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

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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.

My mom gave me this book when I was in my early teens. She trusted it because it was written by a well known ballet star. When I read some of it aloud on Christmas morning she said, “hey wait, give that back!” in horror.

I convinced her to let me keep it and I was strongly influenced by the unhealthy suggestions it offered.

Today, lets tackle this idea that “self – control” is the necessary component to attaining the “ideal” dancers body.

Firstly, the concept of self – control is arguably the #1 contributing factor that makes people feel totally deprived on any eating plan.

You might relate to the feeling that if you can just stay in control of what you put into your mouth you’ll attain the perfect body, be a better dancer and have greater potential for success.

However, modern food research shows us that you actually crave foods because you’re deficient in specific nutrients.

So, the biggest risk with a restrictive diet is that you’re not getting enough nutrients which is leading you to crave unhealthy or processed foods. Not to mention the effects of deficiency on your immune system, your ability to build muscle and maintain strong bones.

Even if you manage to stay “in control” for some time, restrictive eating plans tend to either backfire with major weight gain or result in serious health issues. It’s also worth noting: the desire for control is a cornerstone of anorexia.

This book was published in 1984 when dieting was a whole different world and I think Allegra Kent was writing about the things that were popular at the time that even doctors promoted: low calorie, low fat diets with self – control as the number one factor in all of it.

I also think her goal was to be helpful so this is in no way a personal attack. She and her friends had clearly figured out a way to attain the ideal ballet bodies but now we know that being thin without proper nutrition can lead to injury, shorten your career or even your life.

I don’t suggest you pick up this book for modern, sound advice. I plan to rewrite it entirely but for now, this will be a series I’ll share over the coming weeks because I think a lot of the food myths in The Dancers’ Body Book still persist in the dance world.

I have distinct memories of conversations with friends that occurred in the not so distant past where we said if we could just eat less, we’d have the bodies we desire and all our problems would be solved.

If you’re caught up in this self – control idea as I know I was, it is important to work on your mind – set. And this can be a long journey.

Start by reminding yourself daily that to dance professionally, this body of yours needs to function at its peek. Restriction will not get you there.

Try this mantra (I love a good mantra):

“My body allows me to dance. I will fuel it healthfully and sufficiently without restriction or deprivation.”

Bottom line:

Self – control and eating less is not the answer. 

The post The Dancers’ Body Book – Part 1 appeared first on The Whole Dancer.