Welcome to the latest edition of Professional Ambitions, my multi-part series on the journey to becoming a professional fusion belly dancer. Please note that this is less of a how-to guide, and more of a “learn alongside me” experience. I don’t claim to be an expert, and there is no one true path to a dance career.
This month, I’d like to talk about self-care. As dancers, we need both our physical and mental/emotional health to allow us to perform. At an amateur level you can get away with dropping out of a performance because you have the flu — although if your health causes you to make too many last-minute cancellations, people will be hesitant to invite you to perform — but as a professional, missing shows not only costs you money, it damages your reputation. Not to mention, once you hit the big time and are teaching workshops on a national or international level, you have to be able to power through.
It’s important to take care of ourselves, to avoid illness and injury as much as possible, and to develop good habits that will ensure the longevity of our dance career.
First and foremost, supplement your dance practice with some cross-training. Cardio, yoga, weight lifting, whatever you can fit in to improve the general fitness of your body. Just be careful not to push yourself so hard that you get sidelined by an injury. When I started out, I was doing CrossFit and belly dance, and well, let’s just say that if I had continued that, I’d have to invest in lots of Dermablend to cover all my training-induced bruises.
Of nearly equal importance is fueling your body. Now, I am not a health nut and I am not going to say that you have to be on a specific diet. I am going to say that you need to make sure you’re getting enough calories and nutrients, that you’re eating fruits and veggies and healthy protein, and above all that you are staying hydrated. But beyond that, if you want to have tacos and margaritas and cookies, well, I’ll be right there alongside you. It’s especially important to remember to eat well during a training intensive, so you can keep up your energy!
I’ll repeat it again: stay hydrated! It’s especially important if you’re in a dry climate like I am. It’s not just good for your health, it also helps your skin look nice when you’re on stage.
That’s a good segue into taking care of your skin. Hydrate inside and out. Drink water, and use a good moisturizer. Always remove your makeup after a show. Use a cleanser that your skin likes. Exfoliate as needed, but don’t over do it. Wear sunscreen and a hat and carry a parasol. If some of your makeup makes you break out or irritate your skin, get rid of it and find something that doesn’t cause a reaction. Healthy skin helps you look young and vibrant, and unfortunately dancers are often judged on our image, so we need all the help we can get.
As your budget allows, indulge in self-care. If you dance a lot, a good massage is a life saver for your physical and mental well-being (unless you don’t like being touched, in which case, maybe a good soak in a hot tub instead?). Personally, I also go in for pedicures once a month. It’s more of a mental health pampering treat, but it also ensures I have nicely shaped toe nails that won’t catch on anything and that my feet look nice if I’m dancing barefoot.
Don’t forget your mental and emotional health. You need to be able to really pour yourself out on stage, to give it your all physically and emotionally, and that’s easier to do if you’re not emotionally exhausted. Be aware of what you need. As an introvert, I need down time at home. I can’t be in dance class every day, and if I’m at a week-long intensive and sharing a room with someone, I need to have some time to myself to read or journal or just think. If you’re an extrovert and your dance practice mainly happens at home, or in classes where you don’t have a chance for chit-chat before or after, you probably need to make sure to build some social time into your schedule.
Beyond that, if you have a mental illness or are currently going through a rough time emotionally, do what you need to do to take care of yourself, whether it’s therapy or medication or self-soothing techniques, or a hiatus from dance while you focus on your health.
So what if the unthinkable happens and despite how well you’ve been taking care of yourself, you still break your arm or catch the flu or get diagnosed with a chronic illness? The important thing is to listen to your doctor, physical therapist, and any other professionals you may be working with. Follow their instructions and take the time you need to get better. If you force yourself back into dance too soon, you may risk an injury improperly healing, or your illness lingering for too long. In the case of injury, surgery, or a really long absence from dance due to illness, you may want to schedule some private lessons with your teacher or mentor to assess your skills and come up with a plan to get back in the game.
Take care of yourself, friends. Remember, we only get one body, so let’s treat it right.