Realistically, if you’re a young person in your 20s (for example), you won’t actually “get out of shape” and lose muscle this quickly. Research suggests you’ll start to lose muscle 3–4 weeks after you are “inactive.” It’s also suggested that you can get back to your peak fitness level more quickly after a period of inactivity than when you originally started. 

Your body has the capacity to maintain a high level of fitness. The problem is your brain. You need to train your mind for resilience as well. 

Time off doesn’t have to stress you out

Being realistic with yourself about what you need is going to help you enjoy time off without stress. If you’re coming out of a season where you felt great physically and mentally, you might be motivated to simply keep up with your training and activity levels.

If the season wasn’t your best, you may need a longer period of true rest or time away from dance to recover mentally. This is something to give yourself permission to take, especially now that you know you won’t be instantly losing tons of strength. 

Use your time away from dance productively

Establishing goals for a level of productivity is going to help you feel good about the time off. It can mitigate any guilt you might create in your mind if you accomplish some things you find fulfilling.

Before you jump into action, give yourself time to truly reflect on what went well in your season and what you’d like to improve. This way you’ll be able to set goals and intentions around what you’d like to see shift in your next dancing season.

The truth might be that you want to fully disengage from dance for a period of time. If that’s the case, how will you find movement that’s enjoyable and motivating? 

• Try a new workout class
• Sign up to work with a personal trainer for dancers
• Consider health, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching for direction, support, and accountability: book your coaching consultation here
• Get active with friends or family
• Plan for activities that involve movement that makes you feel good, like amusement park visits, museum trips, hikes, or swimming

As the season gets closer: 5 ways to feel more ready

When it comes closer to your next dancing season, work to feel prepared both mentally and physically.

• Get back into the studio.

If you’re still feeling resistance, find a friend to go with you. Maybe re-enter with a class that’s outside of your genre of focus. Keep it low stakes. No pressure to do 5 pirouettes on day one. Instead, give yourself permission to take baby steps towards your full dancing potential. 

You might begin by just taking barre or putting your pointe shoes on for 10 minutes at the end of class. Really think about what you can handle and how you can find inspiration as you get back into it slowly.

• Stay aware of stress surrounding your food choices.

Stressing out about what is the “right” thing to be eating or what amounts of food are “perfect” is counterproductive. It will only lead you down a path towards guilt and overthinking.

Instead, connect to what feels good about your food choices. Focus on foods and meals that provide your body with energy and easy digestion. The more you connect to mindful eating, the better you’ll get at meeting your body’s needs with ease. 

• Create a schedule that’s flexible but intentional. 

During the season, most dancers have very regimented schedules. Your rehearsal schedule is dictated to you, and you might have outside work hours that are set or consistent. 

Give yourself the flexibility in summer to make space for some spontaneity and extra time with friends or family. If someone invites you to go to the beach, you don’t want your workout plans to get in the way.

• Find support to create goals.

If your goal is to go back into your season feeling stronger and more prepared than when you started last season, the best way to accomplish that is to work backwards from the goal. 

It can’t just be about physical preparation. Keep in mind we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in shorter periods of time (days or weeks) and underestimate what we can accomplish with more time (months or years). 

If you’re struggling to find clarity on your goals or achieve them, coaching could provide the support and accountability you need to make your goals a sustainable reality. 

• Check in with your mindset. 

Your internal narrative and self-awareness have a huge impact on how you feel in your body. When dancers accept that some body change is normal and to be expected during time off, they’re much gentler with themselves. With this approach, you’re able to take the changes (which are usually small) in stride, which facilitates a much healthier approach as you get back into your dancing season. 

By avoiding extremes, the fluctuations come and go with ease. In terms of mental approach, if you let yourself let go of the attachment to always being “in shape,” you’ll have much greater odds of actually staying in shape. 

Remember, your perspective on your body is built in your mind…

As a dancer, you may have heard: your body is your instrument. And it is, but it’s also so much more. Your body is your home. It’s the place you’ll spend your entire life. 

When you find you’re feeling overly concerned about “being in shape,” it can be helpful to come back to the intention of caring for yourself. Above all else, you want to nourish and care for your body so you’ll feel your best from the inside out. 

For dancers, in a world that’s so aesthetically focused, it can be hard to come back to that intention on your own. If you’re struggling to put your well-being first, reach out. Start your coaching journey by scheduling a complimentary coaching consultation call here.

The post Get Back in Dancing Shape appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Dealing with casting in dance can be a challenge…

We’ve all been there. The cast sheet goes up and you walk over feeling hopeful. Then, you read the list and are totally disappointed with your roles.

At just about every level, dancers experience the doubt and insecurity that comes with casting decisions by artistic staff. Dealing with this can be difficult.

As you move along as a dancer from pre-professional training to (sometimes) college to company life, casting sheets can be a big source of anxiety.

All too often, we begin to quantify our value based on what roles are bestowed upon us.

Managing casting, friendships, and comparison.

In college, my best friend Alice was consistently cast in better roles than me. Beyond being close friends, we were the same height with similar body shapes. It got to a point where I expected that outcome and reinforced the story in my head: “She’s just better than me, there’s really nothing I can do about it.”

