The purpose of this study is to explore the essence of professional dancers’ experiences of participating in ATM classes through a phenomenological analysis. To achieve this, five professional dancers were selected as participants, and a total of 12 ATM classes were conducted. Participants’ experience reports and in-depth interview data were collected and analyzed using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method.
The study identifies the essence of the experiences of professional dancers who participated in ATM classes, which were categorized as follows: ‘discovery of sensory differences,’ ‘development of movement strategies,’ ‘flexibility of thinking,’ ‘re-recognition of achievement,’ and ‘self-discovery and application’. Additionally, by synthesizing the research findings, the core essence of these experiences, was analyzed as ‘change in self-image’. This change in the self-image was ultimately revealed through the phenomena of ‘recovery and care’ and ‘learning, unlearning, and relearning’.