Motivation for Dancers
Motivation for Dancers is a 5-hour CPD-certified online course designed for dancers in training, professional dancers, and dance teachers. Through engaging videos, reflection tasks, and active learning exercises, learners explore the psychology of motivation, including key theories, the role of goals, and practical strategies to sustain and support motivation in dance and performance. Assessment is via a multiple-choice quiz. No prior experience is required.
A five-hour online course for dancers, dance teachers and dance professionals
Motivation for Dancers
Understand what drives motivation, and learn practical ways to strengthen it in yourself and others.
£30 | 5 hours CPD | Online, anytime learning
Explore the psychology of motivation through short lectures, reflection activities, practical exercises and energising Dance Breaks with Dr Peter Lovatt
What you'll learn
- Define motivation and understand why it matters in dance training, teaching and performance.
- Explore Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Self-Determination Theory in a dance context.
- Use goal setting more effectively, including the Dance-SMART approach.
- Experiment with practical approaches, including motivational imagery, for supporting motivation.
- Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and consider how each can shape engagement.
- Recognise how autonomy, competence and connection can influence motivation.
- Reflect on your own patterns of motivation and what helps you keep moving forward.
- Apply psychological ideas to motivate dancers with greater empathy and understanding.
This course includes:
- Five hours of self-paced CPD learning
- Pause & Reflect Activities
- Energising dance breaks
- An end-of-course multiple-choice quiz
- Short video lectures with Dr Peter Lovatt
- Active Learning Exercises
- Suggested reading and learning resources
- CPD Certificate
Course content
Section 1: Introduction to Motivation
Begin by exploring why motivation matters in dance and performance. You will develop a clear working definition and consider how motivation affects effort, persistence, enjoyment and achievement.
Section 2: What Motivates You to Dance?
Use a guided Pause & Reflect activity to examine your own reasons for dancing, teaching or performing. This section helps you connect psychological ideas with your lived experience.
Section 3: Theories of Motivation
Explore Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Self-Determination Theory. Consider how needs, autonomy, competence and connection may shape motivation in dancers and performers.
Section 4: Goals and Motivation
Examine the relationship between goals and motivation, then apply the Dance-SMART framework to create goals that are specific, meaningful and useful in practice.
Section 5: Managing Motivation
Bring the ideas together through practical approaches for maintaining or rebuilding motivation. You will explore motivational imagery, suggested reading and strategies you can adapt to your own dance context.
Section 6: Summary and Knowledge Check
Consolidate the key ideas, complete the final Dance Break and test your understanding in the end-of-course multiple-choice quiz.
Requirements
No prerequisites required
Description
Motivation is the energy that helps dancers begin, persist and develop. It can influence how we approach training, respond to challenges, set goals and remain connected to the reasons we dance.
In this five-hour, self-paced course, you will explore the psychology of motivation and apply it to dance and performance. You will consider different sources of motivation, examine two influential psychological theories and explore the relationship between goals and motivated behaviour.
The course combines short video lectures with Pause & Reflect Activities, Active Learning Exercises, suggested reading and Dance Breaks. These activities invite you to connect the theory with your own experience as a dancer, performer, teacher or movement professional.
By the end of the course, you will have a clearer language for understanding motivation and a practical set of ideas you can use to support your own practice or the dancers you teach. Successful completion of the final quiz leads to a five-hour CPD Certificate of Completion.
Â
Who is the course for?
- Dancers in training who want to strengthen commitment, focus and enjoyment.
- Professional and independent dancers navigating changing goals or career demands.
- Dance teachers who want to understand and support student motivation.
- Performers and movement professionals interested in evidence-informed psychological ideas.
- Anyone curious about why people begin, continue or sometimes lose motivation to dance.
Course Content
Welcome to Motivation for Dancers and Performers
About Instructor
Course Includes
- 21 Lessons
- 1 Quiz
- Course Certificate
