Feeling anxious about time off from dance?

During the summer many dancers have time off after their last performance of the season. Many dancers fear this time off. They worry about losing technique and strength, or fear gaining weight. Some dancers just don’t know what to do with their free time.

To find solutions about how dancers can cope mentally and physically with summer break, I talked with experts in the dance field, Philippa Ziegenhardt, Dance Counselor and creator of StageMinded and Dr. Elizabeth Barchi, Sports Medicine Specialist at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in Manhattan.  

“It is quite common for dancers to struggle with taking a break from dance, especially if they’re perfectionists, or if they’ve finished the year on a big high with a big performance season,” says Ziegenhardt. “It is normal for people to take some time to unwind from it all and just knowing that can help some dancers settle into their holiday more smoothly.”

“The beginning of summer is a good time to take off. There’s lots of time between performances, you’re not worrying about auditions, and you have time to breathe before summer intensives start,” says Barchi.

Both full-heartedly agree that dancers need to take time to allow their bodies to heal at the end of the season, especially if they’ve been putting off letting injuries heal.

“The human body is designed to function in a rhythm of work and rest. Without adequate rest, you’re at higher risk of injury, illness, loss of motivation and burnout,” says Zeigenhardt.

But how long should that rest be?

Mostly it depends on your company, or school and summer intensive schedule. Barchi and Zeigenhardt advocate dancers taking a few weeks off from dance. “Ideally, it’s great for dancers to initially take a couple of weeks to completely switch off from dancing and rejuvenate their mind, body and soul,” says Zeignhardt. “This is a great time for hanging out with friends and family, laughing, eating delicious food, sleeping in and doing all the fun and interesting things you usually don’t have time for because of dance.”

To start off summer break, Zeignhardt suggests dancers: “give themselves 4-5 days initially to ‘come down’ and specifically do some things that will help them reflect on the year that has been and transition into holiday-mode, e.g. journaling, making a photo collage or another creative outlet, as well as the active recovery activities to provide some structured rest.”

Barchi advises dancers to do active rest- anything that is not dance, for the first week or two of break. Examples of active rest activities include: biking, swimming, hiking, yoga, light aerobic activity, paddle boarding or snorkeling. All of these activities can easily be tied into vacation time. Go biking on the boardwalk, do sunrise yoga on the beach, or hike in the mountains. The goal is: “finding things fun and renewing,” says Barchi.

Summer gives dancers the opportunity to explore interests both in an out of dance. Barchi suggests dancers find another hobby that will fill time so you’re not sitting on the couch. Teach classes, learn how to sew so you can sew skirts to sell as a side hustle, get Pilates or Yoga certified, learn a musical instrument, explore dance history. The goal is to find an activity that will contribute to your art.

While on break, it can sometimes be hard to let yourself relax because your inner critic can be very active. First know that you are not alone, every dancer has these internal thoughts. “I remember myself when I was dancing in the Hamburg Ballet, on summer breaks I often had that nagging inner-critic in my ear saying ‘you shouldn’t be eating that’ ‘you’re getting out of shape’ or ‘you’re lazy’ and it just robbed me of my freedom to enjoy my hard-earned break,” says Zeignhardt.

Zeignhardt advises dancers to combat the voice of criticism by “learning to recognize that inner critic’s voice and call it out when it tries to ruin your relaxed holiday vibes is a really important skill to learn. You have every right to enjoy your rest. And resting is also your responsibility to make sure you come back fresh and motivated.”

If you have a fear of gaining weight while on break, Barchi believes there is no reason to worry…

“Dance does not burn that many calories. Swimming or strength training burns more calories,” says Barchi.  She jokes that “bad swimming burns even more calories.”

However, if you take a month off from dance and gain weight, Barchi advises patients to consider working with a therapist and/or nutritionist. Take a month to work through your mental and physical issues with food under the guidance of the necessary professionals.

Here at The Whole Dancer, through both one on one coaching and The Dancer’s Best Body Program, Jess can support you in finding a balance with food that will take you through summer and beyond. You can reach out to her here!

With the fear of taking time off, also comes the fear of getting back in shape in time for the new season. Barchi outlined an example of how a dancer can let their body heal and then gradually come back during a four week break.

Week 1:

Take a period of rest.

Weeks 2+3:

Strengthen other parts of the body by doing crossing training. Do 50 % of your activity level, but not necessarily dance. If you usually dance eight hours a day, do four hours of activity. That could be one hour of pilates, one hour of yoga, one to two hours of just walking around. This is when you do active rest activities.

Week 4:

Take class

“This [weeks 3-4] is also a good time to gradually start adjusting your sleep routine so you’re prepared for upcoming early starts,” says Zeignhardt. “It’s also the perfect time to set some goals and work on your mindset so you can start the new season feeling confident and inspired.”

