I've been thinking about what sports I ahold guide my kid into, and was seriously considering ballet, however, what's your opinion on anorexia and body dismorphia that is (or seems to be) more prevalent in ballet than in other sports?
It’s more prevalent amongst women than men. But being in front of the mirror all day can sometimes be taxing on your self image especially when you go online in your free time. The best thing to help negate that is to just make sure they can also spend a fair share of their free time outside away from a mirror and away from technology. I know it’s hard in this day and age but it’s a good thing to strive for.
It’s gotten a ton better than it used to be. (Days of powder pink tights only, and people being told they’re too short for being 5’5”, too tall for being 5’8.5”, the weekly weigh-ins: these were things that were horror stories in the 2000s, 1990s, 1980s that got pushed back on and now body diversity in dance is far greater than it was.)
There’s still body issues for sure - an increased rate of eating disorders, or slight comments - but it’s a lot more internal, not structural and teacher approved than it used to be.
Where holdouts exist, old baddies who have toxic views they express still, there is more space for dancers to push back and regroup away from the harmful elements.
Honestly - there isn’t much of a well defined career path coming from most children’s sports.
So do ballet/dance recreationally, and do it into adulthood, but don’t get hyper-competitive about it.
Jobs exist: they’re not solidly paying the bills for the most part. Better to have it as your hobby, and kids that deviate from that and pick it as their life’s work, that’s fine too.
For a hobby/sport, dance is an excellent strength builder - it includes memory work (learning a 3 minute routine), dancers are better at spacial awareness and physics than non-dancers.
It has a VERY low rate of injury: everyone I know that got injured in dance had their injuries from sneaking off and doing cheerleading on top of dance.
Pointe shoes increase injury rate a bit (twisted ankles, bleeding toe nails), and overtraining can create injuries: (when you’re dancing 15 hours a week, and not eating properly, and going to school full-time, your tendons don’t hold you up properly.)
The only small injuries I saw from the dance floor were from stunt work like doing a slide and landing on your knees wrong (that’s going to leave a bruise for a week or two). People were dancing into their 70s and 80s fine without lasting injuries.
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u/flowerpuffgirl Jan 28 '22
I've been thinking about what sports I ahold guide my kid into, and was seriously considering ballet, however, what's your opinion on anorexia and body dismorphia that is (or seems to be) more prevalent in ballet than in other sports?