When we started auditioning for companies, I began to realize that I was basing my thoughts about myself on the opinions of one group of people: my college professors. What I failed to notice is that the artistic staff at every company Alice and I auditioned for assessed our abilities in totally different ways.

When they made cuts throughout auditions, we were rarely kept for the same length of time. Sometimes she made it to the end, and sometimes I did. We each got different offers. I finally realized that while we were the same height with similar body types, we were different people and had different strengths.

Feel empowered even when you’re unhappy with your roles.

Even if you work to cultivate a healthy perspective shift when it comes to your strengths, you may still face casting disappointment. That’s when it’s important to take your power back and boost your confidence. 

Boost confidence before the cast list goes up.

Dancers tend to see what’s wrong. For many years, or even decades, you’ve been training your brain to use the mirror as a tool to tell you what you need to fix. Rarely does a dancer look in the mirror with joy and admiration for what they’re capable of.

That’s a great place to start…

The next time you’re in class or rehearsal, rather than constantly nitpicking, make it your goal to pick out the things you’re doing well. Where’s the beauty in your movement? What is unique about you?

Recently, a client was telling me that she just didn’t have anything that might draw someone’s eye. When we discussed it further, she was able to connect with the fact that she is a unique person and has a unique joy for dance that she can communicate through her movement. 

Connecting with your joy for dance is what gives you that intangible quality that is enjoyable to watch. 

Remember that every role, no matter how small, is an opportunity to grow.

It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Are you playing the maid in the Nutcracker? Even that small part can have a story. How will you convey that story to the audience? How can you make this character role your own? Is there a way to hone some acting skills?

Use this as an opportunity to start a discussion.

If you’re disappointed with the casting decisions, you can use this as an opportunity to start a discussion on your growth. Set up a meeting with someone on the artistic staff who you trust and know has your best interest at heart.

Ask them if there’s something more you could or should be doing to improve. Is there a way they’d like to see you develop technically or artistically that would lead to bigger roles or more responsibility? 

Having these talks can be scary, but they can also bring to light things you would have otherwise stayed in the dark about. It also might lead to more opportunities. Consider asking to understudy something you weren’t originally cast to understudy.

Reassess the energy you bring to the studio.

Are you too comfortable in your current environment? Are you relying too heavily on your talent or facility and not taking things to the next level on your own? Would you benefit from setting more goals around your dancing?

Remember that you can’t control the roles and opportunities you’re given, but you can control the energy you bring with you. Casting may be out of your hands, but the work you put in is very much up to you. Start approaching your corrections with more fervor and focus, and see if things shift.

Create supportive routines to facilitate your best dancing.

Making adjustments to your approach to food or cross-training could have a huge positive impact. These adjustments are not about changing how you look, but rather, they’re about increasing your confidence so you dance more freely.

Some food swaps and cross-training switch-ups can make a big impact on how you perform. Have you started relying on too much sugar or caffeine for energy? Instead, put some attention on increasing the length and quality of your sleep. Incorporate lots of simple and complex carbs for consistent energy throughout the day.

If you’ve been doing the same cross-training for years, you might benefit from trying something new. Experiment with weight training or employ a trainer who works with dancers to see if there’s a weakness you haven’t addressed.

Taking better care of yourself will give you a better experience in your dancing regardless of casting. 

You might not be dancing at the best company for you.

If you’ve been plugging away at the same company for a few years and haven’t been getting the response you had hoped for or the roles you were promised, it might be time to move on. I’d encourage you to open up a conversation first, but then be willing to accept that maybe you haven’t found the right fit yet.

Be honest with yourself about the company environment you’re in. If they reward weight loss or constantly give you feedback on your body shape or size, it might be time to look elsewhere. Even if you are getting desired roles, it’s worth considering what sort of environment you’re in and how that impacts you. Roles should be determined based on your skill and hard work. 

Unhealthy extremes to fit the mold of a particular company is not a sustainable approach to a dance career. If you’re struggling to find a healthy approach to your career, or you’re unsure if you’ve found it, it may be time to seek help. Many dancers benefit from support in nutrition, body image, and even career mentorship to confidently determine when they’re at their healthiest. 

Check in with your mental well-being.

Has dance left you feeling drained? Have you been in the trainee or apprentice spot for a while and started wondering if you’ll ever move beyond it? Check your mental well-being.

If you’re constantly telling yourself you’re not good enough or that all the other dancers are so much better, it will feel nearly impossible to progress. Once your thoughts start to improve, I guarantee you’ll feel changes within yourself and your dancing. 

As I was able to connect with the fact that my friend Alice and I had different things to offer, it afforded me some freedom in my approach. I started my first company job believing I was meant to be there. 

Ultimately, you need to retrain your mind for confidence and expect success! Those shifts in mindset aren’t an overnight endeavor or a quick fix. It takes time, dedication, and support from someone who understands the industry specific challenges you’re faced with. 

Don’t forget, it all takes time.

Pursuing dance at the professional level is a process — and an arduous one at that. Every dancer develops at a different rate. Your friend might skyrocket to principal while you’re working away in the corps. It’s helpful to trust the timing of your life.

Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. You’ll learn so many lessons along the way as long as you’re open to them. If your love for dance is strong and you stay committed, you can reach your goals. And don’t forget: success is a concept you get to define. So, maybe define success as doing what you love. Perhaps you’ve already achieved that.

Looking for support?

If you’re feeling particularly challenged by your experiences with the cast sheet, and you know you’d benefit from support from someone who has been there, schedule a complimentary coaching consultation. CLICK HERE to book your free introductory consultation. This is the first step and the best way to determine if health, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching is a good fit for your needs.

The post Dealing with Casting in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Dancers and Emotional Eating

Many dancers who I work with consider themselves “emotional eaters.” And while I’m not into labels, I’ve been there and I know it can feel like you’re eating all your stress and emotions. Emotional eating was a big part of my story in dance, and food was one of my primary coping mechanisms.

Here’s the thing. Emotional eating on its own isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you eat for fun or in celebration, that’s perfectly normal and doesn’t have to be a big worry. If that’s what you think of when it comes to emotional eating, just work on being OK with that recreational eating.

But emotional eating can create challenges if it’s your primary or only coping mechanism for big emotions or stressful situations. This is why it’s an important topic to discuss — particularly around how it might impact dancers.

The discipline of dance and its impact on emotional eating.

There are some fundamentals to dance training and the dance mindset that naturally lead to emotional eating. You’re taught to toughen up and develop a “thick skin.” One of my ballet teachers said that when we entered the studio, we should forget everything going on outside. I see some value in this for sure — ballet provided relief from the drama of teenage life.

However, if you leave the drama outside and never face the emotions you’re experiencing, you may end up avoiding your feelings altogether. Food can become a way to suppress and push away negative or heavy feelings.

When you dance, you don’t speak (in most cases); therefore, many dancers identify as nonverbal communicators. We use our bodies to express our emotions and to share ourselves with the world. Again, that can be really beautiful, but if you leave certain emotions unresolved, you may turn to food for solace. Some dancers have a greater tendency to turn to food when upset because they’re otherwise being restrictive with food or under eating.

The perfectionist mindset in dance and secret eating.

The perfectionist mindset can also lead to emotional eating or secret eating. From an eating standpoint, many think of impeccably healthy eating as “perfect.” Never eating processed carbs, cookies, or sweets and instead staying “virtuous” and sticking to vegetables, fruit, and salads.

If you’re still living at home with family or even living with roommates, this may manifest in you eating “perfectly” when people are around and then losing control and eating whatever “bad” foods you can get your hands on when no one is looking.

Secret eating often leads to feelings of shame and guilt. When we feel shameful, we’re directly attacking our sense of self-worth. Secret eating and emotional eating can become patterns that are extremely hard to break on your own.

Why dancers struggle to work through emotional eating.

This leads to the next piece of emotional eating for dancers — when it comes to all things technical and artistic, we believe we can work through it and find the solution. 

If we just dedicate ourselves enough, we will find the way out. Keep working, strengthen your willpower, find greater control — these are the tenets we try to adhere to because as dancers, this is what we’re taught.

It would be kind of crazy to think that these thoughts wouldn’t infiltrate other parts of our lives.

So if you find yourself using food as a coping mechanism, you might tell yourself that you should be able to overcome emotional eating on your own. You might think you just need to control your food intake better or be more disciplined. In fact, the opposite is true. You need to strengthen your alternative coping strategies and acknowledge that some emotionally driven eating is OK.

7 ways to move through emotions without using food as a buffer.

Practice talking. 

Find out who you feel most comfortable sharing heavy emotions with. Is your mom the best at listening and responding? Maybe a best friend, mentor, or coach? By practicing communication and doing it more consistently, you’ll get better at it. Just like pirouettes.

Find alternative coping mechanisms. 

Instead of food, is there an activity that might support you through what you’re feeling? Journaling, stretching, or walking in nature might do the trick. You just need to find ways to make those things as easy and readily available as the food in your pantry.

Eat “bad” foods in front of people. 

When you get into the habit of hiding your eating practices, those hidden foods start to seem forbidden and off-limits. That mindset is going to make you crave the “bad” foods more, and finding a healthy balance can feel impossible.

To move away from this, commit to eating “bad” foods in front of people. No secret cookie eating. Enjoy the cookies openly with friends, family, roommates…even in front of your artistic director.

Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” 

When stress eating or emotional eating, you might go into autopilot. It’s possible you feel totally out of control. 

Try to get into the habit of pausing whenever you eat and asking yourself if it’s true hunger motivating you or something else. This is going to allow you to take a step back and determine what you truly need. It might be a hug, or to chat with a friend, or yes, it could also be the cake!!

Look at your “Primary Food.”

In integrative nutrition health coaching, “Primary Food” includes career, physical activity, spirituality, and relationships. Most likely for dancers, career translates to dance (even if you’re currently pre-professional), and physical activity would likely encompass calming and uplifting movement outside of dance (like walks in nature or restorative yoga).

Explore connections between sleep, emotions, and eating behaviors.