In Conclusion…

Allow yourself time to breathe, recharge and decompress after all the dedication to dance. If you need support, seek it out from professionals who understand the situation who can support you through the transition. Make it a goal to get to a place where breaks bring you joy!

 About Phillippa Zeignhardt:

Philippa danced professionally with the Hamburg Ballet in Germany for 6 years before retraining as a counselor. She founded StageMinded.com in 2011 to equip dancers with the mindset skills they need to survive and succeed in the industry. Philippa is also School Counselor and Performance Psychology teacher at The Australian Ballet School and is mum to 2 crazy little kids. For more information about Philippa, go to Stageminded.com …and if you’re stuck for ideas of things to do this summer, check out her list of 100+ fun activities for dancers here: 

100+ fun activities for dancers

About Elizabeth Barchi, MD, Staff Physician at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries

Dr. Barchi is a board-certified pediatrician with an added qualification in pediatric sports medicine. Her early career with Brandywine Ballet sparked both her passion for dance medicine and her career in the innovation of medical care and training of dancers. During her fellowship training at NYU School of Medicine, she studied dance medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Rose and Dr. Weiss. She is thrilled to be a part of the groundbreaking medical and research teams at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries.

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Show up with Confidence + Get Noticed

When you head off to intensive, whether it’s your first or your fifth, it’s a valuable time to make contacts for your future career aspirations. If you’re headed to intensive with the goal of a traineeship or spot in the year round program the stakes are even higher.

To ensure that you make a positive impression you’ve got to go in prepared from day 1. This means being both physically and mentally prepared.

Physical Preparation

Your cross training and technical training plan need to be set up to get you ready for the intensity of intensive. Even if you’re not injured, you might seek out a physical therapist for some support in training your weaknesses. If you’re prone to ankle sprains for example, a physical therapist can provide a plan to strengthen your ankles to avoid injury.

Compare the number of hours of dance you’ll face at intensive to your current regimen. Find ways to build up towards the number of hours at intensive. Rather than trying to match it now, just look into adding 30 minutes to an hour each day until you’re closer to the summer intensive schedule.

This physical preparation can go a long way and will support you more than going from 0 to 60 in a short period of time.

Mental Preparation

Knowing you’re prepared physically can support your mental state and confidence. Being assured in what you can do in the studio is going to allow you to dance more freely.

To further support your mentality for intensive, give yourself some positive mantras to repeat both before and during class. Stress your abilities, talents and capabilities.

“What you envision in your mind, how you see yourself, and how you envision the world around you is of great importance because those things become your focus.” Ed Mylett

If you find yourself judging the other dancer’s in your class, it likely means you’re judging yourself quite harshly as well. Start to think of positive attributes for your peers. What are they doing well? Start to see the positives in those around you and it will be easier to see the positive in yourself.

Dress for Success

Only bring leotards with you this summer that make you feel amazing and beautiful. Silly as it sounds what you wear can have a big impact on how you show up! If you have to bring some that you don’t love, at least save the best tights and leotard for placement class.

You want to look at placement class as another audition (with less pressure). Don’t forget – you already got in so the stakes are not that high but it’s important to go all out for your placement class.

However, if placement class doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped all is not lost. If you end up in a lower level than you think you belong, look at it as an opportunity to work your hardest and really stand out. It might give you the chance to really shine and possibly get a soloist role in the end of summer performance. Or, maybe you’ll be moved up in levels later – both are possible.

Make Connections

Dancer’s aren’t typically trained to network but it can be as valuable in dance as it is in business. Do your best to help teacher’s remember your name – volunteer to demonstrate a combination, be will to answer questions, be willing to go first.

Whichever teacher you feel most comfortable with, look for ways to engage them in conversation around your development and potential. Maybe ask a specific question about a combination or variation after class. Of course, only do this if the teacher has time and isn’t running off to teach another class.

If you’re hoping to stay year round or get a trainee spot, try to schedule a conversation with one of the people who makes that decision. You might keep this til the end of the 1st or 2nd week, not the end, that way if you need to step things up you’ll have time.

Express your great interest in staying for the year. Ask how they feel you’ve been doing so far and finally inquire as to what they see as your areas for growth. A mature conversation like this is not always easy but it’s important to practice using your voice! It will serve you in your professional career and beyond.

Be Present in Every Class 

Summer intensives can feel long. You might be there for 6 weeks and that’s a long, intense time to stay fully present. Do your best to stay energetic and engaged in each and every class you take – even the “fun” classes like hip-hop and modern.

You never know who might be paying attention to your work ethic and energy even in your non-ballet classes.

In your ballet classes, take each and every correction as though it’s your own. If a teacher is having one dancer try a new approach to something, you should be actively trying that new approach as well.

And don’t forget – don’t mark arms!! Ever!

