Dancers, particularly ballet dancers, must maintain a balance between nutrition and weight control. It's a delicate balancing act between restricting caloric intake in order to be thin enough for the stage and eating the right kinds of foods in order to have enough energy to perform, avoiding fatigue and weakness. That's according to "Diet for Dancers: A Complete Guide to Nutrition and Weight Control," by Robin D. Chmelar and Sally S. Fitt.
Considerations
Dancers are typically required to keep a low body weight simply due to their profession, according to "Diet for Dancers." That's different from typical media and society pressure to be skinny--for ballet dancers, being thin is a requirement to pursue their careers, according to the book. Because of that added psychological pressure, dancers can struggle with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. One of the main characters in the movie, "Center Stage" struggles with anorexia and maintaining her ultra-thin ballerina body. Gelsey Kirkland, a famous New York City Ballet ballerina who danced under choreographer George Balanchine in the late 1960s and 1970s, detailed her struggles with eating disorders in her autobiography "Dancing on My Grave." Today, eating disorders are still common among dancers, according to the "The Daily Telegraph."
Common Myths
Just as eating disorders aren't the answer to maintaining a healthy diet for ballerinas, there are also other myths about weight control. For example, some believe that because dancers exercise so much, there's simply no reason for them to be overweight. But that's a myth, according to "Diet for Dancers." Dance just doesn't burn that many calories, according to the book. Practicing grand jetés and pirouettes in ballet class may be both physically and mentally tiring, but the typical one-hour ballet class only burns an estimated 200 calories, according to "Diet for Dancers."
Diet Features
Although ballet dancers may think skipping meals is the key to losing weight or to keeping body weight low, that can actually have a negative effect on a ballet dancer's metabolism, according to "Diet for Dancers." Three small meals and three snacks spaced throughout the day is much more effective. Ballet dancers' diets should be low fat and include 55 to 65 percent carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent protein and 15 to 20 percent fat, according to "Diet for Dancers."
Sample Menus
Low-fat diets for ballet dancers aim to promote weight loss, according to "Diet for Dancers." Instead of counting every calorie, the book recommends thinking in terms of food types. For example, according to "Diet for Dancers," for a dancer aiming to consume 1,000 calories a day should:
• Eat one serving of starch, one serving of fruit and ½ serving of skim milk for breakfast;
• Eat one serving of fruit for a mid-morning snack;
• Eat one serving of lean meat, two servings of vegetables, one serving of fat and one serving of starch for lunch;
• Eat one serving of vegetables, one serving of skim milk, ½ serving of starch, ½ serving of lean meat and ½ a serving of fat for a mid-afternoon snack; and
• Eat one serving of lean meat, two servings of vegetables, 1 ½ servings of fat, one serving of starch, ½ serving of fruit and ½ serving of skim milk for dinner.
Food Types
A serving of starch equals one slice of whole wheat bread, for example, "Diet for Dancers" reports. A serving of vegetables is one cup of raw vegetables and a serving of lean meat equates to 1½ ounces of skinless turkey breast, for example, the book reports. So, a sample breakfast could include ¾ cup of whole grain oat cereal, ½ cup of skim milk and half of a banana. A sample lunch could include ¼ cup of canned tuna in water, two cups of raw broccoli or mushrooms, 1 tsp. of olive oil and one slice of whole wheat bread.
Expert Advice
Ballet dancers should drink plenty of water--at least 64 ounces, or eight full glasses per day, according to "Diet for Dancers." Although the temptation is not to drink too much water as not to appear "bloated," according to "Diet for Dancers," ballet dancers who drink the proper amount of water throughout the day will actually help their bodies get rid of fluid wastes.
References
- "Diet for Dancers: A Complete Guide to Nutrition and Weight Control;" Robin D. Chmelar and Sally S. Fitt; 1990
- "Dancing on My Grave;" Gelsey Kirkland; 1986
- "The Daily Telegraph": Ballet: The Secret Lives of Dancers
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