November 15-21, 2020
This week was love your body week promoted by National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA). So what is this NHSDA Love Your Body Week? It is a national campaign to encourage body positivity and celebrate all the wonderful things our bodies can do.
This organization has posted on their website the following:
"In 2005, Rachel Stewart was teaching at All That Dance (ATD). She was struck by the constant negativity she heard from her dance students about their bodies. ATD is a positive, supportive dance environment, and still she overheard a number of things that made her feel concerned - teens talking about skipping meals on days they had to wear a leotard, and dancers as young as five comparing the sizes of their thighs.
Inspired by NEDA’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and knowing that dancers are in the the highest risk group for eating disorders, Rachel Stewart wanted to create a program to promote positive body image, but oriented towards dancers of all ages. The basic concept is to take time out of each class to talk or dance about body positivity and self-love. " (editors of NHSDA)
This is a subject that stirs up a lot of emotions within me. I have had many dance friends and students who have struggled with eating disorders. And, I myself at one time, dealt with an unhealthy view of my body. It's a common problem in the dance community and I’m so excited to see that Dance Honor Society is promoting love, acceptance and appreciation of the dancers body. We all come in different sizes and it’s ok. Our bodies are wonderfully made and they were designed for self expression through dance!
When I asked my students what they loved about their body, they said:
I love my arms because they can hug my family.
I love my mouth because it can eat food.
I love my ears because I can listen to what my friends have to say.
I love my legs because they can kick.
I love my feet because they can dance folklorico.
I love my hands because I can pet my dog.
I love my eyes because they can see my family.
What do you love about your body?
Our bodies are amazing and capable of so much. But in the dance world, our bodies are always on display for public criticism and comparison. Here are a few steps you and your students can take to develop a more positive body image.
Here are 10 Steps to Positive Body Image provided by NEDA
Appreciate all that your body can do.
Keep a top-ten list of things you like about yourself
Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin-deep.
Look at yourself as a whole person.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad” person.
Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body. Work with your body, not against it.
Do something nice for yourself
Use the time and energy that you might have spent worrying about food, calories, and your weight to do something to help others.
More information at the link provided below:
Everybody has a dancers body.
Thanks for stopping by,
Alison
Works Cited:
Love Your Body Week - National Honor Society for Dance Arts, www.nhsda-ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=661544&module_id=270446.
“10 Steps to Positive Body Image.” National Eating Disorders Association, 22 Feb. 2018, www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/ten-steps.
NEDA https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
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