126 Sally A. Radell, MFA, MA, Mara P. Mandradjief, MEd, PhD, and Daniel D. Adame, PhD, MSPH, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Steven P. Cole, PhD, Research Design Associates, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA. Correspondence: Sally A. Radell, MFA, MA, Department of Teater and Dance, 115 Rich Building, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA; sradell@ emory.edu. *Tis work was presented at the 28th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science held in Helsinki, Finland, in October 2018. Copyright © 2020 J. Michael Ryan Publishing, Inc. htps://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.24.3.126 Abstract Tis mixed methods study compared the impact of studio mirrors on body image in beginning level female colle- giate modern dance and ballet students utilizing the Cash 69-item Body Self- Relations Questionnaire and semi- structured interviews. For the overall Body-Areas Satisfaction there was a statistically signifcant mirror condi- tion x time interaction (p = 0.029); regardless of dance genre, students’ body satisfaction in mirrored classes decreased. Specifcally at the mid torso, a statistically signifcant class type x time interaction (p = 0.012) occurred; ballet dancers decreased in satisfaction. Interviews refected that: 1. students in the mirrored classes spent more time discussing specific body parts with objectifying language; and 2. students in the non-mirrored classes spent more time describing their participa- tion in dance in terms of kinesthetic sensations. Tese fndings suggest that satisfaction with one’s body in begin- ner ballet and modern classes may be compromised by the use of mirrors. I t is well documented in both research 1-10 and anecdotal 11-15 formats that dancers frequently experience negative body image, defned as “a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body.” 16 It has been suggested that several components of the dance training environment may contribute to this efect, including mirror usage, form-ftting dance attire, the desire to be thin in order to be more com- petitive for lead roles, comparison of self to other dancers, and teaching styles. 17-18 Of these, mirror usage consistently appears as a prominent topic of inquiry. 19-22 For instance, Radell and associates conducted a number of studies exploring the mirror’s impact on female collegiate ballet students. 8,9,23-25 Using the Cash 69-item Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) 26 and at times interviews, they show that students dancing in a mirrored studio decrease in body image satisfaction more than students in non-mirrored studios. Like oth- ers investigating low body image in dancers, 5,17,19,27,28 Radell and associates frame these results by use of Duval and Wicklund’s Teory of Objective Self-Awareness (OSA). 29 Objective Self-Awareness hypothesizes that objects like mirrors may cause a state of heightened self-awareness that encourages individuals to compare themselves to other ideals in the en- vironment, perhaps a fellow student or teacher. If a ballet student does not feel she compares well to others, a negative self-evaluation can occur. Introspection and passivity frequently characterize this state. 30 Research shows these adverse efects tend to remain constant regardless of the dancer’s skill level. 25 What remains unexplored, however, is how the mirror may afect non-ballet dance students, such as modern dancers. Ballet and modern dance have contrasting historical and aesthetic backgrounds. Ballet began in French and Italian courts and was primarily practiced by nobility. As a codifed and prescribed system of movement, it held high artistic standards and was concerned with reinforcing the estab- lished order. 31 Ballet tends to empha- size vertical movement with minimal floorwork. Modern dance, on the other hand, developed primarily in America in the 20th Century and was a reaction against ballet’s formalism. It involved a more three-dimensional use of the torso and extensive foor- work. 32,33 Impact of Mirrors on Body Image of Beginning Modern and Ballet Students Sally A. Radell, MFA, MA, Mara P. Mandradjief, MEd, PhD, Daniel D. Adame, PhD, MSPH, and Steven P. Cole, PhD