Your sleep routines, and quality and quantity of sleep have a big impact on your hormones, which have a big impact on your needs and desires for food. Take some steps to improve your sleep, and take notice of your ability to cope with emotions. 

Practice self-compassion.

Be kind to yourself. This will allow you to find motivation for helpful behavior change. When you’re kind and understanding towards yourself, you’ll be able to accept negative emotions. Then, feel the feelings. The next step is to let it go or find a way to cope in a way that’s aligned with your values. Finally, the emotion will start to pass naturally. 

These 7 suggestions can be a great starting point but you don’t have to tackle this alone. Ask for help if you find yourself emotionally eating. Try new strategies to overcome it. There is a way out, but if you haven’t found it yet, you might need support. You’re worth it.

This post was originally published in July 2018

It was edited for content and clarity in September 2021

The post Dancers and Emotional Eating appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

When you start dancing, it’s about the joy of it. You just love to move, and you enjoy the challenge of striving to be better, stronger, more lovely. There’s this great sense of achievement when you’re able to improve something from a technical or artistic perspective. It’s about growth.

As your journey in dance progresses, you become more aware of the physical aesthetic. We get messages that this is a thin art form. Because of the age you start ballet, it’s not uncommon to take the messages you’re receiving from teachers, artistic directors, and the dance world and come to the conclusion that thinner is just better.

After my first summer intensive away, my teacher tapped me on the thigh and told me, “that wasn’t there before.” I had gained weight over the summer. I was 13 and had not yet gone through puberty, so it made perfect sense. My takeaway from her actions and words was that I should do something to change my body.

I decided that my thighs were not OK for ballet. I had to make them smaller. So I started a journey of damaging practices with food that lasted for nearly 15 years. 

Dieting at any age is not sustainable.

A true, total transformation is necessary to make positive, healthy, long-term adjustments. It took me until my mid-late 20s to figure that out, but I’d like you to know and believe that truth now. 

I was able to make it to the professional level despite my struggles. Not all dancers see that end. Many burn out well before achieving that “pro dancer” job title.

Wherever you are with your technique, it’s easy to think that if your body were different, you would look like a better dancer. You would instantly be a better dancer. Let’s try to erase that concept from your mind. Better dancing CAN happen now, independent of how your body looks.

During my first professional dancing job, I was living alone. I was in a new city and had some friends in the company, but overall, the experience was quite riddled with stress. My food struggles were exacerbated by stress and loneliness. 

My dance journey became almost solely about my body. It was about how I looked and how big I was much more than technical or artistic growth.

If you’re struggling with this, I want you to know you’re not alone. Many dancers fall into the pattern of restricting food then overeating. It easily becomes a yo-yo cycle that has a huge negative impact on your confidence in yourself and your dancing. If you fear you might be in disordered eating territory, speak to a therapist or seek treatment. I work with many dancers as a health coach while they’re also working with a therapist.

Whatever your ballet body image story, you can move through this struggle.

Just because other dancers might not admit it to you, it doesn’t mean they’re not suffering. They’re likely worrying about how they look or how they think they should look.

One of the big shifts in perspective that helped me to move past my ballet body image story was the realization that everyone is walking around much more concerned about what’s going on in their own head than what you look like, the things you consider your “flaws,” or your body.

Want some more in-depth actionable support on this topic? Check out the upcoming free workshops.

Free Workshops August 2021:

Build Body Confidence for Dance

Formulate Your Dancer Fuel Plan

If you’re working through body image struggles, eating issues, or how to approach food in a more balanced, healthy way, consider enrolling in The Dancer’s Best Body Program.

This post was originally shared in January of 2018.

It was edited for content and clarity in August of 2021.

The post My Body Image Story in Ballet appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

From the time you start taking dance seriously, the focus is honed in on technique. Your teachers help you to work out all the little technical details . The best teachers create an environment for healthy dedication and improvement.

However, a lot of dancers are criticized for not applying corrections quickly enough. The assumption might be that they’re lazy or not dedicated. Perhaps they lack focus or attention in class.  This post will delve into how to deal with criticism in dance.

The reality is, if a correction is not applied quickly, it may not be understood or prioritized, by the student, teacher, or both. For some dancers, anxiety gets in the way of mental focus in class. Still, other dancers are so hyper-focused on trying to pick up combinations that applying corrections becomes too much to handle.

As a dancer, you can be empowered by knowing that you are the keeper of your destiny. By taking care of your body, being open to feedback or corrections, and working hard every day you can get where you want to go. You can reach your goals.

It might take some additional focus on applying those things that you hear in class or staying present to remember the intricacies of each combination. If you want to really get ahead, consistently create additional personal benchmarks to make your improvements measurable.

This is where goal setting and accountability come in.

Most of us have been in a situation where it felt like a teacher just really didn’t like you for some reason. Those can be some of the most challenging, disheartening experiences.

Here’s a personal story, major criticism in dance…

When I was 15, I went away for my second summer program. I was put into the highest level, but worried it was a mistake. I don’t think I was ready for that at all, and apparently, neither did the former New York City Ballet *star* my level worked with most closely.

This former NYCB principal dancer (we’ll call her Ms. M) was one of the people I was most excited to work with. I never had any Balanchine training so I was looking forward to experiencing her perspective and learning some incredibly beautiful Balanchine choreography.

