Sunday 24th March 2013
I have been continuing to research the mental health and strains of dancers and how it can affect their physical well-being and performance. Having discovered a few good sources and interesting information, I want to share my thoughts and opinions on what I have found...
Eating disorders seem to play a large part in a dancer’s mentality. Although I do not wish to focus on this topic too much, it appears that many are put in the position where they are amongst several disorders and people who are too thin. They then feel the need to ‘fit in’ and be like the others so may then become caught up in this vicious circle where not only is there competition to be the best physical dancer but also the thinnest. It concerns me that many gain this mentality during training, especially at such a young age and it something that although is dealt with in dance schools (as it is a common problem), but I feel more needs to be done. Not only will the dancers have a constant battle with their thoughts, telling them to take pills etc, not eat this and that but it will also weaken their bodies, causing physical performance to worsen and possibly cause injuries which then leads on to further mental strains.
This then takes me back to injury. I have discussed previously how injury can affect a dancer’s mental state as they feel they are left in the dark, unable to improve and be involved with those around them. It can be quite distressing and cause those injured to become unhappy and possibly eventually, unmotivated.
I feel that dancers need to have that support and service there that allows them to express their thoughts and feelings, share any concerns which would help and hopefully put a stop to numerous problems that we see across the board in dance training. Enabling this gives dancers the opportunity to be more focused on their physical performance so that it is up to the highest standard possible without outside distraction.
"Dancers are learning how to take smart ways of thinking about the body from other disciplines and applying it to themselves," - Haigler-Robles
I found this page particularly interesting (and reference for quotes):
... from other reading, even Wikipedia says that ‘workplace stress’ is a ‘risk’ within dance!
“Risks of dance
Health risks of professional dance
There are various health risks of professional dance, as it can be very demanding. As well as sports injuries, repetitive strain injury, and chronic workplace stress, dancers have a higher than average risk of body image problems and eating disorders.”
Now having thought some more over my ideas, I really am passionate about the idea of counselling in schools, however, I feel I should like to focus my line of inquiry on:
‘how a dancer’s mental health affects their physical performance’
This is the topic in which I am already studying and researching but I have been trying to focus it into one idea. I feel that counselling will come at a later date, beyond my inquiry, once I have further background knowledge and am more aware of the needs and wants of this support in schools.
I shall leave you with this quote to ponder over:
"Someone once said that dancers work just as hard as policemen -- always alert, always tense," ..."But, see, policemen don't have to be beautiful at the same time." - George Balanchine
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI found an old copy of Dance UK that I thought you might find interesting. A lot of it is about physical health but it also contains articles on eating issues and psychological aspects.
I'll give you all the information below, but if you can't get hold of it online I can always post you the magazine if you PM me your address.
Dance UK News Issue 52 Spring 2004 The Healthier Dancer Issue
Sorry I have only just responded Sarah! Thank you for this and your advice. I shall research into it and let you know if I have trouble finding it. Look forward to reading it!
DeleteI love that last quote Emily..I think this is one of the biggest issues with dance..it's not just that we have to look beautiful but that we have to make everything look easy. Even during training we are taught not to complain and not to show when we are struggling. I think this overspills into other aspect of our lives aswell..we are less likely to tell somebody if we are struggling with mental strains as we know we just aren't supposed to struggle at all. It is things such as this that can lead to eating disorders..not just pressure to lose weight. Food can be one area of our lives that we feel we can control and show people that we are in control.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that had we had a counselor at college I feel that many people would have been reluctant to speak with them, including myself. I think stopping mental strains from starting in the first place is the best way to deal with the situation but how..that could mean changing many aspects of the profession in general.
The effect of mental strains on physical performance could be very interesting...I actually remember a teacher at college when we asked him why he was letting a girl that was clearly annorexic and very poorly dance..he said, "She eats what she needs to".
I know for a fact this wasn't true, she was a skeleton and she had no strength whatsoever when dancing..attitudes of teachers have a big impact on mental strains..if a teacher can over look something like this then how is a student supposed to confront their own worries?
Thanks Claire. We too were taught not to complain, and if we did, it was seen as a sign of weakness.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of food being something we control, that is very true. It may seem the only way that some dancers feel that they can have control as everything else is taught to them, told what to do where and also told what they are doing right and wrong.
I appreciate your comment that you and others would have been reluctant to speak to someone.. I can understand that but at the same time, having the confidence to talk to someone is the first step in overcoming a problem. It can be a long process and it is the idea of making students aware that they can speak out, they can have their own opinions that I am so keen to eventually (even if it is years down my career path) to get across.
That quote from a teacher is definitely worrying.. a student hearing that is going to believe they is doing well and the right thing by basically, not looking after themselves correctly.. this should not be the case, especially with people at such young ages. Growing up with the pressures is difficult enough, without the added inputs from the teachers. Not only is it going to give students a false sense of security, it is an unprofessional way of teaching!