Going to extremes

Dancers are known for 'going to the limit', doing everything to achieve their goal and get the approval of themselves but even more so of teachers, choreographers and their fellow dancers / classmates. They are often obsessed with how their bodies look and quite perfectionistic. If that perfectionism is positive then it can do no harm, but that is often not the case with dancers.

Dancers spend hours in the studio every day constantly improving their technique and often start training at a young age. As enjoyable as dancing is, being in a competitive dance environment can have a negative impact on one's mental health. 

ideal image

In the studio, dancers are constantly observed by the teacher/choreographer, they are surrounded by other dancers and they stand in front of a mirror day in and day out. This causes dancers to see themselves in a certain way. They have an ideal image in their head and that can lead to negative perfectionism and unhealthy habits. 

These three aspects of ideal image play a role in a dancer's mental health, and can create negative feelings that directly affect self-image.

Difference

Positive perfectionism allows one to set realistic goals, acknowledge their limitations, and enjoy the results of their efforts, which brings a sense of accomplishment. 

Negative perfectionism has the opposite result. It increases worry and decreases or weakens self-esteem and confidence. Because dancers generally have more negative than positive perfectionism, they experience more mental stress.

Secretly

The mental health of dancers is still too often overlooked and brushed aside as something that just belongs to them. But that's really not the case in my opinion. It is also difficult to see if someone has problems. If they are not really underweight and performing properly then there is no reason to think that something is not going well. And they won't say it themselves

There are dancers who use their art as a form of escape from stress, which they can experience in other aspects of their lives. Then it is not really beneficial if they also spend time in an environment that reinforces negative perfectionism. 

Preventive

I think that dancers should work on self-confidence, body positivity and healthy eating habits from a young age. It is also recommended that teachers follow workshops to learn how to bring this positivity into the lessons.

We cannot remove all the factors of the dance environment that can contribute to negative perfectionism. Therefore, dancers and teachers have to find a way to change the negative undertone with that environment. When teachers know enough about how the studio can potentially be a negative environment for dancers, they can create conditions to turn it around.

TIPS

Three simple things you can do now, as a dancer, teacher and dance school owner:

• encourage positive eating habits, 
• Discourage comparisons between students
• Having conversations about body image or weight and reminding dancers that the mirror is there to help with technique and nothing more. 

Teaching dancers at a young age that progress is more important than perfection is a start, as is creating a positive, safe environment in which they can thrive. In addition to workshops for dancers, I also give these to teams of teachers. If you are interested, send me an email so that we can discuss this important topic.

Resource: The Psychology of Dance Medicine: Self-Perception of Dancers Karina Desai University of South Carolina – Columbia