It became clear on day 1 that Ms. M was not impressed by me. She would often single me out and give lots and lots of corrections in a very mean, degrading way. I was not totally alone in this. Ms. M was harsh in general and called out a number of ladies in my class with lots of yelling.

Then, there were her favorites. The ones who could do no wrong. Were they working harder than me? Applying corrections more quickly? Simply better?

I cried to my mother on the phone every day that I had class with her (which was almost every day of that summer program).

Ms. M threatened to demote me to a lower level. I secretly wished she would, just so I wouldn’t have to take her classes anymore. In the beginning, I was determined to win her over. Tis’ the plight of the determined dancer I guess. I tried to work harder. Then, I tried to disappear. 

Honestly, that experience informed a lot of my future confidence and actions as a dancer.

When I think back on that experience the pain is still quite palpable, even though it was so long ago. When I revisit some of my dancing experiences after that summer, I see myself hiding. Doubting. Worrying.

This is where the importance of taking on responsibility for your own success comes in. You’ve got to assess yourself and work towards your goals, regardless of these sometimes negative, studio experiences. If you’re not sure how to deal with criticism in dance, you’re not alone.

Don’t let your dancing be defined or defeated by one person’s opinion. Here’s how…

Luckily, I’ve had lots of different teachers over the years and many supporters. I’m glad I only dealt with such a defeating experience for four weeks. If you’re dealing with a challenging experience on a more consistent basis, you may need to take bigger action. 

It might be in your best interest to seek new training or teachers in your area. If you plan to pursue dance professionally, this is going to make a huge difference in your levels of confidence and therefore chances for success.

In a temporarily challenging time, bring your attention back to positive training experiences. Who were the teachers who supported you? How did they make you feel? What did they say that helped you see your own potential? 

During my very challenging summer intensive experience, I wrote down the choreography to every variation we learned. There’s value to writing down choreography but what I wish I had done, was set some personal goals for myself. I would have been empowered to focus on the work instead of the fear.

Clear goals can provide an outlet to turn your attention inward. They can counteract feelings of failure and help you stay aware of your big picture, big goals, and ultimate dreams. Goals allow you to be in the driver’s seat. 

Are you a goal-setter? Do you have a vision for your goals? 

Check out these posts and videos for more: 

• The Power of a Clear Vision.
• Tools of Transformation.
• Reaching Body Goals

How to Deal with Criticism in Dance was originally published in October 2015

Edited for content and clarity July 2021 

Photos of Casey by Luis Pons

The post How to Deal with Criticism in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

If you’re struggling with body image, you’re not alone. When faced with your reflection each and every day in just a leotard and tights, it’s easy to get caught up in judgment. I started offering this exercise to my clients who were really struggling in the body-image department. For some of them, a shift happens after incorporating the exercise just once. For others, it takes a bit more time and consistency.

The Whole Dancer Body Image Booster is a great place to start if you struggle to come up with any positivity concerning your body. If your body image struggles feel insurmountable, start here.

Yoga and meditation-inspired body image booster.

When I stopped dancing, yoga was the main exercise I picked up. Some of the value came from the absence of mirrors. It was also helpful to focus on the strength and power within my body instead of on the external. The Body Image Booster is inspired by the Savasana (Corpse Pose) in yoga and meditation.

If meditation intimidates you, I totally get it. So often the intimidation factor comes from the thought that we have to meditate for a long period of time in order for it to be effective. In the Body Image Booster, you can lay on your mat, the floor or even your bed for as little as 60-90 seconds, and the impact can still be profound.

The Body Image Booster How-To:

• Lie on a mat, the floor, or in bed first thing in the morning.

Make this your first daily activity to set a positive tone for your day. This way, you’re also more likely to actually do it, instead of putting it off. If you don’t have a rejuvenating morning routine yet, use this to kick things off!

• Close your eyes; tune into your breath.

Slow, mindful breathing is calming. When you tune into your breath, you’re setting yourself up for a less stressful day. Work to incorporate the practice of tuning back in to your breath any time stressful moments or experiences arise throughout the day.

• Place 1 hand on your heart and 1 on your stomach.

Physical touch is key, especially if you have any “body-checking” habits. “Placing your hand on your heart is considered a safe touch action, and even from ourselves it acts like a trigger to release oxytocin and can help bring our entire body back into a state of calm and trust.”¹ Oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” has a positive impact on relaxation and trust and can decrease stress and anxiety.

Allow the hand on your stomach to encourage belly breathing. Let your belly and hand rise and fall together. “Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, is a way of breathing that helps induce a more calm, relaxed state. It is something that you can do anytime, anywhere, that quickly diffuses feelings of stress and anxiety.”²

Finally…this is a big one:

• Thank your body.

Think about all the things your body does for you. Start simply. Your body carries you through life. It allows you to walk, move and dance!

Combining these two touch points while speaking to yourself lovingly brings The Whole Dancer Body Image Booster to life.

Does This Exercise Scare You?

If you struggle with this physical connection or have a hard time coming up with positive things to say to yourself, here are a couple alternative strategies that might help:

What would you say to a young child or a best friend if she were struggling with body image?

