How Did Eating Disorders Become Common in Dance Anyways?

A pertinent look into the dance community and its link with body image issues and eating disorders.

American Ballet Theatre company performing the ballet “Giselle”.

Even the most graceful and elegant-looking art forms can have a dark side. Dance, specifically ballet, is the best example of this. Dance has a long history of eating disorders and body image issues that have been normalized in the community. The dance world is trying to grow and move on from this, but there’s still an internalized problem regarding every ballerina having to be as skinny as a stick.

Eating disorders are three times more likely in dancers compared to the general population. Particularly, anorexia nervosa and EDNOS (which stands for Eating-Disorder-Not-Otherwise-Specified)

The ideal body

The world renowned “ideal body type” of a professional ballerina is considered slim and delicate. Thighs far away from touching, snatched waist and flat breasts and bum. This body type is out of reach for many young dancers. Puberty changes your body in ways that confused me as a young, aspiring dancer. What is this fat growing on my stomach? Why are my legs touching way more than the other girls in class? Why don’t I look like the professional ballerinas I see on the internet?

Body image issues are not only relevant with young girls. There’s also pressure put on men to have their own ideal body. After speaking to one of my own male dance instructors who has a great deal of experience in the profession realm, him, along-side many other men in the dance industry “feel pressured to be very muscular and tall”. Which makes sense, due to the fact that male ballet dancers spend the majority of their time on stage and in the studio either lifting the girls or jumping up to the ceiling. But the pressure to look this way can cause very unhealthy habits that can potentially finish one’s career earlier than they predict.

The influence

This unattainable “ideal body type” is influenced in many different ways. The media plays a role by depicting dancers as perfectionists, who count calories to the decimal, and spend most of their off time with their heads hanging over the toilet. For example, the 2000 film Centre Stage has a character who is a ballerina and very strict about the food she eats and is seen purging after going out.

These body issues are even more inclined in the studio. There are many common sayings or corrections that are engraved in the ballet teacher vocabulary that are counteracting a positive body image environment. Such as, “pull your tummies in” which is referring to engaging your core but can be confused with making your stomach look slimmer. In more severe cases, some teachers have adopted the saying “don’t let me see your lunch” which is really not okay. There are many different factors that promote an anti-body positive atmosphere in the dance world, and we need to be more than just aware of it, we need to take action in adapting more positive ways to teach the young and impressionable dancers.

Unfortunately, it's not only ballet

The professional industry, outside of ballet, needs tweaking as well. When applying for jobs or schools as a dancer, often times you have to include your weight or height on your resume. This can be detrimental to one’s mental health if they assume they were cut from the audition because of their weight, something they don’t have full control over.

A popular job for young professionals is dancing for cruise ships. When you are applying for a cruise ship, you must include your weight on your resume and according to my dance instructor, he knows people who are hired for these cruise jobs and spend their time on the ship not eating. “I know people who wouldn’t eat the whole time, they would just drink”.

Is there a solution?

This deep-rooted issue doesn’t have a clear answer. The toxicity is imbedded in the community and there’s no formula to rectify the problem. Being aware of the issue is a fabulous start and moving into the new year we must begin taking action to make a change. At the end of the day, as long as the dancer has proper technique and a strong passion for their craft, does the number on the scale really matter that much?