The competitive nature of dance is undeniable. Whether you’re a competitive dancer or you’re vying for your next professional job, you’re bound to face competition, and with that comes stress. It’s essential to prioritize balance and wellness in dance to find success and do your best dancing.
In order to combat the stress of your dance persuits, you need to have practices in place. To make practical shifts, consider both your mindset and practices in the areas of food, body image, progress in dance, and lifestyle. These pieces are all essential to perform at your best. They’re key components to dancer wellness.
It might be easier to tell yourself that to perform your best, all that matters is the work you put in when you’re in the studio.
The truth is that when you take care of yourself outside the studio and prioritize your health — mentally and physically — you will be more resilient in dance.
The mindset is how you think about each of these areas. Are you prioritizing them? Do you see the importance in eating well, seeing yourself in a positive light, being ambitious and realistic in your progress, and having a balance in lifestyle?
An essential element of the mindset for success truly is belief in yourself.
Sports psychologist Stan Beecham says, “If you think of people who consistently win, you would say, ‘Well, they win all the time because they want to win, right? They want it bad enough.’ The reality is that’s not true at all. It’s that people that win and succeed at a high level, they don’t actually think about winning. They simply believe they’re going to do well.”
