Eating Disorders in Dancers: How the Industry Can Do Better
The dance world has long been associated with strict body standards, particularly in ballet and other elite performance forms. While discipline and physical control are central to the craft, the pressure to conform to narrow ideals has contributed to alarmingly high rates of eating disorders among dancers. This article explores how historical expectations, institutional culture, and modern digital platforms perpetuate disordered eating, and what the industry must do to support healthier, more sustainable relationships with the body.
A Historical Problem with Deep Roots
The association between dance and thinness is not new. Ballet’s 20th-century emphasis on the “ideal” body, popularised by choreographers like Balanchine, normalised extreme slenderness as a prerequisite for success (Hamilton, 1997). These ideals filtered into training programs and audition panels, often reinforced by instructors and institutions that prioritised uniformity over diversity.
This cultural legacy continues to shape the way dancers perceive their bodies. A 2011 study by Penniment and Egan found that female dancers were significantly more likely to develop disordered eating behaviours than non-dancers, driven largely by aesthetic pressure and fear of weight gain.
How the Studio Culture Contributes
Normalised Food Control and Restriction
In many training environments, food restriction is treated as common knowledge rather than a red flag. Dancers often share tips on eating less or fasting before rehearsals, and even compliments are framed around thinness: “you’re looking lean,” “you’ve really trimmed down,” etc. These coded messages, while often unintentional, contribute to a dangerous normalisation of unhealthy habits.
Lack of Nutritional Education
Despite the physical demands of dance, most training programs offer little (if any) formal education on nutrition or eating disorder awareness. Dancers are expected to manage their own diets with little guidance, often relying on online misinformation or peer myths about what a “dancer body” should look like.
Silence Around Mental Health
Open conversations about anxiety, body image, or food are still taboo in many studios. As a result, dancers often internalise shame around their struggles, isolating themselves and delaying treatment. Early intervention is rare when these issues are stigmatised or dismissed.
The Role of Social Media and Digital Culture
Digital platforms have amplified existing pressures. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are saturated with idealised images of dancers: long limbs, flat stomachs, flawless technique. These visual cues reinforce narrow body ideals, particularly among young dancers.
Research by Hogue and Mills (2019) shows that exposure to idealised social media content increases body dissatisfaction, especially in adolescents who engage with visual-based platforms. For dancers, who already experience hypervisibility, the pressure to look “camera-ready” at all times intensifies the risk of disordered eating.
What Needs to Change: Systemic Solutions
Educator Training and Accountability
Teachers and studio directors must be trained to recognise early warning signs of eating disorders and to avoid reinforcing toxic body talk. Language matter, both in corrections and in casual comments. Cultivating body-neutral or body-positive spaces begins with those in leadership.
Integration of Dance Medicine and Nutrition
Nutrition should be taught as a core part of dance education; grounded in science, not hearsay. Programs should also provide access to physiotherapists, nutritionists, and counsellors with experience in dance medicine.
Challenging Aesthetic Ideals
The industry must move away from prescribing what a dancer’s body “should” look like. Companies, competitions, and schools that celebrate body diversity - without compromising on artistry - play a key role in reshaping the narrative for the next generation.
Practical Takeaways for Dancers and Studios
Speak openly about mental health and body image; normalise the conversation.
Avoid appearance-based praise. Compliment artistry, effort, and growth.
Build rest, nourishment, and self-care into training plans.
Educate yourself on the signs of disordered eating.
Follow accounts and creators that celebrate diverse body types and holistic wellbeing.
Summary: Caring for the Artist Means Caring for the Body
Dance is an artform that asks so much of the body, and too often gives it so little care in return. To change this, we need to move beyond surface-level “wellness” and address the deeper systems that perpetuate harm. This means reshaping studio culture, calling out dangerous norms, and replacing shame with education, empathy, and support. A healthy dancer is not one who fits the mould - but one who is nourished, empowered, and seen.
References
Hamilton, L.H. (1998). Advice for Dancers: Emotional Counsel and Practical Strategies.
Hogue, J.V. and Mills, J.S. (2019). The effects of active social media engagement with peers on body image in young women. Body Image, 28(1), pp.1–5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.11.002.
Penniment, K.J. and Egan, S.J. (2011). Perfectionism and learning experiences in dance class as risk factors for eating disorders in dancers. European Eating Disorders Review, [online] 20(1), pp.13–22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.1089.