations.

A total of 25 guided interviews were conducted with dance employers and employees in 16 German theatres. These varied in size from 10 to 70 dancers and were characterised by a heterogenity of dance specialisations. The interviews were analysed independently by two persons using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring under the use of MAXQDA.

The original work requirements of professional dancers are often extended to include additional tasks that require extra effort outside of working hours. The type and orientation of the theatre as well as the financial and organisational conditions influence the work organisation. This is characterised by the scheduling of performances, little or no employee participation and inefficient work processes. Furthermore, the leadership aspect reflects multifactorial challenges characterised by the different perspectives.

The common goal of all involved should be to create a healthy working environment for professional dancers. Developing and improving the system for maintaining and promoting work ability requires a joint commitment from management and the professional dancers.