Kelsey Fyffe LPC-S, CEDS-C is a psychotherapist specializing in the mental health and performance needs of ballet dancers. As the academy therapist for Houston Ballet, she works closely with professional and pre-professional dancers navigating the unique pressures of the ballet world. Her expertise includes performance anxiety, perfectionism, body image, eating disorders, confidence, and the mental demands of training and performing at an elite level. She is the owner of the private practice, Live Mindfully Psychotherapy in Houston, TX.
This interview is focused on the relationship between dance and eating disorders
Q:
How can dancers maintain a healthy relationship with their bodies?
A:
Dancers can maintain a healthier relationship with their bodies by prioritizing self-care from an inside-out perspective. This starts with properly fueling your body with enough nutrition and foods you genuinely enjoy. I like to use a perspective called intuitive eating, which teaches you to pay attention to hunger, fullness, and satisfaction signals, rather than relying on rigid food rules.
It’s also important to practice self-kindness. Pay attention to the way you talk to yourself, especially when you notice negative or self-critical thoughts about your body or dancing. When those thoughts show up, practice redirecting them toward something more compassionate—talking to yourself the way you would a friend or another dancer.
Finally, prioritize self-care outside of dance. Rest, sleep, hobbies outside of dance, and spending time with people you love are all important. To have a healthy relationship with your body, you have to respect it. And the best way to do that is by honoring what makes you happy and healthy.
Q:
What are some early signs of disordered eating found in dancers?
A:
Some early signs of disordered eating in dancers include becoming more rigid around food, cutting out certain foods or food groups, skipping meals, or becoming overly focused on eating “healthy” or “clean.” You may also notice more comparisons with others and general anxiety about weight and appearance. In general, if you spend a lot of time thinking about food, your weight, or bodies in general, then you may want to be concerned about disordered eating.
Q:
How can a dance community create a healthier approach to body image?
A:
The dance community still has a lot of room for growth when it comes to body image and the messages dancers receive about their bodies. One of the most important things dancers and families can do is prioritize training with teachers and studios that are eating disorder informed and that don’t encourage dieting, weight loss, or the idea that dancers need a certain body type to be successful. Creating healthier dance environments starts with focusing more on dancers’ strength, technique, artistry, and overall well-being rather than their weight or appearance
Q:
How can someone in eating disorder recovery rebuild a healthy relationship with dance?
A:
To rebuild a healthy relationship with dance, you need to reconnect with what made you love dancing in the first place. Try to focus on the parts of dance that feel fun and joyful, and avoid going back to environments that encourage toxic competition or trigger a lot of stress. Dance doesn’t always have to be about improving, achieving, or looking a certain way. Sometimes, allowing yourself to dance simply because you enjoy it is important.
Q:
How can coaches support dancers who may be struggling with an eating disorder?
A:
A good coach should make their dancer’s health and recovery the priority. A dancer’s eating disorder treatment team will often be happy to speak with a teacher or coach and offer recommendations for how they can best support the dancer during treatment. This might mean adjusting training schedules, reducing performance time, or even taking an extended break from dance while the dancer recovers. Most importantly, a supportive coach will prioritize the dancer’s treatment needs over the studio’s performance, rehearsal, or competition schedule. They should also avoid making comments about weight, food choices, or body size.
Read more about Kelsey Fyffe and her private practice here!
