How do we help the next generation of dancers?
How do we help the next generation of dancers? I think about this question often. I also don’t have an answer. I often wonder how to create dancers who are kind and gentle with themselves. I wonder how to create dancers who enjoy pushing themselves and enjoy working hard without being masochistic. I wonder how to create resiliency and grit. I wonder if it’s possible to be a really effective teacher without being strict and demanding. I wonder if it’s possible to create really good elite dancers without using the old abusive ways of teaching? I don’t know.
All I know is what feels right to me. I always appreciate people who are nurturing. I think about my own struggles as a dancer, and wonder how I can help spare the next generation of dancers from the same struggles. I know many dancers in my generation are thinking about this as well. We want to help change the industry for the better. Many are advocating for prioritizing mental health support for dancers because so many of us have struggled. Our relationship with our minds and bodies are so important and effect us on such a deep level.
I came up with these affirmations after teaching class one day. One of my students was practicing a combination and after she did a step, she blurted out, “That was bad!” It really took me by surprise. She was so young. I saw that super critical, frustrated, perfectionism rear it’s ugly head. I didn’t realize that that already existed in this little girl. I tried to reassure her. I said that it was ok, that we’re here to get better, we aren’t here to be perfect, and that being kind and gentle with ourselves in the process is so important to having a healthy approach to dance (studies show that self punishment is not effective).
When I look back on my own career, I felt ill equipped in so many ways. I didn’t have enough training, I wasn’t mentally prepared for the world of ballet. I felt like I came into a world I didn’t know enough about and I had no clue how to navigate. And maybe no one feels equipped for the ballet world. But I hope that those of us who have been in the industry, who have gone through challenges, and have experienced what it’s like, can share what we’ve learned from those challenges. Hopefully we pass on information that’s helpful to the next generation. It’s really important to me and I know it’s important to other dancers as well.
The first time I did these affirmations with my students I was so nervous about how they would react. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, and I was worried... I went ahead anyway. At the end of class I asked them to repeat after me and we went through each affirmation. As they recited them back to me, I saw their bodies begin to relax, and a sense of ease come over their expressions. It almost felt like a big sigh of relief. It was as if I could see the stress leave their bodies. As we concluded the last affirmation, big smiles came across their faces and they swarmed me for a big group hug (pre-covid).
It was truly one of the most memorable moments of my life. I felt I finally done something right and maybe everything I had been through had been worth it; just for that moment with those little girls. When we can use the pain we’ve experienced to help ease the pain and suffering of another, I don’t know if there’s a greater gift than that.
While I know this doesn’t solve the great systemic issues within ballet, it feels like a step in right direction. My intention is to create a new way of relating to ballet for the next generation. And I wonder what might be possible if we all incorporate these affirmations into the studio and our lives.
Today I worked hard and tried my best
(acknowledge yourself for showing up, and acknowledge your effort)
I work toward progress, not perfection
(There is no perfection, so drop that lofty expectation, and instead focus on consistent progress)
My self-worth is not defined by my dancing
(Your dancing abilities do not determine your worth)
I am worthy and enough just as I am
(You are worthy simply because you exist)
I love myself and I love my body
(Your body is a miracle and you ARE love ~ fully embrace and embody it)