What would you say to your younger self or what do you wish someone else said to you when you were young?

Cultivating positive body image and loving yourself exactly as you are right now is key to reaching your personal best dancers’ body. It’s part of The Whole Dancer 7 Step Best Body Process as you cultivate self-love and confidence.

Achieving positive body image is like working a muscle-the more consistent you are, the better you get at it, and the more easily you’ll come back to a positive body image.

Notice when the most challenging days come. If you’re particularly stressed, tired, or PMS-ing, you’re more likely to struggle with body image. Reconnect to your body and mind. Return to gratitude. As you incorporate more healthy practices to achieve positive body image, your positive self-perception will be more consistent.

The post Do This to Achieve a Positive Body Image appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

When a Friend is Being Negative

We’ve all been there…innocently warming up for class and a friend unleashes hatred; onto herself.

She’s looking in the mirror and starts to pick apart her body and appearance. She says her butt has grown since last season or her thighs are clearly bigger.

Is this fishing for compliments? Looking for validation? Perhaps. It’s totally possible she’s just looking for you to tell her she’s fine. Or that she looks the same or better or at least “good”.

It’s also possible that she’s hoping you’ll chime in with some self-loathing of your own. Maybe she’d feel better if you start talking about what has gotten “bigger” or “less toned” on your own body.

This situation is hard to navigate and it’s hard to know what the best way to respond might be. You can watch this video for some ideas, or if you prefer, read on!

Try sharing with your friend how you deal with your own body image insecurities.

For example, try saying, “instead of focusing on a perceived flaw, I try to think about how my body is serving me”. Share how your negativity makes you feel and how you cope with it. That might help her see how to flip things to a positive.

It might also help to let her know how you feel when surrounded by negativity. Let her know that those negative comments make you feel helpless and you’re unsure how to help her turn it around.

You want your friends to be able to talk to you when they’re going through hard times. You might encourage her to come to you for support rather than venting or getting lost in negativity.

This might be a friend you’ll end up needing some space from.

It’s hard to stay positive when you have a friend who’s constantly focused on what’s going wrong. It’s totally acceptable to take space from people who are making it hard for you to live your best life.

Maybe you can help your friend to see the positive. Ask her, “what’s something about your body or your dancing that you love?” Remind her that she’s not alone and that there are also plenty of positives to focus on.

Don’t internalize your friends negativity or project it onto yourself. Don’t compare your body to hers. This is a big one! If a friend is complaining about her body and you view her body as “ideal” it’s normal to get lost in comparison.

When those thoughts come up, put the focus on your gifts and encourage her to do the same. Come back to gratitude. Your body allows you to dance! When you take care of your body and mind, you’ll be able to show up more fully and do your best dancing.

Find the light. Find your positivity. Focus on what’s going well.

Remind yourself what’s going well with a gratitude list. Simply write down 3 things you’re grateful for and remember that you have a lot of good stuff going on in your life. Even in trying, uncertain times it’s possible to find something positive to focus on.

The only person whose approval you need is your own.

When you approve of yourself, your confidence will soar!

In Conclusion…

Everyone is on their own journey. Each of us has to learn life lessons on our own. As much as you might be focused on the positive side of life, you can’t force your friend to do the same. If you’re committed to growing and improving as a dancer, maintaining body positivity will be a game changer.

One of the biggest things dancers struggle with is confidence. If you can work towards body positivity and remind yourself about what’s going well, you’ll have the potential to grow your confidence exponentially. Don’t discount the value of seeing your own worth.

If you’re struggling to stay body positive, check out this post: How to Create a Positive Relationship with Food and Your Body

The post How to Stay Body Positive in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Probably.

When I was pursuing dance and dancing professionally, I didn’t take chances-not most of the time anyway…

I would stay in the back of the room and unless I felt I had mastered something, I wouldn’t put it out there for all to see.

Mostly, I was afraid of embarrassing myself. I also wanted things to be closer to perfect before their debut.

Now, looking back I think this hurt me much more than it helped. I progressed more slowly and didn’t gain the confidence necessary to really thrive in this career.

It also made those moments when a guest choreographer beckoned you to the center of the room incapacitating. I would freeze.

By making mistakes, you learn incredible things.

You might make a new discovery about how a certain step works for you. Taking imperfect action builds confidence. You’ll start to see that just by moving forward and trying, things start to come together.

Taking imperfect action is going to propel you forward. The thing about “being a perfectionist,” which so many dancers wear as a badge of honor, is that it can be totally paralyzing.

Of course, aim for excellence BUT remember that when you put yourself out there and just try, incredible things are possible.

This is true for food and your body goals as well…

Trying to make the “perfect” choices with food is dangerous. You might think you must eat “healthy” food only. What tends to happen with that approach is you end up vilifying the sweets or treats you love. They get labeled as “bad” or “off-limits,” and then you try to avoid them at all costs.

Then, when you get around them (at the holidays, birthdays, or celebrations), you feel out of control or super uncomfortable. You might binge or go overboard.

