Why It Matters
Lauren and Sam are profoundly aware of the tremendous impact dance has had on their lives. Through it, they’ve cultivated lifelong friendships (ahem, this one), and acquired invaluable skills such as teamwork, time management, and attention to detail. Yet, they recognize that dance, by its very nature and the environment of the studio, can foster both beneficial and detrimental traits.
In dance we learn:
To move in sync with the rest of the dancers in our routine — this can translate to us wanting to look exactly the same as the people next to us.
To look at and evaluate ourselves in the mirror – this can lead us to compare our bodies with others’ bodies.
That costumes make our performances POP – this can create a need to maintain a certain size or shape.
To express ourselves through movement – movement can be a great outlet for emotions but it may also lead to shoving things down.
Dance, as a body-centered performing art, intersects with social norms and environmental factors, creating conditions conducive to the development of unhealthy, disordered behaviors.
Both Lauren and Sam carried their passion for dance into their professional careers, and learned that there is a solution to these problems - so they created Well Aligned to share that solution with the next generation of dancers.
Intervention and communication are crucial in allowing dancers to develop healthy habits that will follow them from the studio to the stage and beyond.
