Crystal Nicholls had been dancing in the same musical in London’s West End for four years. In the show’s toughest issue, she says, there was a bend that led straight to a jump. One night Nicholls made a minor error, falling off the turn. Although she quickly recovered things and took the leap anyway, she couldn’t help but think about it.
“I had succeeded more than I had failed. But that failure was just etched in my mind. It was almost like a switch had flipped in my brain, and I just felt like I couldn’t. not do it, ”she said. Intrusive thoughts about the error kept coming back – they distracted her in the performance and kept her awake at night. “It got to the point where, before the show started, I had sweaty palms and stomach aches, serious anxiety just thinking about that two second maneuver. I felt like a failure. I thought, if I can’t do this simple trick, then I can’t think of myself as a professional. “
This obsessive repetition of a simple mistake will sound too familiar to most dancers. Intense drive and attention to detail are essential to success in dance, but taken too far, these same perfectionist tendencies can negatively affect a dancer’s well-being and career. For example, the aspiration for a “perfect” body can lead to eating disorders. The desire to be “the best” or to land a prestigious job can lead to anxiety and depression. Is it possible to harness qualities such as ambition and discipline without giving them free rein?
Confront unrealistic expectations
Most dancers probably go to the field with a natural tendency towards perfectionism, says Dr. Nadine Kaslow, PhD, professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Emory University and psychologist for the Atlanta Ballet. “Unless you have a lot of energy, you won’t get to the point where you will be called a dancer,” she says. “For most of the kids who take dance lessons at the neighborhood studio, when the rules get too strict, the demands are too high, or they waste time with their friends, they quit. Not everyone who takes dance lessons is ambitious and motivated. But those who hang around are. “
The dance world takes these traits and reinforces them “to a truly unhealthy degree,” Kaslow explains. Dancers are often forced to conform to unrealistic body standards, are told that they should leave all other interests behind, and are taught to yearn for correction and criticism. Kaslow points out that some dancers’ parents make the problem worse by putting extra pressure on them at a young age.
Letting go is all about learning the difference between perfection and excellence. “If we try to be perfect, we always fail. But if we change our mindset to strive for excellence, we can progress toward our goal. No one can be perfect. But we can be great,” Kaslow says.
Social media can also intensify the pressure. “Before, you could scrutinize your appearance, but there was a certain distance between you and an audience. With social media, everything is amplified. It raises the stakes,” says Carol Teitelbaum, former member of Merce Cunningham Dance. Company and faculty president of Merce Cunningham Dance Studio from 1998 to 2011. Kaslow suggests setting limits on the time you spend on social media and remembering that what you see there is highly organized.
Tune in to eliminate negativity
In class or in rehearsal, if you tend to be distracted by overall anxieties, try focusing your attention on a specific goal or aspect of your technique. “I remember after I arrived in New York City, taking classes meant being pummeled by a self-critical voice. So I started to create a little diary: today, I’m going to think about my folded. Tomorrow I could think about the position and movement of my pelvis, ”explains Teitelbaum. Creating a more manageable goal for the class will help you feel more accomplished and eliminate negativity.
On the other hand, if you find yourself obsessed with technique, it may help to cultivate more diffuse attention. Teitelbaum, who is also a Feldenkrais practitioner, recommends that dancers work on their sensory awareness to help them tune in to their own bodies and eliminate self-critical thoughts. It may seem obvious: who could be more deeply embodied than a dancer? But thinking about your body is not the same as feeling what is really going on.
“Dancers are often not so happy to be still and to feel themselves”, explains Teitelbaum. “They often end up bored and itchy. I would suggest focusing on one area of interest and then really inviting all of your sensations. Create a question for yourself: “What is my involvement, really?” the sensations in my foot affecting my hip, this conversation between my hip joint and my foot? ‘ It takes me away from questions like “Am I better or worse than yesterday? How am I doing compared to others?” “
Ask for help
For Nicholls, hypnotherapy was the key to overcoming his anxiety. Simply making an appointment made all the difference. “I immediately felt better just because I asked for help,” she says.
A similar sentiment led Leal Zielinska, an artistic associate of the Gibney Company, to create Okay, Let’s Unpack This, an initiative to normalize discussions about mental health within the dance community and connect dancers to resources. in mental health.
“The more I started to open up and talk about my own experiences, the more I realized how common this was. It’s the stigma and shame around these conversations that leads us to believe it’s some sort. fault, ”she said. Through therapy, Zielinska says, she learned to identify her own warning signs and build a strong support network.
She also works consciously to control her tendency to overwork. “I learned to use ambition in a more sustainable way. It must be exploited. Take advantage of it, but don’t let it take advantage of you. For example, I try to think of this month, not just the next 24 hours. What’s the most sustainable way to work? Maybe I have to take a Sunday off or turn down a project. It’s a negotiation that takes time to develop, ”Zielinska explains.
Nicholls suggests cultivating another interest that isn’t dancing. “If dancing is your only thing, you have no choice but to become obsessed,” she says. Kaslow agrees, “Sometimes you have to hit the pause button. If you allow too much negativity, there’s no room for positivity. Take a break and recharge.”
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