Allowing indulgences and figuring out what balance looks like for you is going to lessen the stress to be perfect with food. Then, you can focus on enjoying the tastes of your meals. You’ll be able to eat healthy foods you enjoy and the treats you consider special.

Auditions are right around the corner…

It’s possible auditions are already on your mind; it’s possible you’ve even started planning for or filming your audition video. Those audition conversations have definitely started among my clients, so I feel the weight of it all. It’s a new year with even more unknowns than usual.

With audition season comes a fresh wave of the need to be perfect. You might tell yourself that if you make a mistake, you won’t get the job or spot at the intensive. Remind yourself of your humanness. You will make mistakes. The best dancers do! It’s how you respond to them that makes the difference to a prospective artistic director.

Practice moving through the exercises that challenge you with grace and taking your missteps in stride. That way, when the pressure is on, you’ve ingrained a positive and productive response when you do make a mistake.

The writer Margaret Atwood said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

Amen, sister! If you wait for perfection, you’ll probably still dance some steps but you won’t feel the pure joy and elation in the movement.

When you’re caught up always looking for what’s “wrong” you miss the opportunity to feel freedom in your dancing.

Yes, there are always things to work on and improve upon. That is the beauty of this art form. But perfect isn’t possible. It doesn’t really exist. When you acknowledge that it’s an illusion, you can instead find the joy in the work.

If you’re feeling stuck in the pursuit of perfection, it’s time to ask yourself some questions. Is this pursuit a positive one? How does it make me feel to obsess over perfection? What would happen if I let go a bit and tried to focus on the joy of movement? Do I need to seek outside support to release the perfection obsession?

Use those prompts as a jumping-off point. Finding balance with food, your body, and your dance pursuits allows for so much more freedom.

Releasing perfection puts you in the driver’s seat.

When you let go of the need to be perfect, it’s empowering! You’re in control of your life, and you won’t feel compelled to try to be anyone but yourself. Embrace your gifts and imperfections. This too is a huge determinant of confidence. The more you accept yourself as you are, the more your confidence grows.

When you stop obsessing over perfection, you’ll become more confident. 

The post Take imperfect action – perfection is holding you back appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

It’s easy to look to your metabolism for the reason your body is progressing slowly. Well, what if your metabolism isn’t the problem? First, let’s look at the things that likely aren’t keeping you from reaching your body goals.

Your Metabolism:

It’s a common scapegoat—do you ever have that feeling that you just have a slower metabolism? Your metabolism (resting metabolic rate) is the amount of energy your body requires to simply function.

Things to keep in mind: if you lose weight, restrict calories, or lose muscle mass, your metabolism will be negatively impacted.

 If you’re holding onto weight even though you feel like you’re doing “everything right,” there is the slim possibility that you have a thyroid issue. Hypothyroidism affects 4.6% of the US population over age 12 and makes it difficult to adjust your weight. If you think your thyroid isn’t functioning optimally, get it checked by a professional.

Aside from a thyroid issue, your metabolism is not likely the problem when it comes to reaching your personal best dancer’s body. When you find the food plan that is best for your body (just yours, no one else’s), your metabolic rate will work for you and help you get to where you want to be.

Yes, there are certainly dancers who are fast metabolizers. These tend to be the people who are always eating and always bouncing off the walls with energy, and they easily stay super thin. If you’re not that person, it’s ok. (I’m certainly not!) You can still reach your body goals.

You might think the problem is your genes.

An artistic director told a client of mine that to attain a “ballerina body,” she’d have to stick to lettuce and water. The artistic director pointed to genes as her problem. Not only was the information and advice inaccurate, but it was extremely damaging to the dancer as well.

More and more nutritional research points to the fact that our genes are malleable. Certain ones can be turned on or off depending on your food choices.

When I was dancing, I remember feeling that if I wanted to reach my body goals, I needed to eat as little as possible. I don’t even remember blaming anything like my metabolism or genes. It just seemed that to be as thin as some of my fellow dancers, it would take extremes.

This led to under eating throughout high school and college. I kept it up throughout my early years of dancing professionally. Then, when I was working through long days of rehearsals on little food, it started catching up with me.

I’d return home ravenous and uncontrollably eat everything in sight. My weight fluctuated between 5 and 10 pounds most of the time. A tutu would fit one week and not the next. The ballet mistress once said to me, “did you actually gain weight since last week?” If you’ve experienced this on any level, you know it’s pretty devastating.

Stress and stress fractures consumed my training and professional career. My erratic food choices were the cause of all the injuries and anguish I experienced on my dance journey.

You’ve been bombarded with mixed messages by teachers, friends, family, and the media about how you should look and what you should do to attain that goal. You might feel like you’ll only be able to reach your body goals if you go to extremes.,

So if the problem isn’t genetics or metabolism, what is it?

Dancers, the #1 thing you need to work on to reach your personal best body is your relationship with food.

Your metabolism and genes are probably not slowing down your progress. This means you hold the power! Put the time into cultivating a mindset that supports you in reaching your goals. View your body with positivity.

Treat your body with respect, and fuel it lovingly with food you enjoy.

To help you start moving in a positive direction, claim your FREE Best Body Guide and join The Whole Dancer Community. With this guide and the weekly emails from The Whole Dancer, you can start to identify action steps to take you forward!

