Wellness Wednesdays: Park City

When former First Soloist Allison DeBona came back to dancing full time at Ballet West after having a baby, it was a struggle figuring out the best way to take care of her body while breastfeeding her newborn baby. "I was burning a million calories a day in the studio, but I could not eat enough calories to sustain what I was doing," said DeBona.

Ballet West's healthcare team includes providers from Intermountain Health, who helped DeBona learn how to properly balance her nutrition and health to keep a strong body. "It opened my mind up to going beyond a traditional conversation that dancers have had about taking care of their bodies," she said.

Now as Principal of the Ballet West Academy Park City Campus, she wants to ensure dancers are prepared for a dance career on a broader scale, especially as they are going through their formative years. Consequenty, DeBona has set up Wellness Wednesdays for students, focusing on various health topics ranging from nutrition, navigating menstruation while dancing, burnout, body image, and anxiety.

"These are topics people may be afraid to tackle, but we want to support our dancers, both women and men," DeBona said. "Our goal is to help these kids undertsand that we recognize the struggles they are experiencing every day while in the studio so they can leave with confidence and have medically-backed information to help them."

Some of the things they address include learning what things dancers should be eating during their menstrual cycle to sustain performance, how to stay healthy and avoid injury, and focusing away from looking a certain way.

"It's hard for dancers to stare at themselves all day in the mirror, so we educate them and their families about the reason behind wearing leotards and tights is about focusing on honing technique and ensuring the muscles are engaging correctly," said DeBona. "We teach kids the signs of burnout and supporting them on fueling their body and getting enough sleep. When we talk about anxiety, we help them shift their focus to stay on track and deal with days that seem harder becuase their body changes every day. We want to help them have long, healthy careers and educate their parents along the way."