4 Signs Dancers Are Struggling With Body Image
At the risk of sounding dramatic, I’ll venture to say that anyone who’s ever been in a dance class, at some point, will struggle with body image. Your average dance class is steeped not only in cultural and societal expectations of what looks “good”, but also has the added pressure of being a visual and aesthetic art form, and, the dance classroom is surrounded by mirrors. So it’s pretty hard to escape reflections, comparisons, and judgements.
But what are the red flags that dance educators need to watch out for when it comes to poor body image? What can we keep our eyes and ears tuned into, so that we can nip poor body image, poor mental health, and detrimental self talk in the bud? Today I’m sharing four signs I’ve seen over and over again among dancers that signal to me a student is struggling with body image. I’ve seen these signs not only in my own teaching experience of over 15 years, but I’ve exhibited these behaviors before, as a student and professional dancer, and I’ve worked with dance educators who have reported these habits over and over.
1. They Can’t Get Out Of The Mirror
Dancers who are preoccupied with their reflection are focused more on looks, rather than feeling or function are on a path to becoming obsessed with their image, and making sure it fits a very specific look.
The fix? Cover up the mirror for at least a week, if not longer, and try these alternative practices for helping students find the correct line, and placement:
Use imagery - get creative and super articulate with the language you, and your dancers use to describe movement. This is not only good for their verbal and communication skills, but also strengthens the mind/body connection and encourages dancers to rely on internal cues and feelings rather than a mirror.
Learn about anatomy - break out the anatomy books! This one is my favorite, and dive into anatomy with dancers, so they can understand the function of muscles, joins, ligaments, and more. They’ll gain a greater understanding of the amazing machine their body is, and also be able to recruit the correct muscles better in class.
Have fellow students be their ‘mirror’ - pair students up and allow one dancer to be the teacher, and offer feedback and suggestions for what they observe in an exercise. This reinforces that movement doesn’t (and shouldn’t) look the same on every body, and refocuses dancers on form, function and quality.
Practice this Shadow Dance exercise - my dancers love this exercise, and it can be done with students of all ages!
2. They’re Always Covering Up
We’ve all felt at times, that it can be like pulling teeth to get dancers to take off the baggy sweats and warm ups. And while, this is normal for dancers in growing and changing bodies, it can also be a telltale sign dancers don’t feel comfortable in their bodies, and are trying to hide to feel protected underneath the layers of their clothing.
The fix? All of the steps above can help, but you might also consider adjusting your dress code to be more compliant and understanding, while also having honest and open conversations with your students about why seeing the body in dance class is important. (Not because you’re judging how things look, but because you want to make sure their placement is safe and correct.) Additionally, fostering a culture of compassion and kindness in your studio will go a long way. When dancers feel comfortable and safe around their teachers and peers, this will tend to be less of a problem. Nip any negative talk you might hear among dancers or staff in the bud, and offer replacements to that language with more positive alternatives.
3. They Don’t Dance Full Out
Hands up if you’re a teacher who’s ever felt like pulling her hair out because you just can’t seem to get your dancers to fully commit to, and engage with their movement. Often, dance teachers see this as ‘laziness’, but I have a different perspective. Students not dancing full out is actually another way they’re trying to protect themselves and avoid criticism. Underneath that ‘half assed’ dancing is a student who feels really vulnerable and scared to go all out, for fear they’ll get it wrong, and be criticized, either by a teacher, or that they’ll internally criticize themselves.
The fix? Build a dancer’s confidence from the inside out, using growth mindset, and normalizing feeling insecure when trying new things. Again (and I can’t emphasize this enough), actively creating a positive studio culture where everyone supports one another, and knows the studio is a place of learning and growth, not perfection and judgement, will go a long way.
4. They Get Easily Discouraged
Perfectionism and poor body image go hand in hand. Of course, it’s normal for dancers to go through phases where they feel like they’re making progress, and phases where they’re treading water. But when dancers are consistently hyper focused on perfection, rather than the process, it’s a red flag that they’re likely to develop a host of other problems, like eating disorders and mental health challenges.
The fix? Learn about adaptive perfectionism vs maladaptive perfectionism. Educating myself about the difference between these approaches was a game changer, both as a teacher, and for myself, personally. Lead by example for your students; watch your own language about how you speak about yourself, and make adjustments when necessary. Your students’ eyes and ears are always one you, and they’ll be taking their cues for how to talk to, and treat themselves, from you.
Here’s one more fantastic solution to consider if you have a group of dancers (or a whole studio full of dancers) who are exhibiting many, or all of these behaviors, and you want to give them the support they need.
Body Kind Ballet Workshops
I’m now accepting bookings for summer Body Kind Workshops! These Workshops are designed with 3, unique pillars to introduce your dancers to body kindness, and build healthy habits and practices with them, so they can befriend their bodies, quiet their inner critics, and become the most confident dancers in the room.
I hope these tips helped! Remember to give me a follow on Instagram, where I post almost daily with more strategies, tools and information about supporting dancers in mind, and body!