Advice for dancers.

SHOULD I FOLLOW MY HEART AND TRY TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER? OR SHOULD I GIVE UP AND PERHAPS FEEL REGRET AFTERWARD? I ASK BECAUSE I'M ALMOST 18 AND I'VE HAD ONLY ONE YEAR OF TRAINING. MY TEACHERS SAY I HAVE POTENTIAL. THEY'VE ALSO ADVISED ME TO TAKE MODERN DANCE CLASSES ALONG WITH BALLET. I'M TAKING MORE CLASSES NOW THAN EVER BEFORE AND J FEEL THAT J CAN DO IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK? AM I BEING REALISTIC?--JOANNA, THESSALONIKI, GREECE First, let's get something straight. There's no way at 18 that you're too old to become a dancer. But you are smart to ask if you can aspire to a professional dance career without the benefit of early training. It depends on your goals. If you want to perform modern dance, then starting class in your teens isn't necessarily a disadvantage. Unlike ballet's rigid technique, modern dance doesn't depend on training during childhood to mold your bones while they're still growing. Instead, it is based on natural movements, such as breathing of using the body's weight in deliberate falls. If you are intent on a ballet career, however, you need to be realistic. It's difficult to achieve professional success if you start as an adult. But you can still take ballet classes for pleasure, and to deepen your technique. Your enthusiasm is terrific; just don't overdo it. Pace yourself using a mix of dance classes, weight training, and aerobic exercise. Your body will thank you.

THE DIRECTOR OF MY DANCE COMPANY IS CRITICIZING ME FOR LOSING FIFTEEN POUNDS. I KNOW J SHOULD FEEL GRATEFUL THAT HE CARES ABOUT MY HEALTH, BUT IT'S HARD TO TRUST HIM WHEN HE SAYS I NEED TO GAIN EIGHT POUNDS OR ELSE STOP PERFORMING. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT IF I EAT MORE, I'LL GET FAT. AREN'T BALLET DANCERS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY THIN?--WORRIED DANCER, LOS ANGELES, CA Of course, professional ballet dancers need to be thin. However, dropping too much weight will only cause you to lose muscle mass, making you weak and injury-prone. The trick for dancers is to aim for a moderate diet of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, where you are eating between 1800 and 2200 calories a day, depending on your metabolism. My advice is to see a nutritionist and/or eating disorder specialist who can evaluate your needs and give you a nutrition plan to follow.

EVERY TIME I IMAGINE AUDITIONING FOR A COMPANY, I PANIC. IT'S NOT THAT I WORRY ABOUT BEING REFUSED A POSITION IN THE CORPS DE BALLET. MY PROBLEM IS TRUSTING THAT ANYONE CAN BELIEVE IN ME ENOUGH TO MAKE ME A SOLOIST. SO FAR I'VE PERFORMED AT LEAST TEN LEADING ROLES TO GOOD REVIEWS WITHOUT EVER BEING PROMOTED. HOW CAN J SELL MYSELF TO A DIFFERENT DIRECTOR WHEN I DOUBT MY OWN ABILITIES?--STEPHANIE, NEW YORK, NY Good question! While most professional dancers want to excel, it's common to fear rejection after years of getting mixed messages from your own company. Yet the fact that you have been cast in a lot of principal parts speaks to your talent. The question is, are you ready to take a chance with someone else? Many directors are reluctant to give a new dancer a soloist contract. They don't want to lower the morale of their own dancers by promoting someone ahead of them who hasn't paid her dues. Still, there's no reason to get discouraged. Set up an audition with several companies, and if they offer you a place in the corps, ask the director of your current company if a promotion lies in your future. You're better off knowing, If the answer is no, go somewhere else. Sometimes being in a new environment really is what you need to grow. Meanwhile, you can increase your confidence by finding a supportive teacher who can fine-tune your technique.

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR ANSWER TO "SARA FROM OREGON" IN THE APRIL '04 ISSUE. YOU SUGGESTED THAT ALL THE PARENTS IN A CLASS WITH A DISRUPTIVE STUDENT FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DANCE TEACHER. AND THEN WHAT? AS AN INSTRUCTOR WITH SPOTLIGHT DANCE STUDIO, I DON'T FEEL KICKING A STUDENT OUT OF CLASS IS AN OPTION; SOMETIMES FINDING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STUDENT'S LIFE OUTSIDE CLASS CAN HELP. PLEASE PASS ALONG ANY SOLUTIONS--DANCE TEACHERS EVERYWHERE WOULD THANK YOU!--KAREN WHITE, TAUNTON, MA I wish there were a magic solution for dealing with students who act out. I agree that it helps to find out about their lives. I also know that punishment is rarely effective in terms of molding long-term behavior because it creates resentment. You can try a "time out" period where the student must leave the studio if she misbehaves. If the problem persists, it's also important to alert the dancer's parents. A pattern of disruptive behavior may be a sign of a more serious disorder. For instance, teenagers who are constantly belligerent may actually be crying out for help. Asking them to leave the school should be a last resort.

Former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., is a lecturer, a psychologist in private practice, and the author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass). She has been offering advice to DANCE MAGAZINE readers since 1992.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., at 2000 Broadway, PH2C, New York, NY 10023.