The purpose of this study was to theorize the meaning of a ballerina' s experience by presenting the process and components of emotional expressiveness formation using the grounded theory method. Accordingly, this study was to present a practical basis for improving emotional expression competency by analyzing the process of forming emotional expression from childhood to the present for ballerinas who express emotions proficiently. Findings of this study can provide a foundation for balanced improvement in ballet technicality and artistry, along with recognition of the need for instruction regarding emotional expression and body techniques in the field of professional ballet education.
For this purpose, data were collected and analyzed using the grounded theory method (Strauss and Corbin, 1998), a qualitative research method. The study participants were ballerinas who had lead dancer experience in a professional ballet company. Ten finalists were selected via the reputational case selection method. In-depth interviews were conducted for data collection, and the collected data were analyzed with open, axial, and selective coding.
The results of this study were derived according to a three-step coding analysis, as follows. First, regarding the formation of ballerinas' emotional expressiveness, 160 concepts, 31 subcategories, and 9 categories were derived by analyzing the raw data line-by-line through open coding. Second, the process by which a ballerina' s emotional expressiveness is formed was obtained using Strauss and Corbin' s axis coding paradigm category analysis and a process analysis. According to the paradigm model, the relationship between categories was analyzed by focusing on the abovementioned 9 categories. The central phenomenon of the formation of emotional expressiveness among ballerinas was the "expression of the meaning of work." The causal condition that caused this phenomenon was the "formation of expression motivation," and the contextual condition was the "formation of ballet." The ballerinas in the study sample used action/interaction strategies such as "technical ability," "emotional ability," and "affective ability" to express the meaning of a work. Mediating and reinforcing conditions were "environmental help" and "social perception." The result of emotional expressiveness formation was 'self-expression." The formation process was analyzed and presented by dividing the stages for reaching self-expression from the manifestation of the central phenomenon into recognition, integration/execution, and adjustment, according to the flow of time and space. In the recognition stage, the emotions of others are recognized in order to convey the meaning of the work. In the integration/execution stage, emotions and thoughts are integrated for self-expression after recognizing the emotions, which are expressed by giving meaning to the movements. In the adjustment stage, the emotions understood by the ballerina are adjusted to the emotions desired by the audience. Although this process has a series of sequential characteristics, self-expression is formed through a repetitive cycle.
Third, the components of ballerinas' emotional expressiveness were derived through selective coding. The core category was the "ability to form self-expression to convey meaning." By integrating the categories according to this core category, the components affecting the formation of emotional expression were identified. These include expressive skills, knowledge, and attitude. The classifications for sub-elements were technical technique, expressive technique, emotional recognition (i.e., the recognition of others' emotions and thinking ability), emotional adjustment (i.e., the utilization of emotions and movement control), personal attitude (i.e., concentration, persistence, confidence, and subjectivity), and social attitude (i.e., sympathy, consideration, and openness). Each ability leads to independent self-expression in an integrated way by achieving a balance with each other.
The interaction results of the causal, contextual, and mediating conditions affecting self-expression formation ability for meaning delivery by the ballerina were divided into individual, organizational, and social dimensions through the situational model. The individual dimension refers to one' s personal effort to achieve inner awareness and control of the emotion to be expressed based on the interaction between the educational environment and the emotional experience. The organizational dimension refers to the knowledge and experience acquired to maximize the meaning of the work based on interactions with the choreographer, the surrounding dancers, and the instructor. The social dimension refers to social communication with the audience to express the meaning of the work. It was determined that emotional expressions of individual ballerinas are formed through interactions of micro and macro situational conditions. The above results form a cornerstone of the foundation for the implementation of an integrated education focused on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for a balanced improvement in ballet techniques and artistry.
Based on the results of this study, a specific educational program is needed for practically improving the ability of ballerinas to express emotions based on the underlying formation process and components. Additionally, for the formation of ballerinas' emotional expressiveness, interactions with the instructor is an important factor. Accordingly, there is a need for practical education to cultivate instructor with the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes related to emotional expressions.