The buzz of Nutcracker has worn off, grueling rehearsals are ramping up, and it’s just. so. cold. No wonder you’re feeling a bit down this winter, and you’re certainly not alone. According to dance psychologist Dr. Miriam Rowan, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression in which symptoms specifically develop over the course […]
In February 2020, the Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker–choreographed production of West Side Story opened on Broadway. And in March, the world shut down. “The first email said we’d be back in two weeks. Then it was the end of the month. Then it was by the beginning of summer. Then it was the fall,” recalls […]
Have you ever smiled through a show even though your heart wasn’t in it, or put on your game face in class despite feeling tired or out of sorts? Dancers are performers, and performing positivity is a skill that can get you through tough moments without anyone knowing you’re upset. But that doesn’t mean it’s […]
Recently, there’s been a noticeable push for more education and support surrounding mental illness. And while every industry can benefit from this shift, it’s especially overdue in the dance world. “We need to get rid of the stigma,” says Nadine Kaslow, a psychologist who works with the dancers of Atlanta Ballet. “The fact is, when […]
Ballet dancer Alina Taratorin has struggled to control her competitive nature for years. “When I was younger,” the 17-year-old Bayer Ballet Academy student says, “I would get so intimidated by the other dancers at competitions. If someone made a nasty face at me or did intimidating stretches, I would actually shake and fall onstage because […]