Assessment of Potential Theater Arts Talent in Young People: The Development of a New Research-Based Assessment Process

The Role of Social Support in Dance Talent Development

“…This raises questions concerning the extent to which third-phase teachers support Singaporean students for a professional career. Previous studies have indicated the importance that successful dancers attribute to such knowledgeable teachers (Araújo et al, 2009, 2011; Chua, 2014b; Oreck et al, 2000). A deeper understanding of the role of third-phase teachers could contribute to strategies for helping Singaporean students in becoming a “true artist.”…”

“…Oreck et al’s (2000) study with economically disadvantaged elementary (ages 10–12), intermediate (ages 15), and high school to adult (ages 18–26) dance cohort in the United States revealed family support and sacrifices as attributes for their success. Emotional support from parents, such as attending their children’s performances, and instrumental support from parents and siblings, such as taking the children to lessons, fueled the dance cohort’s talent developmental trajectories.…”

“…Bloom’s (1985) findings have since been supported by studies in dance (Chua, 2014b; Oreck, Baum, & McCartney, 2000; van Rossum, 2001). In particular, van Rossum (2001) investigated the use of Bloom’s model of 129 dance conservatory (or vocational) students in the Netherlands.…”

“…Previous research on the role of family and teachers in talented dancers’ and students’ development is limited. No empirical studies, except for the report by Oreck et al (2000), have investigated the phenomena from the perspectives of dance students, family members, and teachers. As Graham (2009) aptly observed, “One cannot fully understand an individual student’s motivation to achieve (‘can’ and ‘want’) without also understanding their relationships with other people—in particular, what they think and feel about others and how others think and feel about them” (p. 113) because students’ social lives and their talent development trajectories are intertwined.…”

A Mixed Methods Investigation of Dropout among Talented Young Dancers

“…A study of urban youth similarly reported that the practical realities of a career in the arts served as a barrier to participation. 47 The finding that some participants had lost their passion for dance is unique to the current study. Recently, investigators have suggested that passion for an activity forms the motivation that underlies persistence 48,49 ; it could be that the absence of emotional attachment to an activity lessens commitment.…”