Advice for dancers.

AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, LINDA HAMILTON, PH.D., IS ALSO A LECTURER, A PSYCHOLOGIST, A FORMER DANCER WITH NEW YORK CITY BALLET, AND AUTHOR OF ADVICE FOR DANCERS (JOSSEY-BASS).

I am an eighth-grade student who would like your input about the life of a professional dancer for my research paper. Some of my questions are practical, like how much money do dancers make and how many work hours do they put in during the day? I also wonder if a dance career is worth it once you get there and what's it like after it's over, etc.? Please respond in the next month.

Siatta From Atlanta, Georgia

One of the reasons I wrote my book, Advice for Dancers, was to help as many dancers as possible, because it's impossible to answer the countless letters I receive from Dance Magazine--even though I read each and every one! In your case, a good research paper depends on a number of sources, which you can access through the library or the Internet. You can also use my input in this column, as long as there isn't a deadline.

Let's start with the good news. Most dancers tell me that being a professional is a dream come true. Why? Because, unlike people who choose a job only for money or power, dancers love their work--from the artistic, musical, and dramatic aspects of dance to the family bonds they establish with members of the dance community. Dance expresses an essential part of our being through movement. The hard part is dealing with occupational stress. Low salaries (the average is $24,000 per year according to the last U.S. Census Report on Income and Earnings), coupled with a day occupied by company class, rehearsals, and an evening performance, can lead to emotional and physical burnout over time. Fortunately, it's possible to reduce stress through massage, yoga, and psychotherapy I recently discovered that 97 percent of professional dancers who take an occasional college course find it enhances their dancing. A higher education also helps these performers establish a satisfying second career after dance (Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, Volume 6, Number 1, 2002).

I'm the mother of a vibrant young dancer who is willing to starve to be her best when she gets weighed in at her school. Needless to say, both my husband and I are alarmed by this turn of events and will not allow our daughter to develop an eating disorder to succeed in dance. Are there ways to avoid this problem or should we remove her from her ballet school?

Concerned Mother

Not only can you avoid eating problems, you can help your daughter use dance to boost her health, personal mastery, and work ethic to make her stand out from her peers. The trick is to avoid dance schools and companies that place too much emphasis on weight while ignoring effort. For example, mandatory weigh-ins create problems that may contribute to eating disorders, according to data presented at the annual conference of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (2001). Effort, on the other hand, is under a dancer's control, creating increasing feelings of success. It isn't necessary to sacrifice your daughter's health to have a meaningful career in dance if you choose wisely.

I am 54 years old and have read with interest your descriptions of abusive dance teachers. The enclosed poem describes an incident that took place with my very first instructor shortly after I started dancing at the age of 5 and the impact it had on the rest of my life.

Elizabeth From Beverly Hills, California

Even though your poem is too long to include in this column, I found it to be extremely moving. While there are many benefits to dance training, abusive teachers can leave a lasting imprint of self-doubt in dancers, creating a negative body image and low self-esteem. Several lines from your poem emphasize the power teachers hold over the lives of their students: "`Your legs are fat,' the teacher said, as I stood wishing I were dead. /Some fifty years have passed since then, and I still remember when, / despite my great artistic quest, my hopes and dreams were laid to rest."

Teachers who use public humiliation to make a point are wrong--no ands, ifs, or buts. No one has the right to damage you for a lifetime.

Since the terrorist attack on September 11, I've been amazed at the resiliency of the American people. At the same time, I know that many are still suffering, particularly dancers who are conditioned to deal with problems without asking for help. Do you think that I, as a dancer/choreographer, can help dancers feel less alone?

Jean From Princeton, New Jersey 

Sometimes, the best thing you can do after a traumatic event is to listen to others and be supportive. According to Dr. Carol North, an expert in the area, approximately one-third of people who are touched directly by trauma will develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in response to these events. To teach us how to cope with the stress associated with the ongoing threat of terrorism, the American Psychological Association has released a series of instructional videos. To find out more, contact APA at 800/374-2721, x 5510. Your own work in choreography can also help dancers express their feelings and increase their sense of belonging through movement and being part of a creative process.