Some of the questions we address in this lecture concern the nature of how the personality profiles of performing artists differ from each other and from the general population. For example, we will explore which group of performing artists have the highest tendency towards bi-polar disorder, or manic depression, which group are most likely to have low self-esteem and which group, according to a Psycho-analyst, has the greatest need for love.

We will ask why it is that certain performing artists have such distinct psychological profiles and ask whether people who have such personality profiles are drawn towards a particular form of creative expression or whether the act of training and working, or not-working, in a particular performing arts profession brings on these characteristics.

Finally we will look at some data from our own lab which examines the personality profiles of different types of dancers (e.g. ballet, hip hop and Kathak) to see whether all dancers have similar personality profiles.

These are important questions because, for example, self-esteem is associated with a host of behavioral characteristics, such as eating disorders, and bi-polar disorder can seriously impair a person's ability to carry out and complete day-to-day activities. However, these characteristics can also be seen to benefit some people.

Some famous performing artists have spoken candidly about some of these conditions. For example, in the clips below Stephen Fry talks openly about his experience of manic depression. He says, in the video clip on the right, that stress is something he cannot live without and suggests that perhaps he would not have been quite so successful without it.