Pain Trilogy: A Case Study of the Physical and Mental Reconstruction of Taiwan Professional Acrobats

This paper employs narrative research to explore the painful experience of physical and mental reconstruction and returning to the stage of three members of the Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe. The participants, one female and two males, are acrobats in an age range of 38-45 years old, having at least 8 years of acrobatic training and over 20 years of acting experience. During the in-depth interview, each participant described different feelings, opinions, and pain management strategies stemming from differences in age, special items, types and locations of the pain. The results show that the participants had varying degrees of injury experience and usually coexisted with a painful body in three connected stages as follows: The acrobat experienced a staged process of perceiving the pain, including "accumulate pain, endure pain, be startled by pain, and treat pain as well as managing pain" at the first stage of the trauma-branded body. During the second stage of physical and mental reconstruction, acrobats must overcome the fear, anger, and anxiety from the potentially unrecoverable loss of skills, then decide whether or not to leave the stage. They begin to increase their protective measures. In the difficult process of overcoming pain and returning to the stage, the protective gear and the shadow of the injury reduce the acrobats' courage. It is even more difficult to return to the level of the previous performance. We conclude that acrobats who coexist with painful bodies sometimes return to the stage less than fully prepared, which may bring great risks to the entire performance. Only by bravely facing the injury and avoiding the scarred body could the acrobat be more refined and continue to stand on the stage.

關鍵字

Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe ； painful experience ； narrative research ； protective gear

並列摘要

本研究以臺灣特技團為例，旨在理解臺灣職業雜技演員的傷痛經驗，並釐清其身心重建及重返舞臺的歷程。本研究運用敘說研究來進行闡釋與分析，訪談1名女性和2名男性臺灣特技團團員，年齡層涵蓋38～45歲，學習資歷至少8年，皆有20年以上的實務經驗。在深度訪談的過程中，由於年齡、專長項目、疼痛類型和部位的不同，每位參與者都有不同的感受，見解和對策。研究結果顯示，參與者有不同程度的受傷經歷，並且通常在以下三個相連的階段與疼痛的身體並存。雜技演員在創傷烙痕身體的階段，會經歷「積痛→忍痛→驚痛→療痛→馭痛」的階段過程。其次是在身心重建的第二階段，雜技演員在心理上必須克服恐懼、憤怒與焦慮，且做出去留舞臺的決定，因為他們受到技能喪失的打擊，開始加強保護措施，也面臨可能無法恢復原始技能的情況。最後是重返舞臺的身體，在此過程中護具和教訓會與身體同在，致使傷痛復出的雜技演員已不再擁有勇者無懼之心，要回復過往演出的水平更是倍感艱辛。本研究發現，與歷經過傷痛的身體共存的雜技演員，若沒有準備好而回到舞臺，早已銘刻教訓的身心皆可能帶給整場表演極大的潛在風險。唯有勇敢面對傷勢以避免傷痕累累的身體，如此才有可能更加精煉且繼續立足於舞臺上。

並列關鍵字

臺灣特技團；傷痛經驗；敘說研究；護具

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