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Hi everyone,
I just got offered a really good gig teaching for a rehab center that deals mostly with recovering drug addicts and women recovering with eating disorders. They are providing the space for the class, and there will be no mirrors. I think this is a good thing, since mirrors can sometimes cause more harm that good to beginning students anyway, let alone when they have serious issues about their body appearance. (Sometimes I think that lack of mirrors help a student to really tune in to their own body, instead of being so reliant on what it looks like, they have to really FEEL what they're doing.)
Anyway, I know belly dance is great medicine for improving body image. However, I am very small in stature and size, and have often received comments about how "little" or "tiny" I am, and I do not want to my presence as a teacher to be resented or cause undue anxiety. I would also be very grateful for any suggestions, advise, or feedback about what might be helpful conduct or messages to convey when working with such a population. I wholeheartedly believe that belly dance is really good therapy, and I want to give these ladies the most healing experience possible. Thanks.
I just got offered a really good gig teaching for a rehab center that deals mostly with recovering drug addicts and women recovering with eating disorders. They are providing the space for the class, and there will be no mirrors. I think this is a good thing, since mirrors can sometimes cause more harm that good to beginning students anyway, let alone when they have serious issues about their body appearance. (Sometimes I think that lack of mirrors help a student to really tune in to their own body, instead of being so reliant on what it looks like, they have to really FEEL what they're doing.)
Anyway, I know belly dance is great medicine for improving body image. However, I am very small in stature and size, and have often received comments about how "little" or "tiny" I am, and I do not want to my presence as a teacher to be resented or cause undue anxiety. I would also be very grateful for any suggestions, advise, or feedback about what might be helpful conduct or messages to convey when working with such a population. I wholeheartedly believe that belly dance is really good therapy, and I want to give these ladies the most healing experience possible. Thanks.
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Thu, February 5, 2009 - 11:51 PMI applaud you for taking on such a gig - it's not an easy thing to do, but well worth it. When I started dancing, I was very self conscious of my body (I myself had an eating disorder when I was in my teens, and still struggle with self image), and having a tiny teacher wasn't really the issue for me. It was the other girls in the class, and when I saw we were all different shapes and sizes I relaxed a bit. One thing that our instructor did that really helped though, was having the students help demonstrate moves. She had one of the very tall, thin girls demonstrate undulations. A short but spunky lady was chosen to demonstrate shimmies. One of my best friends was one of the more volumptuous ladies, and the instructor had her demonstrate hip bumps and mayas. And one of the older women was chosen to showcase her lovely arm movements. It kind of taught us to embrace our bodies, and that maybe big hips, or a long torso, or whatever you think might be your curse, is actually good for something after all!
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 6, 2009 - 7:00 AMAwesome...I'm totally right there with you on the no mirrors for beginners thing. People tend to look at the teacher and think they have to "be" or "do it" just like her. I'm in your situation and people always give me the "but your so tiny" excuse when they can't do something. I love when they can't judge themselves or their bodies against mine and as you say "feel" what's going on and work out how a move is ultimately supposed to feel/work inside of their bodies.
Good stuff woman...I know you'll do great work with this. -
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 6, 2009 - 9:30 AMThanks for the support and advise ladies. It really means a lot. I like your idea of having different women showcase different movements. That could be really fun exercise at some point. I have also been reading up about different visualization techniques to help bring about self acceptance.
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 6, 2009 - 11:54 AMThere is a dancer in my town who works with eating disorders in her job. We are actually dancing at an eating disorders benefit later this month that she is putting on. She teaches yoga for women with eating disorders as well, and I bet she would be a great resource for you.
www.dreamyogaanddance.com/ -
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 6, 2009 - 6:09 PMThanks for that link Shay, I got in touch with her, and she seems like she'll be a great resource! :)
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 6, 2009 - 8:17 PMFirst off, congratulations on being offered this type of a job. They must have seen a lot of potential for good to involve you with their program. It sounds like an amazing opportunity for the girls and for you to share dance in an amazing way. :)
My advice, based on working with a lot of older women who are really out of touch with thier bodies (it seems both common regionally - Midwest - and generationally), is to have students look at eachother. Sometimes I'll have students mirror eachother or talk to eachother about how they're doing. Another thing I do is have students put their hands on the muscles that they're working. I even had one student (also a recovering anorexic) who I would have touch me, and then touch herself. This helped her to learn where the movements came from.
The power of touch can be really...well... powerful! So, I'm always sure to ask before I touch a student too.
Good luck! -
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Fri, February 13, 2009 - 4:08 AMThis is so great. When i was at school there were SO many girls (it was an all girls boarding school.. not good) who had eating disorders. I still have friends of mine who have very bad relationships with their bodies.
What is exciting is i've seen a change in the beginners i've started to teach (last nov i started), and to start they hated the wobble and laughed at mes aying that it was good sometimes to use teh wobble! Anyway... now they are embracing it and saying it looks GOOD when the belly shakes when they shimmy. Its sooo happy making!!
i think that idea of giving different shapes a move to do to show each other - very very very good idea! I might try it.
It is amazing how out of touch with their bodies and muscles people are in general. A couple of my students bring along their little girls (8-9yrs old or so) and those wee things really take to it (although a younger one had real trouble moving her body so probably should wait a bit longer till she joins in!). I think here in the UK people tend to be quite stiff - and they renot used to moving parts without moving others.
I do'nt kow abotu anyone else - but do you find if you're teaching a camel in the lower body, that some people's bodies want to do it in reverse? same with the figure eights and things like that. Its fascinating. And that their bodies always try to revert to what is easier.
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Wed, February 18, 2009 - 4:46 AMI make sure to remind students that because we are all built differently (some of us have wider hips, some are tall, some are longer in the legs etc), the movements will look slightly different on each person, so try not to compare yourself to anyone else. I also take care when correcting a movement to say 'that's absolutely lovely, but not what I want you to be doing' or something to that effect. Maybe I'm a little too warm/fuzzy, but I don't like absolute judgments like 'that's wrong' except in the most extreme situations.
Other than that, the only other thing I can offer is to try to stay away from any comments (even if in jest) about body type - I know that seems like a no-brainer ;-) -
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Wed, February 18, 2009 - 8:25 AMI totally agree that it's really important to make corrections in a loving way. I'm going to speak with a woman who teaches classes specifically for women recovering from eating disorders later today. Hopefully that will help me to formulate to get a clearer perspective of how to make this class a really positive experience for the ladies involve. I really appreciate all the help and suggestions everybody. They've given me a lot to think about, and I am so grateful. :)
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Re: Advise for working with women with eating disorders
Mon, February 23, 2009 - 12:44 PMawesome, awesome, awesome
