Dealing with Stereotypes and Body Image Issues

Unfortunately, stereotypes are very prominent in the dance world and it’s affecting many people’s dance careers:

(This post is gonna be a long one, so grab yourself a drink and a snack J)

Most dancers, especially ballet dancers, find it very hard to fit into the mould that the dance world has created over the years. Not all dancers are tall, thin, white and blonde, and not all dancers have hyperextensions and naturally arched feet (!). The problem with these stereotypes and the moulds that have been created, is that it can cause many eating disorders, self-confidence issues and injuries.

*this post is in collaboration with @dwimpye, @eryery123 and @m_dancer18 on Instagram – go check them out!*

The first question that I’d like to attempt to answer, is how do I deal with the “tall and thin” stereotype? Here’s what Melinda thinks:

Firstly, it’s important to learn that you can dance no matter what you look like. Tall, short… none of it matters if you truly love to dance. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you love.

As for the whole “skinny” stereotype, I have a few more words to say about that one. Not all dancers are skinny, and not all dancers have an extremely fast metabolism. We’re all different, and that’s the beauty of our world – everyone is unique and everyone has something different they can bring to society.

Unfortunately many dancers suffer from trying to be skinny enough for dance and start reducing the amount that they eat (drastically). There’s a difference between bulimia and anorexia, and I’d like to talk about both, because many think that if you’re a dancer, you’re naturally gonna be anorexic. Don’t try to lose weight to be a better dancer or to have a body that’s more suitable for dance. If anything, try to work on building strength and working on your technique. Dance classes are pretty much the best workout you can get: you work on your form, strength, and you sweat (cardio). Something I want to stress, is that there’s a difference between “fat”, muscular and thin – and that all 3 are perfectly all right. Don’t let one person’s opinion affect your life! You’ll move on to bigger and better things in the future, and those things that were bothering you now, are going to be just a mere bad experience.

          Now we all know that casting directors love tall dancers, but not all of us are blessed with long legs and arms! Misty Copeland was told that she was too short and muscular to be a dancer. Now she’s a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and is more successful than ever! Don’t let something as silly as your height define whether you’re going to be a successful dancer or not – there are many other things that come into play when it comes to being cast in for a role, for example confidence(!).

Unfortunately colour is still an issue in the dance world, and it’s affecting many dancers’ lives - not Destiny’s! Here’s what she has to say:

Don’t be upset if one or two companies don’t accept you because of your skin colour. It’s their loss, not yours. You’ll get to audition for another company who’ll see beyond the colour of your skin and you’re going to be much happier there. If you’re preparing for an audition and you’re worried that they may turn you down because of the colour of your skin, make sure you work hard enough that they don’t have a reason to reject you. After all, auditions are about talent: the only reason they could have to reject you, is not being good enough – not the colour of your skin. Don’t let something as silly as that get in the way of your career!

Need some extra motivation? Erin has something she’d like to tell you!

Marina https://www.instagram.com/m.a_dancer/

Amanda https://www.instagram.com/amandakuznetsov/