Question for Ballet Teachers?

Question

This is a question for ballet teachers. How would you react if a student of yours approached you to tell you that they might have an eating disorder? I have a borderline one and have thought about doing this....

Answer 1

I have been on both sides of this... having an eating disorder as a dance student and having students with eating disorders as a teacher.  As for a reaction, I was always concerned.  However, I also wanted to make sure that the student felt they could trust me.  Unless the parent was already involved, I never took it upon myself to disclose the student's eating disorder to the parent.  At the same time, there wasn't much more than just being supportive that I could give to the student.  If you are starting to struggle with an eating disorder, I would highly suggest seeing a therapist trained to work with this condition before it becomes a major health issue.

Answer 2

I had a student a couple of years ago  talk to me about her eating issues.  I shared some of my experiences and she talked quite openly about how she was feeling.   She definitely had a mild case but was feeling like it was spinning out of control.

We talked about it privately a couple of times, and discussed some of her options to get a better hold on her eating issues.    She asked me to speak with her mother with her which I did.   She seems to be doing better, I hooked her up with a friend who is a dietitian, and she is getting some good resources and is still thin for her body type, but is maintaining her weight.

it opened my eyes a bit too,   I talk in my classes about healthy eating a bit more than I used too.  We have started to have a set snack time during long rehearsal days to make sure the girls are eating.  (which also gives me a chance to see what they are eating).  

Talking with someone if you are feeling uncomfortable about your eating is really important.   Believe me,  people in the dance world have seen and heard it all when it comes to eating disorders.   Unless you dance teacher is the one who is pushing you to lose weight, I would defintitely suggest talking with them.

Answer 3

The company that I dance for employs an in-house nutritionist.

If you got a nutritionist to come in and speak to all of your students, about staying healthy as dancers, you would get your point across to the student you are worrying about, and help everyone else out too.

(The student you are worried about would probably feel more comfortable, if they are not singled out.)

Answer 4

i would tell my student that it is very unhealthy and i would talk to them about the damages. i would also talk to their parents and have someone look out for them and make sure they eat properly, i would see where it would go from there.