The Brainy Ballerina Book Club
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. I dreamed of growing up to be either a ballerina or a librarian. When I was young, I set up my own personal library, each book meticulously labeled by the Dewey Decimal System, and demanded kindly invited my family members to come check out books.
Even though I didn’t end up pursuing library science professionally, reading is still one of my greatest loves. A lifelong learner, I crave new challenges, ideas, and experiences. I am fascinated by other’s stories and am always applying the lessons I learn in books to my own life, both personally and professionally. I truly believe that an insatiable curiosity is one of the hallmark traits of a truly “brainy ballerina”.
Whether you are an avid reader or looking to get into the habit, The Brainy Ballerina® Book Club welcomes you with open arms! We are a community of dance lovers who are eager to expand our knowledge, feed our souls, and make meaningful connections.
There are two ways to get involved. Check out the options below, then choose one or the other or go all in and sign up for both! Either way, I’m happy you’re here!
💛 Caitlin, CEO & Founder of The Brainy Ballerina®
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November 2024 Book of the Month
Nourishing Dance by Monika Saigal
Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders is written with an insider’s understanding of the unique needs and pressures of the dance world and the expertise of an eating disorder specialist, dietitian, clinician, and educator. This much-needed resource provides research-based, practical approaches to help dancers fuel optimally, nourish a peaceful relationship with food, and nurture more positive and resilient body image.
Under-fueling, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and disordered eating are far too common among dancers. Despite the prevalence of these issues in dancers across genres, and their negative impacts on dancers’ physical and mental health and performance, they have not been adequately addressed in the dance community. Improving dancers’ health and well-being is necessary for both dancers and the art form to thrive, and everyone involved in the training and care of dancers can play an important role in this mission.
Nourishing Dance provides essential information on nutrition, body image, and eating disorder prevention to help parents, teachers, staff, choreographers, leadership, athletic trainers, coaches, and healthcare professionals contribute to making the dance world a healthier and safer place for dancers.
Past Book Club Picks
2024
2023
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December 2022 Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
November 2022 Winter Season: A Dancer’s Journal by Toni Bentley
October 2022 Soar: A Life Freed by Dance by David McAllister
September 2022 More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament by Lindsay Kite, PhD & Lexie Kite, PhD
August 2022 Raising the Barre: Big Dreams, False Starts & My Midlife Quest to Dance the Nutcracker by Lauren Kessler
July 2022 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. & Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A.
June 2022 Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself by Chloe Angyal
May 2022 Final Bow For Yellowface: Dancing Between Intention & Impact by Phil Chan with Michele Chase
April 2022 The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
March 2022 The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life by Twyla Tharp
February 2022 Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
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