Dance as an Artist

Dancers are especially vulnerable to the development of disordered eating and eating disorders. It’s essential that they seek qualified advice for appropriate nutrition intervention and prevention. With an abundance of information flooding our media feeds, it’s difficult to decipher truth from trends in regards to dance nutrition, dancer health, and dancer wellness. Dancers are not just artists, they’re also athletes. Therefore, trusting credentialed professionals, such as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, helps to maximize a dancer’s strength and endurance in a way that promotes sustainable habits without the risk for injury and burnout.

From digestive regularity and immunity to satiety and sustained energy, fiber is surely a buzz-worthy topic worth learning about. And between busy schedules and constant physical exertion, dancers need fiber to regulate energy levels, maintain satiation, and encourage a moving digestive system. Since fiber is an essential component of a dancer’s diet, let’s discuss why and how you can assure that your fiber needs are met.

Injury is an inevitable part of a dancer’s journey. Although dancers often face a great deal of distress— physical, mental, and emotional— when recovering, an optimal recovery plan isn’t linear. What you eat can significantly influence how quickly and effectively you heal. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in each stage of recovery, from reducing inflammation to rebuilding tissue strength. In this blog post, we’ll uncover how to optimize your meal plan for injury recovery, helping you return to the studio stronger and more resilient.

Taking time off from dancing—whether due to injury, vacation, or a break from the demanding routine—can be both a relief and a challenge. Returning to the studio often brings excitement, but it can also come with stress. Worrying about lost progress, changes in your body, or simply the pressure to pick up where you left off is common. You might turn to behaviors like calorie counting and weight tracking to “get back into shape.” To ease the transition, here are strategies to implement.

For dancers, the desire to fuel for performance can make eating “empty calories” seem counterintuitive. As artistic athletes, dancers optimize their plates for adequate energy and muscle recovery. But when a dancer begins to stress about food, feeling anxious when those nutrient-dense options are unavailable, intentions to eat “healthfully” turn into unhealthy obsessions. While nutrient-dense foods are helpful, it’s equally important for dancers to make room for all foods, even those deemed less nourishing.

I encourage dancers to optimize each eating opportunity as a chance to fuel for performance, however, many still hesitate to snack. Combatting this means building a smart snack plan; one that maintains optimal energy throughout long rehearsals and performances. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what dancers need to know about it.