This question comes up a lot among dancers – whether you’re already dancing professionally or working towards that end, you’re not alone in  your desire for guidelines. Unfortunately, ballet companies still expect you to list your weight on your resume. Although, I sort of think this practice should be banned. It’s definitely not helping anyone.

So there’s BMI, different height-weight charts and body fat percentage measurements. Which is the right measure? What about the old Russian Ballerina height-weight charts? Ignore those recommendations. And that the fact is this is a completely personal question.

Don’t let your ballet mistress or Artistic Director tell you what to weigh.

Your Artistic Director (whether of school or company) really shouldn’t get a say in the number you see on the scale. Want to know why? That’s a little bit of what I dive into in this video. Check it out here:

Do you feel conflicted about where you think you should be with weight? You’re not alone. This is super common among dancers and something that might keep you up at night. Your dance goals shouldn’t be a distraction…shift your perspective around weight.

My goal with this video was to share some realities about those numbers on the scale and to assure you that you can support yourself (maybe with a bit of outside help) to reach your healthiest, most powerful dancing weight. And that’s what you should weigh as a pro dancer. It doesn’t matter what any other dancer concludes is her best weight.

Your best weight only has to do with one factor. YOU.

To get started, download The Whole Dancer 7-Step Best Body Guide. It walks you through The Whole Dancer process of reaching your personal best dancers’ body in a healthy, sustainable way.

As you go through the guide, remember that taking the pressure off weight actually helps a lot. Your body goals can feel pressure filled and impossible to reach if you’re obsessing over the scale. What would it feel like to focus on just dancing full out and with energy?

Dance makes it extra hard to stop worrying about your body. Your teachers and artistic staff have told you that the thinner you are, the better off you are…especially in ballet. What you weigh does not determine your worth, nor does it decide your future in dance.

Make your priority feeling good and dancing your best.

This will help you build confidence! When we take the focus off of the external and commit to turning inward, confidence grows. It helps to step out of your comfort zone as often as possible as well. When you do that, you prove to yourself that you are capable.

You can create and reinforce the story that you can dance center stage (or center studio) and shine.

It’s all about the stories we tell ourselves.

Much of life is about the stories we tell ourselves and the evidence we collect to reinforce those stories. If you tell yourself, “when I’m thinner I’ll be a better dancer”  you’ll hang onto the messages that reinforce this story.

Instead tell yourself, “when I’m well fueled and dancing with energy I’ll be a better dancer” you’ll collect evidence to back this up. So really, it’s up to you. Which story will you choose? So to get back to our question: what should a pro dancer actually weigh? Bottom line: the weight where she can dance her best with energy, vitality and JOY.

As always, if you need support reach out. I’d love to hear from you!!

The post What should a pro dancer actually weigh? appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

1. It’s not accurate

If you step on the scale at your doctor’s office, then the one in your bathroom at home, and finally the one at your gym they’ll all give you different numbers. It’s possible they’ll be in the same ball park but it’s also possible you’ll see major variations like 10 lbs or more.

Here’s the good news – in all likelihood none of them are particularly accurate. Which is a good starting point to encourage you to stop measuring yourself in that way.

2. Your weight fluctuates healthfully from day to day

If you drink enough water one day and not enough another, that impacts the scale. When you don’t poop one day, you’ll see a higher number on the scale the next day. If you’re pre-menstrual you’ll retain water and the scale will show a higher number. If you eat a big dinner one night closer to bed time that could show up on the scale the next day.

In all those instances, it’s not actual weight gained that’s showing up. It’s shifts in body weight depending on normal things that come up in life.

When you step on the scale every day (or even a few times a week) you’re setting yourself up for disappointment because much of the time it’s not showing actual weight lost or gained.

3. It’s bad for your mental health

Unless you can step on the scale and have no reaction – emotional or otherwise to what it says, I’d suggest avoiding it altogether. It’s easy to get into the habit of stepping on the scale every morning and allowing what you see to determine whether it’s a good day or a bad day.

The habit of stepping on the scale daily easily snowballs into stepping on the scale throughout the day – I’ve been there. That’s a recipe for disappointment. Just as your weight fluctuates from day to day, it fluctuates big time throughout the day.

If you eat a big meal and drink a lot of water, the number goes up. After a bowel movement, it goes down. These shifts are perfectly natural and needed. You have to eat, therefore the number has to change.

The changes don’t reflect weight gained in actual body fat. 

4. You’re basing your worth on a number

If the number on the scale makes you feel “good” or “bad”, it’s not supportive. If you’re using the scale to determine if your worthy (of love, a role, or anything really) it’s not helping anything.

You are worthy of love, joy and all the beauties of life regardless of what you weigh. Dancing can and should be enjoyed at every size. Even if you’re pursuing dance professionally – you have the right to that pursuit regardless of body shape and size.

5. Weight looks different on every body

This one is big evidence for why weight should not be listed on dance resumes. You and your friend might be the exact same height at very different weights and look very similar in terms of body. Or you might be the exact same weight AND height AND look completely different in terms of body.

Rarely do 2 bodies carry weight the same way. That’s also why I’ll never suggest an exact weight that I think a dancer should reach to look “her best”. No one can or should tell you that. Even to say, “maybe lose x number of pounds” could be unattainable, damaging or not even close to the “best” weight for you.

6. It doesn’t take body composition into account

The scale doesn’t tell you if you’re body is composed primarily of fat or muscle. While a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound – muscle is more dense than fat. Therefore, pounds of muscle take up less space in your body. When you’re at your strongest and leanest, you may actually weigh more.

Even scales that claim to measure body composition are unlikely to be 100% accurate.

7. The goals around your body shouldn’t be about weight

A number on the scale doesn’t tell you anything about how well you’re dancing. It doesn’t tell you if you’re improving technically or getting stronger. The scale can’t measure your energy level or the health of your body.

Conclusion…

Scales are flawed. They don’t provide an accurate assessment of where you are physically and they can be extremely damaging mentally. Do the work to find a positive mindset around your body and food.

If you feel good, you’re not getting injured and you’re improving technically – let those factors be how you assess how you’re doing.

You are so much more than a number.

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