3 Things To Do Before Having Mental Health Conversations with Dancers
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, which doesn’t phase me much since I talk about mental health all the time, but I felt it did deserve a mention, and today I want to talk about 3 things dance educators need to do before having mental health conversations with their students. Often (and especially when there’s an awareness day, or month, like this month), we get real excited to dive into the topic, and aren’t as fully prepared as we could, or should be.
So, let’s set you, and your dancers up for success with these tips to consider as you work to support their mental health, this month, and for all time in the future!
#1 Check Your Studio Culture
You might think that the first step in supporting mental health among your students has to do with diving right away into the topic, but I’d argue that before you even begin to have conversations with your students, or broach the topic of mental health, you take a look at your studio’s culture and get a pulse on how everyone (dancers, parents, staff, teachers, and yourself) feel when they’re in the studio, and interacting with the studio. Before any conversations around mental health happen, everyone needs to feel safe in their environment. Dancers won’t be willing to open up and share if they’re afraid they’ll be criticized, judged, or made fun of. Checking your studio culture first, to make sure there’s a baseline feeling of respect, understanding, and empathy among everyone, is important.
If you’re uncomfortable with some aspects of your studio’s culture, I encourage you to get curious about them. Why do you think it is that the dancers are clique-y? What’s behind any staff not getting along? Once you get curious about these questions and simmer on them for a bit, your intuition will likely guide you to the answer, and you can go about healing any rifts or misunderstandings.
That can look like doing some class bonding exercises, having a movie night at the studio, and including everyone, doing mini choreography or research assignments and pairing dancers up who might not usually work together. You don’t have to orchestrate every aspect of everyone getting along, but you can set the stage for dancers to work things out on their own.
#2 Have a Support Plan in Place
This is another proactive step that’s essential, because imagine this…
You’re talking with a dancer, or a group of dancers about mental health, and you’re suddenly out of your depth. The conversation has taken a sharp turn to someplace you weren’t expecting, and you get nervous. You might try and quickly wrap the conversation up because you’re uncomfortable, or inadvertently ignore a warning sign because you didn’t see, or hear it.
Having a support plan in place, for yourself, and your students, is key. If a student brings up past trauma, like abuse, what will you do? Do you know what to do if you’re concerned a dancer is in danger, or might hurt himself? You, and your students, will feel so much better if you have that knowledge, and those tools in place, before you even open up conversations about mental health. YPAD is a great resource for this information; I highly suggest you check them out! A support plan should equip you with resources you can pass along to your students and their caregivers, whether that be a referral to a doctor, help line, or the appropriate legal authorities. As a dance teacher, you’re also considered a mandated reporter, meaning if you see, or hear certain signs and signals from anyone under 18, you’re required by law to report it. Get super clear on what this means for you and your staff, so you can keep all your dancers safe.
#3 Know How You’ll Follow Up
Mental health isn’t one and done. It’s great when your students feel safe, and comfortable enough to communicate what they’re going through with you, and you’ll want to keep those lines of communication open and flowing. Decide what the best ways to keep these conversations and check ins with your dancers are. This will vary based on you, your preferences, and your students, but it’s essential that mental health is supported in every dance season, and all year long; not just during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Maybe you’ll have a guest speaker come in each quarter to talk with students of various subjects like mental coping skills, nutrition, and mindset. Or maybe you’ll dedicate one class each month to roundtable conversations, worksheets, and checking in with one another. You and your students will decide what the best rhythm and cadence is, and of course, it should allow for some flexibility, but the best way to serve your students is to have a consistent and regular action plan in place that supports their wellness.
100% of your dance students experience mental health, and 100% of them need support with it.
One step you can take today to support your dancers’ mental health is to book a Body Kind Ballet Workshop! Through discussion, movement, and journaling, I’ll guide you, and your dancers through three, unique pillars:
Befriending the Body - By becoming aware of the ways we self-objectify, and refocusing our attention on respecting all our body does for us.
Calming the Inner Critic - By learning about the things perfectionistic habits that sabotage our growth and reframing critical thoughts with growth mindset.
Become the Most Confident Dancer in the Room - By practicing the body kind skills you learn, and replacing unhelpful sources of stress and comparison with positive forms of support.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, and for one week only, I’m offering a 20% discount on these Workshops, and all my online wellness courses! Click here to view all the courses on sale, and click the link above to see all the details about the Workshops, and book yours for the summer now!
I’m wishing you and your dancers all the success with integrating mental health into your dance life! It may take a little practice and patience, but it’s so worth it for the health and happiness of our students!