An attendee at this year’s DTW conference recently asked me where we as a dance industry should collectively be headed in the near and far future. I thought this was an extremely poignant and timely question as there is always room for vast reflection, improvement, growth and progress in our field as dance educators. And while there are many, many things I’d love to see unified and us moving towards, the one I currently prioritize most is the mental health of our dance students and youth as a whole. I find this urgent, necessary and essential.
With the likes of elite athletes like Michael Phelps and Simone Biles kicking open the door to shed a light on this very thing, it’s now time we also turn more of our attention to, not just training dancers’ bodies, but their minds and spirits as well.
The thing to keep in mind is, ultimately, we are nurturing a growing individual, not just the dancer. We are there to shape and mold healthy, happy, confident human beings. We are there to educate them and train them on their passion for dance, but we also need to be mindful of the world in which they are living in….the current stresses, pressures and how to self-manage and be vocal about them. We need to be providing an environment which is positive, safe and open for them to learn about themselves and how to navigate the situations and feelings that arise.
With adolescent and youth anxiety, depression and suicide on the rise, our responsibility and attention to this matter is crucial. Young dancers and their mental health is two-fold. They are learning who they are, not only as artists but as growing individuals as well.
There is a distinct difference in how we can “push” our dancers in a healthy and non- healthy context. We can challenge them, yes and we should be. Having expectations is not a bad thing. But, there is a positive way to do it. We should be providing effective tools which set the tone for students to recognize their own physical and mental boundaries and how to speak candidly with us about them so we can work together as a team. The support we provide is essential and can set the ground work for them to own their mental and physical health and have a positive relationship with it.
So, how do we do achieve this shift in the dance studio? For me, it was about developing a specific yoga, movement and wellness program to bring to my students, fellow dance studios and school districts to teach youth how to be present and own their own mental health and wellness (*see ‘Be Well’ Program at 44yogamove.com.) For you, it may be providing mental health training for yourself and your faculty, learning breath- work techniques to teach, offering yoga and meditation classes, having an open door policy for touch-bases for causal check in meetings with your students, having someone come in to guest speak, studio discussions, etc. There are endless avenues you can take to make an impact and prioritize your dance students mental health and well-being. Without a healthy mind, body and soul, the dance steps seem arbitrary. When nurturing the student as a whole, we gain to help develop happy, healthy, confident and passionate dance students with a keen self-awareness about themselves and their present state.
Good luck to all!
Be well.
See you in the dance studio,
Jess
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