Dancers train constantly to attain peak performance, working long hours to achieve physical and artistic perfection. Unfortunately, mental health is often sacrificed for that perfection. Terry Hyde, former dancer with the Royal Ballet and psychotherapist with patients all over the world, joins Linda and Jennifer to explore this often-neglected aspect of dancer health, and discusses how hypermobility can bring unique mental health problems of its own.
Terry discusses the high incidence of anxiety, depression, and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) in hypermobile dancers and explores how a dancer’s perfectionism can be both a blessing and a curse. He describes the intrinsic link between the mind and the body, and how anxiety can be reframed into excitement. Terry reveals why it’s important to practice talking to your body, and discusses how friends and loved ones can support a dancer needing emotional help - as well as what not to do.
Episode transcript:
Get in touch with Terry at any of the following places:
https://www.counsellingfordancers.com/about/
Email: info@counsellingfordancers.com
https://www.facebook.com/counsellingfordancers/
https://www.instagram.com/counsellingfordancers/
https://twitter.com/counselingdance
Send Bendy Bodies Podcast feedback to: BendyBodiesPodcast@gmail.com
Access all episodes at BendyBodies.org