Did you find this post helpful? Please comment below and share your thoughts!

Resources :

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hypothyroidism (1)

The post Your metabolism isn’t the problem… appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

The Nutrition Label is worth discussing…

As much as I preach about eating whole foods – fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, avocado, maybe some lean meats and fish, I know dancer’s will end up eating some pre – packaged, convenience food.

Your schedule is crazy a lot of the time. When your body is tired and you’ve got a lot going on, prepping food isn’t always gonna happen.

It’s helpful to be able to incorporate some pre – packaged foods into your eating plan. So what should you look for when choosing packaged foods?

The number one thing I want to stress when it comes to packaged foods is that the ingredients are what matter.

I’ll give you some things to look for in the Nutrition Facts label but the main thing to consider is what’s inside.

If you’re relying on packaged food for a meal, whether it’s a pre – packaged frozen dinner or a meal delivery service of some kind check the ingredients first.

Amy’s products are great. They have a variety of options – frozen meals, soups and snacks. Not all of them are super healthy but here’s one that’s a great option :

Amy’s Brown Rice and Vegetable Bowl

Check out the ingredients in this meal. Each and every ingredient is pronounceable. That’s always a good sign. Also notice that the majority of ingredients are whole food ingredients vs. fillers or thickeners or preservatives you can’t pronounce and haven’t heard of.

Part of the reason I wouldn’t suggest relying on any packaged foods for meals on a daily basis is that even the higher quality options often use cheap Omega 6 heavy oils like safflower or sunflower oil. These oils are highly inflammatory and should be kept minimal.

Ingredients :

organic brown rice, organic onions, organic mushrooms, organic broccoli, organic carrots, organic tofu (filtered water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride), organic spinach, organic celery, organic extra virgin olive oil, spices, organic sesame tahini, organic tamari (water, organic soybeans, organic alcohol [to preserve freshness], salt), ground mustard seeds, organic apple cider vinegar, sea salt, ume plum vinegar (water, ume plum, herbs, sea salt), grain vinegar, expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, black pepper, organic garlic. contains soy. includes sesame seeds.

Now, take a look at the Nutrition Facts label for the same product.

When you look at a nutrition facts label, focus in on the Sugar. This meal has 9g of Sugar. HOWEVER, when you look back at the ingredients you’ll notice that there’s no added sugar. So that means the sugar is coming from whole foods like carrots (1 medium carrot contains approx. 3g of sugar).

There’s not much else on the Nutrition Facts label that I think you need to worry about. It’s great when a food item has a good mix of protein, carbs, fiber and protein in order to help you feel satisfied by the meal. As long as you’re including high quality plant foods (for fiber), healthy fat sources (in this case tofu), lean protein (this meal has a mix of protein sources), and complex carbs (brown rice) you’ve got your bases covered.

The other numbers are pretty irrelevant. 

During and after eating you need to ask yourself, how do I feel? Am I satisfied? Still hungry? Craving something specific? Think about the answers to those question and go from there.

Snacking smart is also an essential element to a healthy day of food. If you’re not able to have a proper lunch or dinner due to rehearsal schedule you need to make good snack choices.

In addition to your fresh snacks – fruit + nut butter, vegetables + hummus, etc. you will likely need some packaged snacks to make it through the day. My current favorite are Evo Hemp bars. Lets take a look at the ingredients :

Figs, Pecans, Apple, Hemp Protein Powder, Hemp Seeds, Coconut Nectar, Dates, Cinnamon, Turmeric

And Nutrition Facts label :

When you read this nutrition label and look at sugars you might be thinking, “Jess! That’s a lot of sugar and it’s coming from coconut nectar. Isn’t that no good?” I hear you! However, in this case you need to consider that the #1 ingredient is Figs. That means that by weight there are more Figs in this bar than anything else.

Yes, there is some sugar in there from Coconut Nectar but more of the sugar is coming from figs and apples – whole food sources. I often compare Evo Hemp bars to Lara bars. I think Evo bars are a better choice for dancers as they have more protein and less sugar. Food for thought.

To make things easier, consider one of those recipe ingredient delivery services. A couple of my favorites are Sun Basket or Purple Carrot. If you live alone, remember you can always have leftovers!

If you’d like meals done for you, Splendid Spoon has tons of smoothies and recently launched grain bowls. These are simple plant based meals and all you have to do is heat them up. They take the guess work out of healthy eating and can help you get back on track if you feel like you’ve gotten off course.

If you need a place to shop online for pantry staples, Thrive Market has super high standards and healthy options. Head over there and explore and don’t forget to check the nutrition label! The easier you make healthy eating, the more enjoyable and sustainable your healthy habits will be.

Bottom line :

Read the ingredients on packaged foods and don’t worry so much about the nutrition facts. Your body is extremely smart. If you listen to it, you’ll get all the messages you need around food needs and choices.

This post contains affiliate links. I only share products and services I use and love. If you purchase something through one of these links I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Photo by Yulia Khlebnikova on Unsplash

The post Analyzing the nutrition label. appeared first on The Whole Dancer.