One of my best friends study in a internacional school of ballet, and the experience hasn’t been good at all. There are a lot of competition between classmates, it’s very common the eating disorders, and other sickness. And of course, teachers usually don’t support them when they feel bad. The perfection around the ballet of course affect their well-being and their mental health. My friend has had to go to a therapist because the emotional exhaustion was bigger than her dream to become in a professional dancer.

What can they do to change that kind of behavior and environment? I think the first step is to recognize the problem, because sometimes they try to hide it. And also, as a society, we have to me more open in order to talking about these controversial topics.

The aspect of worrying about being judged by my peers based on the food I’m eating was such a significant issue for me for so many years that it resulted in my not eating until the end of the day. I didn’t give my body any of the required energy it needed for dancing. Unfortunately, even when I find myself doing a brief amount of time with a company or intensive, I still find myself trying to “hide” what I brought for lunch because it may not be what is deemed “healthy” by others. Something to continue working on.

Your section on seeking support was something I wish I knew I could have done earlier instead of trying to battle these demons alone. My brain was never told by anyone in my training environments that seeking outside support was an appropriate option.

This was a very reassuring read.