3 Ways to Build Better Body Image in Dancers
A note from Caitlin:
Can you think of an experience that caused a major disruption in how you think about your body?
I sure can. In fact, I can think of many. I can’t even count the number of times throughout my pre-professional and professional career that I was told (directly or indirectly) that I needed to lose weight.
It’s a topic I haven’t spoken much on because the wound is still deep and to be quite honest - I feel embarrassed. But I know that I am far from the only dancer to have experienced this, and I hope sharing my story can shed some light on the topic.
The truth is - showing myself body kindness is not one of my strongest points. Even years after retiring from professional dance, I still catch that old refrain of body shame playing in my head.
But it is a goal I am constantly working toward. I am so grateful to my friend Katrena Cohea, Founder & CEO of Different Drummer Dance, for recommending the book More Than a Body and for agreeing to continue the conversation around building better body image in dancers in this insightful blog post.
How do you feel about your body?
If you were to ask this question to a group of dancers, you’d likely be met with bewildered looks, confused glances, and maybe even a dancer or two at the back of the group sneakily tip-toeing out the door to avoid responding.
How do you feel about your body?
If you were to ask this question to a group of dance teachers, you’d probably get the same reaction, plus maybe some eye rolls, tears, and/or some snarky, self-deprecating jokes.
What does that say about dancers and body image?
It says that we need help. Badly. And if you’re still skeptical, here’s some data to prove it.
98% of girls feel there is immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way. - National Report on Self Esteem
92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with body weight ranking the highest. - The Dove Campaign
Female characters are three times more likely to be shown in sexually revealing clothing and to be verbally objectified in top-rated kids/family movies. - Beauty Redefined
The price of admission to being a dancer, or enjoying dance shouldn’t be hating your body.
For too long, dance education and dance culture have placed looks, performance, and competition before the mental and physical health of dancers. While it may not have been the intention of dance history and its leaders to leave dancers with lasting damage to their body image, because there’s a complex intersection between dance celebrating bodies for what they can do, and celebrating bodies for what they look like, the result has been generations of dancers who believe that their worth is solely based on what they look like, leading to poor body image, and poor mental health.
Dance Educators play a special role in breaking the harmful traditions and practices that have been perpetuated in dance culture through generations. If we want to build better body image for the next generation of dancers and heal our own body image, there are three, important strategies we should follow in our dance classes:
1. Pay attention to the language we use around dancers
One of the most impactful things we can do to set a better body image example for our dancers is to pay attention to our language and change it to be more positive and/or neutral. This includes everything from the language we use to cue technique and corrections, to how we respond to dancers talking about diets or weight loss, and even how we speak about our own bodies in front of students.
Many dance educators have moved away from using cues like ‘good toes’ and ‘naughty toes’ when pointing and flexing feet, and replaced corrections like ‘pull your stomach in’ with more anatomically correct (and helpful) feedback like ‘engage your core’, and this is a step in the right direction. Words have power, and implicit meaning behind them, especially when used in reference to bodies, body parts, and looks.
A good introductory exercise to being more mindful of language is to reflect on things that were said to you as a young dancer. What comments or corrections were given to you that have stuck with you all these years? How did you feel, and why? What words, or phrases did you need to hear as a young dancer, and how can you start to support your own students within that framework?
2. Expand our definitions of what dancers look like
It’s crucial that we show our students that dancers exist in all shapes, sizes, skin colors; able-bodied and differently-abled bodies, races, ethnicities, cultures, identities, and backgrounds. Dance culture and media is getting better at being more inclusive and aware of this, but we still have a long way to go. You can spearhead these efforts in your own studio and classes, and create the change you want to see.
Take a look around your own classroom and studio. Is there equal representation of dancers of color with white dancers? Able-bodied dancers and differently-abled dancers? Do the marketing materials, or stock photos you use to promote your classes and studio include a variety of shapes, sizes, and races?
To take this a step further, consider your dress code and the costumes you choose for performances, recitals, and competitions. Do they favor appearance or function? Does your dress code allow for all dancers to be comfortable and focus on their craft, or does your dress code distract and keep students feeling self-conscience? How might you be able to modify these policies and meet more students where they’re at?
You may find food for thought in these questions, and room for change, or you might not. Either way, these are great questions to revisit year after year, and especially now, as fall classes get underway.
3. Get curious
Think critically about how objectification is built into our society, and how it's ingrained in dance culture. Ask yourself how cultural objectification intersects with objectification in dance, and ask yourself what some possible solutions could be to make dancers focus on their body as an instrument, rather than an ornament.
Again, reflect on your own experiences around dance and body image and notice what comes up for you. If you have friends or peers, and they’re comfortable with it, sit down and have a conversation about their experiences. Together, you may be able to have some light bulb moments and brainstorm ways that you can band together to better support this generation of dancers to develop positive body image and body resilience.
There are also a number of books you can read to continue learning about this topic!
More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite
The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield
Curious to learn more? Check out the IG Live we (Katrena & Caitlin) hosted to dive into the book More Than a Body and share our takeaways and insights on building better body image in dance!
BONUS: If you’re a dance teacher who wants to instill body confidence in their students, but has been unsure of where to start, or what to say or do (or not do), check out this brand new workbook from Different Drummer Dance!
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