Looking for more ways to prep for intensive? Grab your FREE summer intensive diary or sign up for the FREE online summer intensive success workshop!

The post Summer Intensive Prep Part II : Getting Noticed appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Navigating a New Food Situation

Summer Intensives mean a lot of new things…new teachers, new competition, new environment and of course a new food situation. I’ve worked with a number of dancer’s who saw their relationship with food shift at Summer Intensive.

To ensure that things stay healthy and balanced, it’s important to think about what you’ll face this summer and decide how you’ll tackle it.

My first Summer Intensive was a food turning point.

At 13, it was the first time I was making all of my meal decisions on my own. No more parental input or guidance. I settled quickly into a little friend group and those girls ended up being big food influences for me.

Interestingly enough, they didn’t under eat but rather anticipated all the energy they’d be spending in classes and tended to overeat. I followed along willingly.

Rather than making more balanced choices and keeping with the same portions I was used to at home, I easily double or tripled my consumption at meals. At breakfast I distinctly remember eating 2-3 bowls of different cereal plus fruit and other sides.

While I was away I really thought nothing of the shift in food choices and at 13 I was blissfully unaware that anything might have changed with my body. When I returned to my home studio, this is when I experienced a major shift in body image and awareness.

My year round teacher patted me on the thigh and simply said, “That wasn’t there before.”

It was only then that it even occurred to me that I might’ve gained weight while I was away. It was then that I stepped on the scale for the first time and decided that the number needed to be lower. It was then that I started the habit of stepping on the scale numerous times each and every day and measuring my worth based on what I saw.

So, surprising as it might sound, my eating experience at a single summer intensive had a huge impact on the trajectory of my relationship with food and my body.

After that first summer away, my goal at summer intensives was to eat as little as possible because it was a rare opportunity to lose weight away from the watchful eye of my mother.

Whether you’ll be heading to your first summer intensive or you’ve been away a number of times, it’s important to think about how you’ve handled the food situation in the past and how you might approach it this time.

My #1 piece of eating away from home advice is : eat as close to how you do at home while you’re away.

If you eat oatmeal at home, look for oatmeal at intensive. If you usually have brown rice, protein and vegetables for dinner while you’re home, look for something similar at intensive.

There are usually treats and desserts available at dining halls at intensive and it’s totally OK to have the occasional dessert – in fact I’d encourage it but if you don’t typically have ice cream and cake for dessert every night when you’re home, don’t go that route at intensive.

Eating away from home tip #2 : Pay attention to how hungry you are.

It is totally understandable that you might be hungrier at intensive than you are at home. After all, in all likelihood you’ll be dancing more than usual…if you in fact dance more at home keep that in mind as well.

Rather than making a choice ahead of time that you’re going to eat more to make sure you have the energy for the additional hours, listen to your body.

After you have what might be a typical dinner, if you’re still hungry go for seconds or some fruit or even a dessert (I recommend eating dessert when you’re still hungry, not when you’re feeling stuffed from dinner).

If you’re allowed, it’s also a good idea to have healthy snacks in your dorm. That way, in a pinch, you’ll have a snack you can enjoy a bit later at night when hunger might strike again.

Eating away suggestion #3 : don’t adopt the eating styles of others.

Other dancers may eat more or less than you. It’s possible they’ve found what works for them, it’s also possible they’re shifting their food habits and as another possibility, they could be under eating or over eating because they’re taking advantage of the food freedom intensive has to offer.

Without knowing someone else’s history with food and their bodies or how they eat when they’re home, it’s impossible to know if they’re a healthy role model worth emulating even if they have the “perfect” ballet body.

Final Summer Intensive Food Thoughts…

Stick to how you eat at home as closely as possible. Always, and especially at intensive, strive to listen to your body and give it what it needs – no more, no less. And finally, stay focused on discovering what works for you.

Want more tips on tackling the food situation at intensive? Sign up for the upcoming FREE online workshop “Be a Summer Intensive Star”!! Prep for success at your Summer Intensive.

The post Summer Intensive Prep Part I : Navigating a New Food Situation appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

There will be times of craziness and times of total calm – this is good! It provides an opportunity for you develop yourself not just as a dancer but also as a person.

Summer intensive time will be busy. Most summer intensive schedules are packed. Take some of the best things that you learn while you’re there and figure out how to take those lessons with you into the quieter, less active weeks.

Take notes. Make a schedule for your time off. Seek out new opportunities for movement. Set up new routines as quickly as possible. Look ahead and anticipate what’s going to shift in your schedule, food, and dancing.

In addition to all the planning, remember to allow yourself to have some days with no schedule.

What do you do in the summer time to maximize your dance improvement? Have you found an effective way to transition from summer intensive to time off from dancing? I’d love to hear your tips and take. Share in the comments below!

The post The ups and downs of your summer dance schedule! appeared first on The Whole Dancer.