The Truth About Brainwashing in Ballet Culture + How to Avoid Being a Victim of it | TwinTalksBallet

[@kristenjameson6788]

This is precisely why I earned my degree in ballet but also my masters in education! I wanted to make sure that I NEVER became a teacher that humiliated my students or became a toxic person to them. The first thing they tell you in the education field is that you must respect your students in order for them to respect you-even young children. I am on a mission to change how ballet is taught! Thank you for this video!

[@alexandriawest]

The whole time before I started full-time training, I was convinced there was something wrong with my body. A year into full-time training I was overtraining (dance classes were 20hrs a week, I was on 50+) because I was so exhausted and totally invested in the belief that everything was my fault because I wasn't working hard enough. It was another decade before I found out I actually had a connective tissue disorder, because I just thought it would stop hurting if I got fit enough by doing more. It's proving really tough to undo the thinking that I just need to do more - even when the results of doing less (training a little but very smart) are so massive and obvious and captured on video for the KZbin series I'm making about it all!

[@Viva-La-Lexy]

Children growing up in ballet need to hear this stuff. I'm 27, and stopped dancing ballet 10 years ago and I'm still working through it myself and realizing the impact it had!

[@Viva-La-Lexy]

Thanks for the positives at the end. I have been meaning to identify them myself and you did a really great job of that!

[@MsAvidWriter]

When you said the thing about the long torso and short legs! That struck such a chord with me as I really struggled with that. Great break down of cultural conditioning and this gave me a lot to think about/apply to life inside AND outside of dance!

[@TheConfidentDancer]

So glad to hear that!! Thank you!

[@harryh3203]

At 8:18 your actually describing whats now called "coercive control" which is now something which is illegal in intimate relationships in the UK.

[@RymVri108]

I think I was pretty lucky. I can see that I had a lot of cultural conditioning and brainwashing from my family and from being the “smart student.” I think when I started to take ballet in college, and realized that the world would not end if I fell out of my pirouette every damn day, that’s when I started to chill out and break the conditioning. I had some great ballet teachers. I had one who let me know every day that I was a waste of her time, was too fat, and “unteachable” and a terrible dancer, but by then I’d learned enough to ignore her remarks and only pick out the corrections. I improved over that semester and never had to see her again! I think overall, ballet helped me see through the conditioning, and I felt comfortable walking away from toxic studios because I knew there was better places out there.

[@libertyvictorbishop7695]

I am so glad someone is finally talking about this! My previous studio was guilty of literally all of these things. :/

[@lindaharrison3240]

I can only imagine what my life would look like if I'd had half your wisdom at your age! :) Thanks for sharing this.

[@TheConfidentDancer]

You are so kind, Linda! I'm sure you had (and have!) more wisdom than you give yourself credit for!

[@CG-qb2ii]

Wow! You are wise beyond your years!

[@TheConfidentDancer]

That's kind of you, Cindy! Thank you for watching!

[@SarahArnoldTheAccidentalArtist]

This is such a valuable and insightful video. I think you covered a lot of topics about failures within the ballet training system. I believe it is a bit better than when I was training because I am a different generation than you. Luckily I started dancing late at 15 with the goal of wanting a professional career. I know that it helped me navigate through some of the negatives that were imposed on me as a student and a professional dancer. I had not been indoctrinated with a lot of the beliefs that many dancers who started as toddlers or elementary school children. I also went to college simultaneously as a Psych major. My final paper was on brainwashing. You hit on most of the major elements of this in your discussion. Sad, really that ballet training to go to this level. One thing that helped me as a professional was to ask my mentor who often guested as a Company teacher, how she felt about dancers as a friend. She gave me some sage advice that I still practice and even let my students know if appropriate. We are not judging you as people when we correct you or give you an evaluation. Your value as a person is different than as a dancer. We all must learn to be objective in our pursuit of art. That said, it is very difficult because most creatives are emotional. Hey, in fact, we all are! So be considerate teachers and teach your students well but be aware of their feelings too. 99% of students do not go to dance professionally. Lastly, when I was in ballet companies, I hated being called a girl or "boys and girls" when addressing the company. Yup-- I also remember and expected no kids and marriage was sometimes frowned upon for female dancers!! Ridiculous really but at the time, I accepted it. Brainwashing. Thank you!! Definitely sharing with my blog followers!

[@seaofglass77]

Brilliant and useful insights, thank you!💕💓💖💞💗❤️

[@seaofglass77]

There was however suggested another video of yours with "how to not care what other people think" in the thumbnail 😁❤️

[@TheConfidentDancer]

Thank you so much!

[@TheConfidentDancer]

@@seaofglass77 I'm a little confused, what do you mean? Was there a mistake?

[@seaofglass77]

@@TheConfidentDancer sorry! You made another video quite a while ago about not being paralyzed by what others think. Then in this video you wisely pointed out that there are reasons that we DO care and they can be good reasons. I just thought it funny that KZbin suggested I watch that older video right after this one. It seems like a contradiction, but of course you are more nuanced than that. I should have been more clear in my initial comment.

[@maryh9789]

One of you best videos ever! 👏👏👏

[@NinjaJoanie]

Wow! This explains almost my entire career as a dancer! Unfortunately, I grew up on a “Christian” dance studio and then danced with a professional traveling “christian” company. It’s almost like it was the extremes of what you explained! Us vs them and I was NEVER enough! I see this now and really wondered if others see it as well. Luckily, I teach ballet and flexibility to figure skaters now and we are under SafeSport, so there are SO many regulations to protect the skaters!

[@NinjaJoanie]

I just finished the video and I’d like to think the positives for me are : 1 I create a safe space for students to grow AND to also make mistakes. 2 my students work hard and we also celebrate the successes! Things we need to work on are not negatives; they’re something to look forward to! 3 I think I’ve really created an environment for my students that I desperately needed as a dancer myself. Thank you for this video!

[@courtnejoy4556]

I’m also in the professional Christian Ballet world and have had some bad experiences. What company were you with?

[@jennacampbell7759]

What I don't like is the idea that if you haven't been dancing since you were three years old then you, like, won't be "worthy" or it won't be possible for you to aspire to professional dancing. It doesn't seem right or fair and extraordinarily exclusive. I understand that dancers need solid technique but i think that this mindset is a little dramatic and unnecessary.

[@brendastevens9077]

I am so sad this happened to you. My issue is with a new teacher, that just started learning ballroom and latin dancing under a year ago and thinks she has the right to treat me in a wrong emotionally abusive manner. I have been training for 12 yrs and Compete Nationally with my dance partner, and she is wrecking my dance partnership little by little. Super Upset, and honestly wanting to focus more on ballet since I can train alone at home and not worry about anything. This video did help a little bit. I really appreciate your videos. Do you think you could possibly help with my situation?😪❤

[@belkyhernandez8281]

Great video.

[@TheALLYISLAME]

for anyone watching, the video starts at 5:28!

[@meganmclerran4333]

The link to get the PDF and join the mailing list isn't working for me :(

[@TheConfidentDancer]

Ah! Thank you for telling me that!! I refreshed the link. Please let me know if it works for you!

[@meganmclerran4333]

@@TheConfidentDancer It's working now, thank you!