The present study aimed to analyze the differences between ballet, contemporary, and flamenco dancers when generating mental motor kinesthetic and visual images of simple and complex movements. A cross-sectional study, including 45 professional dancers (15 flamenco dancers, 15 ballet dancers, and 15 contemporary dancers), was planned. We analyzed the ability to generate mental motor visual and kinesthetic images with the revised movement imagery questionnaire (MIQ-R) and mental chronometry (MC); the real movement execution (RME) chronometry was also measured, using arm and jump movement assessments. ANOVA revealed significant differences between groups regarding the jump movement assessments for the kinesthetic MIQ-R item (F = 5.29, P = 0.009), for the RME chronometry (F = 13.19, P = <0.001), and for the kinesthetic MC (F = 9.28, P < 0.001). The post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences between flamenco dancers compared with contemporary and ballet dancers for all the variables regarding the jump movement. Flamenco dancers used significantly greater visual than kinesthetic imagery modalities to generate mental motor imagery in the jump movement (P = 0.024, d = 0.63). No differences were found in the arm movement assessment between groups. Results reveal differences in the ability to generate motor images, specifically the kinesthetic ones, between flamenco dancers and ballet and contemporary dancers. When performing a non-familiar complex movement, dancers predominantly use a visual motor imagery modality, which leads to a longer execution time as well as a longer time for kinesthetic mental motor imagery. K E Y W O R D Saction familiarity, dance, motor imagery

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Background Dance has been linked in a complex manner to pain and the physical and psychological peculiarities of this discipline could influence pain perception and chronicity of pain. Objective To determine the differences in cognitive, emotional, and somatosensory symptoms between dancers with acute versus chronic pain. Design A cross‐sectional study of professional dancers with pain. Setting Higher conservatory of dance. Participants Thirty‐four professional dancers experiencing pain were included. The cohort was divided into two subgroups: those with acute pain (<3 months duration) and those with chronic pain (>3 months duration). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Pain intensity (as measured by the visual analogue scale or VAS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), pain‐related fear of movement (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia [TSK‐11]), fear avoidance beliefs (Fear‐Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire [FABQ]), self‐efficacy (Chronic Pain Self‐Efficacy Scale [CPSS]). and chronic pain severity (Chronic Pain Graded Scale [CPGS]). Results Dancers with chronic pain reported higher levels of pain intensity in daily activities (p < .01; t = 3.42; d = 1.17) and during exercise/dance (p = .02; t = 2.82; d = 0.82), as well as lower PPT in lumbar (p = .03; t = 3.22; d = 1.1) and tibialis regions (p = .01; t = 2.51; d = 0.86). Dancers with acute pain experienced worse psychological symptoms indicated by the fear of harm subscale of TSK‐11 (p = .04; t = −2.08; d = 0.72), physical activity subscale of FABQ (p = .03; t = −2.27; d = 0.78), and pain management subscale of CPSS (p = .01; t = −2.76; d = 0.94) and lower scores for CPGS scale (p = .01; t = 2.99; d = 0.7 to 1.26). Conclusions The results showed differences in pain intensity and PPT revealing higher values in dancers with chronic pain. It is possible that the physical and psychological characteristics of dancers, as well as the sociocultural aspects of this discipline, could influence the way in which this population interprets pain.