As you look ahead to the audition process, it’s possible how your body looks is a concern. For some of you, it might be the primary concern. It’s possible you’ve said something to yourself like, “If only my body were different, I’d get the job.”
Many dancers see their bodies as the main problem. If only your body were different, you’d be getting jobs, offers, company class invites.
That line of thinking isn’t supportive. It doesn’t allow you to focus on your dancing abilities and strengths as an artist. It also can create a mentality where you’re constantly tearing yourself apart and blaming your body for each opportunity that doesn’t pan out.
Start to build awareness around your body perspective.
How do you feel in your body right now? For how long have you felt this way? If you’re someone who has been struggling with negative body image for many years, it’s going to take time to stop blaming your body shape, size, or look for the challenges that come up in dance.
How would you feel if your body wasn’t to blame? Then what? I’ll often ask dancers these questions and the response is usually something along the lines of, “Well, then it would be about my dancing.” That’s a reality that you can look at with sadness and disappointment or one you can look at as inspiration and possibility.
Instead of fixating on your body or what you perceive to be “wrong” with it, you can instead focus on improving and growing as a dancer and artist. Let that empower you to show up and do the work and get to a place where you feel incredibly confident in your dancing by the time you’re auditioning. Then, you’ll know you’ve truly done all you can while still prioritizing your health.
Making changes to feel better in your body for auditions (and life).
In your teen, growing years, you should be focused on eating adequately. You need plenty of fuel to grow and thrive. It’s not a time to make any big changes to your food plan. It’s a time to eat consistently and to incorporate variety.
Many of those concepts always hold true, but when you’re done growing and you’re in a professional environment, it is possible to make food adjustments from a healthy, body-goal-oriented place with the intention of feeling your best and fueling from a place of self-care.
Before you can change or adjust anything, you have to feel confident that you have a healthy and positive food relationship. For more on food relationship, read this post.
It’s very possible that you’d benefit from support in order to make healthy, sustainable changes through the audition process. Consider a coaching program that can provide a holistic approach to your body goals for auditions. Elite Best Body Coaching might be the commitment that finally allows you to feel your best in your body for dance. If you’re wondering if it’s right for you, set up a complimentary coaching consultation here.
Some questions to ask yourself as you assess your fuel plan for dance:
- Are you fueling yourself in ways that serve your needs?
- Are you eating from a place of balance and nourishment?
- Is your food relationship balanced and happy?
Crash-dieting before audition season.
I’ve been there, I’ve done it, I know how tempting it can be. The name says it all. If you crash-diet, even if you think you’re reaching some aesthetic goal, there will be a crash. That might be an injury, low energy or fainting, and ultimately lacking power in your dancing.
When you show up for an audition you want to be a powerful dancer. Not one who looks frail and weak. If you put yourself in a restrictive state, you might not notice the damage you’re doing until it’s too late. You might not notice until you sustain an injury.
Check out this article I wrote for Pointe Magazine: 5 Tips for Achieving Your Healthiest Body in Time for Company Auditions.
Support a more positive self-image as auditions approach.
Something I encourage every dancer to do before audition season kicks off is to write a list of 50 things. This list should detail all the things you have to offer to a company as a dancer and a person. Some things on the list will be technical: I’m a good turner. Others might be about who you are as a person: I’m a supportive colleague and friend in the studio.
Before every audition, you’ll come back to your list of 50 things and remind yourself that you are a valuable asset to any dance company.
If you want to have a low-stress, more successful audition season, save your spot for the FREE Audition Success Workshop here:
