How to Raise a Healthy Dancer
The dance world can feel overwhelming for parents, whether or not you have personal dance experience. For dancers on a pre-professional track, training can easily exceed 20 hours per week. This means that for parents, juggling school, dance, family, and social commitments quickly becomes a complex balancing act.
But beyond the packed calendar, parents play a critical role in shaping how young dancers develop emotionally, mentally, and socially— both within the studio and beyond.
As a parent of two children and a dancer myself, I know how challenging it can be to navigate this world. Even if you don’t have a dance background, you can help your dancer thrive.
Here are five essential steps to help you raise a healthy dancer.
5 Steps to Raise a Healthy Dancer
#1: Help Manage a Busy Schedule
- Encourage your dancer to stay organized. A shared family calendar can help prevent miscommunications.
- Prep ahead when possible. Plan balanced meals and snacks on weekends or less busy evenings. Ready-to-go containers can be lifesavers on chaotic weekdays.
- Pack dance bags, water bottles, and dancewear the night before to minimize morning stress.
#2: Model a Healthy Mindset
- Avoid parent-to-parent competition. Even with good intentions, this can create social pressure and unnecessary stress for your child.
- Examine your relationship with food and body image. Children are keen observers— they model what they see. Restrictive eating or frequent body-checking can unintentionally promote disordered habits.
- Show your dancer what balanced living looks like. Prioritize rest, downtime, and fun outside of dance. Movies, family dinners, and social events are just as valuable as technique class.
If you’re looking for extra support, I work directly with dance parents inside The Healthy Dancer® and host exclusive parent-focused workshops through The Healthy Dancer® Mastermind Series. Here’s what it covers:
- Performance Nutrition
- Your relationship with food
- Career goals
- Modeling a supportive body image
- Formulating interests outside of dance
#3: Keep the Conversation Going
- Ongoing dialogue. Check in regularly. How is your dancer feeling about their training? What brings them joy? What’s stressing them out? Abraham, one of the parents I interviewed in this post, shared that bedtime is often when his daughters open up about their day.
- Promote realistic body expectations. Help your dancer understand that all bodies are unique, and no one body type guarantees success.
- Get involved when you can. Whether it’s volunteering backstage, typing performance programs, or packing group snack bags— simply showing up at performances, your support matters.
#4: Encourage Food as Fuel
Help your dancer see food as a vital source of energy and nourishment. For more detailed guidance, read this article about building a balanced diet for dancers.
#5: Model A Supportive Body Image
You don’t need to have it all figured out. What matters most is showing your dancer that you’re working toward a supportive body image. Here’s a complete guide on how to do this.
Should Dance Parents Think About a Plan B?
The professional dance world is selective and competitive, and injuries can disrupt even the most promising career paths. Many parents wonder if they should encourage their dancer to have a “Plan B.”
While pursuing one’s passion is invaluable, remember that dance offers so much more than just life on stage. A dancer’s journey can lead to exciting careers in Dance Science, Dance Education, Physical Therapy, Dance Journalism, Costume Design, and more.
As one of the parents I interviewed wisely said: “We fully support our daughter’s dreams, but we also encourage her to keep an open mind to other careers around dance [including] physical therapy [and the possibility of owning] her own company designing and selling leotards and other dance clothing.”
Want to hear directly from other dance parents?
I spoke with three parents from around the world about the real challenges and rewards of raising young dancers, including how they manage busy schedules, injuries, body image concerns, and the risk of disordered eating. Click here to read their powerful stories.
