No matter how involved the parent or encouraging the friend, those who have never experienced the tumultuous life of a ballet dancer will never truly know what it feels like. For those who do know, your colleagues, providing this support can often only go so far.

To reach one’s fullest potential as an artist, a certain amount of guidance is essential, and though teachers and mentors can certainly be helpful, their efforts often fall short. The Whole Dancer Program, for me, has provided this support system.

The Whole Dancer Program is a community of ballet dancers who are pursuing both the elevation of their craft and that of their well-being. Sadly, all too many dancers believe these two things are mutually exclusive.

The Whole Dancer Program proves this notion wrong. Lending a safe space to share concerns and victories, this wellness program is the first of its kind.

Directed specifically toward ballet dancers, The Whole Dancer appears to be an endless supply of well-curated tips concerning everything from nutrition to cross training to advancement of technique.

Jess’ educated curriculum equips members with a wealth of knowledge and tools, all immediately applicable to the unique world of ballet.

One of my favorite aspects of the program is the week focused on self-assessment. A skill ballet dancers begin practicing at the commencement of their training, evaluating one’s self may seem like an inherent skill to many of us at the professional level. TWD proves this to be untrue, in the best way.

The program teaches dancers to practice a more effective form of self-assessment, through which they are able to locate the source of a weakness and create an attainable plan to overcome it.   Also worth noting, the program has been known to properly identify a supposed ‘weakness’ as the asset it truly is, and help the dancer not only accept but embrace it.

The Whole Dancer Program in an enriching, informational, life-changing experience. It is guaranteed to take you to the next level in your dance experience.

Trust me, I love the program so much I’ve completed it twice!

Kirsten Evans dances with Festival Ballet in Providence, RI and is also the writer/creator of the beautiful and inspiring Setting the Barre blog. She is a founding member of The Whole Dancer Program and took part in the program twice!

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As the weeks and months went on, she shared with me some of the positive feedback she was getting from the artistic staff about her increased confidence and presence in the studio. I asked Ashley if she would elaborate so I could share it with you!

Here’s what Ashley wrote:

“Today we live in a world of instant gratification. We can instantly find information on the internet with a click of a button, we can instantly connect with people from all over the world with a simple phone call or text, the list goes on.

This breeds the idea that everything in life should be instantaneous. However, the ballet technique is not like that. In our quest for perfection and continual improvement we have to learn to love the process and understand that good things take time to come to fruition.

The Whole Dancer Program helped me to see that. This program addresses the areas in which today’s dancer needs support. Jess helps you to set realistic goals for your future while also helping you to cultivate the positive headspace to indulge effectively in the hard work it takes to achieve your dreams.

The Whole Dancer Program provides dancers with the opportunity to reflect on not only their technical progress but also how they are fueling their bodies (side note – check out the free mini course on dancing fuel at thewholedancer.com/minicourse).

With the rise of “fitspo” on social media, it seems as if we are being bombarded with different diets, cleanses, and “bad” foods from every angle.

This makes food seem more like a jigsaw puzzle that can either tarnish or create your career rather than an essential part of your life.

Jess provided me with the opportunity to reassess my eating habits as well as how I approach food. I truly believe that when we take proper care of our instrument and nourish it well, the sky is the limit for one’s success!

Since participating in The Whole Dancer Program I have started keeping a corrections journal, taken a new approach to how I eat, and most importantly tried to appreciative and cultivate who I am as a person (not just the body in the studio).

Prior to joining this program I felt like I was very negative and hard on myself in all aspects of my life.

I’m not saying those feelings go away instantaneously, but Jess has helped me to identify tools I can use to learn how to become the most positive and best dancer I can be.

I truly believe that the more we love and appreciative ourselves, the more poised we are to be fearless in our dancing and better connect with the audience.

I would definitely recommend this program to friends because I think holistic health is essential for dancer’s to reach their peak and this program can help them achieve that!!”

Join The Whole Dancer Program today!

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