The issue surrounding body image in dance - Dance Saturday
Hello everybody and welcome back to another blog post,
Today I wanted to talk about quite a sensitive topic but I believe that it's also quite an important topic to talk about. After watching a lot of YouTube videos about dancers talking about the issue surrounding body image in dance, I wanted to give my take on it today. I was inspired by the stories of Kathryn Morgan and Joanne Clifton who have all dealt with body confidence in the past. This isn't something that I've fortunately had to deal with personally but as a person who enjoys dancing her free time, I can understand where some dancers are coming from.
I think that the main thing that dancers really struggle to maintain is balance, especially if they're involved in the competitive side of the industry. I think that it's absolutely important to keep athleticism in mind when you're a competitive and professional dancer. It becomes more difficult to execute some key bits of dance technique when you haven't got the physical stature to support your body. This is one of the primary reasons why some sprinters and other athletes train a certain way so that they can build up the muscle structure required to support the skill needed in the sport. Dance is a visual art that requires strength in the body and that can only be achieved through frequent training and practice. However, as well as being athletic, you've also got to enjoy dance. Often when dancers focus too much on physical training, they begin to lose the meaning of why they started to dance in the first place, which can often lead to unhealthy habits in the future. Training until you can't give anything back can be just as unhealthy as eating badly or being lazy. It is consequently more about being mindful and being aware of your limits and also how you feel on certain days. It's about allowing yourself to eat unhealthily from time to time without worrying about it or putting yourself down. That's why I think other mediums of exercise should be taken into account. I've seen a lot of dancers take up things like yoga or pilates because it allows them to keep up their training but also the slowness in the movement allows them to be free in their minds. For the dancers who struggle to strike a balance in their work this is one of the things that I would recommend. For any style that you specialise in, things like yoga or pilates, although they look easy, really help to build up your core strength in a mindful way.
I know that I talk about the Royal Ballet quite a lot in my blog posts but I do also recognise that those dancers train with very few breaks in between and that sort of environment is not always suitable for every dancer. I remember watching Kathryn Morgan's video and her talking about how more and more young ballet dancers are becoming more conscious of how their body looks which isn't right at all. I also know that the ballroom dancer, Joanne Clifton, even suffered with an eating disorder because she joined quite a prestigious ballroom dance team in Italy, that was very hard on her. This makes me think, if a dance company makes you feel bad about your body, no matter how prestigious it is, you shouldn't really go there if its going to damage your mental health. Dance is about hard work but also having fun and being in a place where you feel uplifted instead of put down all the time just for how your body looks.
Sometimes the best dancers aren't necessarily stick thin ballerinas, they the ones who put the passion of dance above everything else. This can be something that we often forget.
Watch Kathryn Morgan's video and read Joanne Clifton's story here to find out more information. They provide really good advice that will be suitable for dancers and non-dancers alike.
Kathryn Morgan
Interesting post. One of my sons best friends in college was in the dance program. She was continually told (by instructors) to watch her calories, then had to sit out a year when anorexia and bulimia became major factors in her life. I am not sure how to strike a prefect balance, but for her it was difficult.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is still very difficult. I've heard very similar stories to this as well. However, I do know that there's still a place for everyone and if a dancer is going to be put down for their weight, I would encourage them to go somewhere where they're treated better. Dance is about being yourself and that's unfortunately what some dance instructors forget.
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