Dance has a notorious stigma of being … unaccepting of body variance. Thankfully, things have come a long way since the days that Alex & Elayna danced, and there is momentum in the dance world towards change! However, there’s still a lot of weird (and damaging) ideas floating around about what a dancer ‘looks like’, or the size and shape that ‘brings success’ in Highland. We can still remember overhearing a parent from another dance studio exclaim, “I thought you’d grow up, not out!”. Oof.
Our dance studio puts a hard stop those harmful ideas at the door. It’s the first thing parents hear from us at orientation day: we do NOT discuss bodies! Your size or shape does not matter, and we have a plethora of differently shaped dancers all reaching their goals! We let them know our boundaries while in the studio and ask them to join in at home. Then, we shift the way we talk about bodies in class. Our instructors don’t talk about how a dancer looks, how a costume fits, or whether dancers have the ‘right’ body shape or composition. Instead we frame things around what bodies can do and how we can strengthen them.
Here’s why we think this philosophy is super important, and why it’s definitely time to leave behind archaic messaging about bodies:
1. Because Media does a good enough job tearing down self-esteem, they don’t need help from us
Messaging about fixing or bettering yourself is everywhere, on all types of media. We are constantly bombarded with messaging about how we are not naturally pretty (just try this wonder makeup!), aren’t shaped right, or wearing the correct outfit (still recovering from the whiplash we got when ankle socks came back in…). It’s exhausting and demeaning to be constantly told you need to change yourself to conform to a very narrow standard that is, frankly, unattainable. Adults have a hard enough time protecting their own peace , so it’s no wonder that teens and children are so susceptible.
We try hard to make the dance studio a haven where that messaging isn’t present. Yes, the dancers come to get better, but it’s not the same feeling. It is our hope that every dancer we have feels unconditionally accepted for who they are. Coming to work on yourself and towards something is a much lighter and happy feeling than working to fix what society has tricked you into believing is wrong.
2. Because kids don’t decide what food’s in the house or whether they can join a gym
It’s not fair to place consequences on dancers when they aren’t the ones doing the grocery shopping, often can’t get themselves to/from places, and don’t have an income. What we think is fair is helping them use what they can control like their muscles, dedication, passion etc.
The language we use in class strives to stay within the realm of what students can control like:
“Your legs are strong. Your balance is improving. Your stamina is growing.” We always try to keep it affirming and progressive.
2. Because many girls drop out of sport (and dance) in their teens; and body image is a big reason
It’s been known for a long time, and we certainly see it at our studio, the sad reality that girls stop participating in sport during their teenage years. Why is it such a common trend for girls to all of a sudden stop wanting to do the things they love? This study we found says what we’ve been guessing – constant comparison causes girls self-esteem to plummet and then the love they had for their sport dies.
This is so sad! And it’s certainly something we are not going to perpetuate in any way. Not to mention that the benefits to teenagers that exercise bring are huge and un-ignorable! Quitting sport doesn’t just mean they aren’t dancing anymore, it also has negative social, physical, and social-emotional effects.
By refusing to comment on appearances, we’re protesting against that super harmful messaging. We want our dancers (and all girls for that matter) to feel empowered and successful. If not talking about bodies can help with that, it’s a no brainer!
3. Because It’s 2025: Dangerous ideals that celebrate “skinny” don’t belong here
The stereotype that dance is dismissive of anything but skinny exists for a reason and unfortunately this archaic view is still way more prominent than we would like. As if young kids don’t have enough to think about, without having to worry about whether or not their genetics are right for their sport. Here’s just some of the reasons we are not here for harmful messaging like that:
- Sometimes “thin” actually means weaker, and every dancer knows the amount of strength power and control Highland takes. Weak can’t work for Highland
- Focusing on appearance only can force a dancer to push unhealthy limits rather than working with their body
- It sends the message that only one body type “belongs” in dance., and at least at CSHD, that couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s the beautiful thing about Highland. So many different body types can thrive and find so much love and success.
So it’s a non-negotiable at our studio that being skinny is never an ideal or something to strive for.
At our dance studio, we talk about bodies only in terms of “what they can (or cannot yet) do”
Things you will hear in classes:
- “Your quads are getting stronger! I can see your leap is a bit higher today.”
- “You’re building core control. Keep working on your balance so your pivots feel steadier.”
- “This muscle isn’t ready for this yet; let’s strengthen it with this exercise.”
Things we’d rather die than hear in class:
Just kidding – we won’t even write them here because no one needs to hear that garbage.
We are building a space where kids can feel two things at once: seen for who they are without the need to change, and empowered to grow and progress in dance and in tons of other life skills.
Don’t forget that all bodies can do Highland and that what your body can do for you is always going to be more important than what it looks like.