As dance teachers, we have such a great influence on our dancers. Working to establish a culture in our classrooms and studios that embraces and celebrates all types of bodies will go a long way. We first need to look at ourselves and address any negative perceptions that we have of our own bodies, being careful about how we think and talk about ourselves because it will be observed and mimicked by our students.

Focusing time and energy into building a better relationship with your body leads to loving and accepting it. This will require determining what the external influences are that have affected this relationship and figuring out what internal influences you need to be listening to instead. Taking the time to assess where our ideas of body image are coming from and beginning to base our self esteem, not on external influences, but on a more reliable truth is extremely helpful.

I needed to assess who was telling me what the "ideal body" was, and whether or not it was truthful. In addition, I needed to assess where my self-esteem and confidence were coming from. Our identity is often reliant upon acceptance or achievement in the world around us. When our self-esteem is tied to a constantly changing world and its constantly changing ideals, we will never be able to have a healthy relationship with our bodies and with ourselves.

Something that happens in many professional and educational settings is a constant comparison of dancers physiques and bodies. This happens between dancers, but unfortunately often comes from instructors and directors as well. It is natural for children in particular to compare themselves to one another. It is a part of their normal development. However, certain body types determined as "ideal" by external influences inform that natural comparison and influence how they perceive their own bodies.

In today's culture and in the dance world, we are constantly confronted with body image. Examples for the "ideal" body image are plastered all over the media. In the studio, dancers are faced with self-critique in the mirror, or even worse, from teachers and peers as well.