Watching a graceful ballet dancer sweeping across a theater stage is truly awe-inspiring. The athleticism required of dancers is more challenging than meets the eye. The perfect posture, hypnotizing turns, and soaring heights often result in a stunning performance.
But the impact to a dancer’s body can be extreme at any skill level. As dancers progress through their careers, even from a young age, it’s critical to participate in intensive programs to accelerate their progression.
“It’s a little glimpse into what it would be like to do this as a profession,” says Megan Fairchild, New York City Ballet principal dancer. “To take three or four classes in a row and still have fun at the end of it is a pretty good test if this is for you or not. As dancers get older, it’s a necessity. If you want to join a company, you have to go through it and it’s almost part of the audition process.”
Fairchild works with students during Ballet Hawaii's summer intensive program. Photo by Romeo Collado.
And Fairchild would know. A principal dancer of 20 years, she’s been traveling to Hawaii annually for nearly as long to give back to the community and share her knowledge with young, up-and-coming dancers as part of Ballet Hawaii’s summer intensive program. Fairchild first came to Hawaii to perform in the studio’s annual showcase of The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the rest is history. She continues to reprise her signature role each year during the holidays and often comes back for the summer intensive program, which is an immersive experience, offering local dancers the opportunity to learn from top talent like Fairchild.
It’s called an “intensive” for a reason. For three weeks, students are dancing six days a week, sometimes for more than eight hours a day.
Behind the scenes of Ballet Hawaii's summer intensive program showcase performances at Leeward Community College. Photo by Romeo Collado.
That’s why Ballet Hawaii kicks off its program with an orientation for young dancers and their parents to help them understand how to take care of their bodies and minds during the program and beyond. The orientation is led by Jennifer King, D.O., a Ballet Hawaii board member and Hawaii Pacific Health chief of pediatric sports medicine.
“We cover the big premises of how to be a healthy and happy human, which are food and nutrition, water, sleep, physical activity, and stress reduction,” says Dr. King.
How to be a healthy and happy human
While Dr. King tailors her advice for dancers during the summer intensive program, these tenets can help guide anyone trying to be healthy and happy.
- Food: Dr. King advises that we should try to eat healthy for the most part, but allow ourselves to enjoy holidays and parties, too. During times of intense activity, you need more fuel for your body. “Eat around the perimeter of the grocery store if you can, to find fresh and ‘real’ food,” she says. Most of the time, we should try to fill half of our plates with fruits and veggies and a quarter with protein and the rest with carbohydrates, slow down while eating, and focus on the meal. That way, you know when you’re full. Also, be cautious of ingredients you can’t pronounce.
- Water: Since water makes up the majority of your being, drink plenty of it. She explains that kids and adults should drink a half-ounce of water per pound of body weight every day or 64 ounces once you reach 130 pounds, and more if they’re active. If urine is pale yellow, you’re drinking enough water. Dr. King says, “If water isn’t your thing, try fruit! It’s a good way to increase fluid intake for those who don’t like to drink a lot of water.”
- Sleep: Dr. King shares that there’s increasingly more science surrounding the importance of sleep. “We know that adolescents who sleep 8 hours per night are less likely to sustain an injury, have better processing speed for school and activity, and are able to recover from injuries faster.” According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults need seven or more hours of sleep each night.
- Physical activity: Moving your body is key to a healthy lifestyle, and the preparation is just as important. “The thing that breaks my heart the most is seeing dancers go into a cold studio and then just start stretching,” says Dr. King. “We know that it's easier to overstretch the muscles when they're just not ready to do it yet. If you watch a football team go out onto the field, the first thing they do is high knees, butt kicks, and cariocas (karaokes) to get the body warmed up before they start to stretch.”
- Stress reduction: Dr. King explains that this looks different for everyone. She says, “For patients who tell me that dance or another sport or activity is their stress reduction, I recommend having a second way to decompress. We know that dance can become a source of stress in various time points, such as intensive programs or performances, so it's good to have an alternative. In addition, if an injury occurs, your body goes into a stress mode and you may not be able to dance, but if you have another form of stress reduction, you will be able to decompress. Bottom line: Have an activity that is not your sport.”
Dr. King working with a patient.
Taking care of the mind
A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.
In addition to being one of the nation’s top ballet dancers, a mother of three, and a graduate student, Fairchild somehow found it in herself to write a book sharing life lessons she learned to overcome highly stressful situations and thrive.
“I never thought I would write a book, let alone give advice,” Fairchild explains. “After spending time on Broadway, I realized how little people knew about the ballet world. I found my voice and wanted to use it. My book started as a podcast where I would respond to questions and help debunk myths about the ballet world. I wanted people to know that it’s just a lot of hard work, commitment, and passion.”
Fairchild (center) dancing alongside students in Ballet Hawaii's summer intensive program showcase performances. Photo by Romeo Collado.
Fairchild wrote The Ballerina Mindset for everyone. While set in the ballet world, it’s geared toward anyone who’s in a competitive industry that can feel like a pressure cooker. Her book centers around 10 big lessons she learned during her career. One of her overall takeaways was, “We’re all just people. Really successful people are just human beings.”
When asked what her key mental health tips are, Fairchild shared this advice:
- Your first try at something doesn’t have to be perfect. Even if people see potential in you, they’re not going to expect you to have it figured out from the moment you start. We’re all learning together, and no one has all of the answers. It’s about being open to feedback and growing.
- Marie Kondo your social media and keep your eyes on your own yoga mat. If something is dragging you down, block it and unfollow it. You have to protect yourself. It’s hard to completely eliminate social media and it’s important sometimes to still be at play there, but I think you can do it in a healthy way.
- Nobody else’s success is going to affect your rise to the top. It can be hard when you see other people achieving things, but it doesn’t take away from what’s happening or going to happen on your journey. It’s important to stay focused on your fullest potential rather than being distracted by what others are doing.
- Having a good relationship with your mental thoughts and the way you speak to yourself is just as important as how you take care of your body.
- Pursue things that wake you up inside and make you excited about the day.
Photo by Romeo Collado.
Want to dance?
For anyone interested in adding dance to their fitness routine, Dr. King advises that there are lots of different dance forms you can try, and to just take it slow. She says, “It's usually good to start with a buddy. We know from lots of studies that if you do things with a friend, you're more likely to continue to do it. And most importantly, just have fun. If it's not fun, then it's really not worth doing.”
Ballet Hawaii has been sharing its love of dance in the islands since 1976. Find out how they’ve been helping to cultivate homegrown talent through their unique summer intensive program in the fall 2024 issue of Island Scene.
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