You want to be the best.

You’re driven, dedicated and disciplined.

But the dancer’s life is demanding. It’s hard on your mind and your body and your spirit. It’s not as graceful or glamorous as it seems.

You’re suffering. You’re in pain. You may still be young, but your body feels worn and exhausted.

But you keep going. Because you want to be perfect.

So you rehearse hour after grueling hour. By the time you have a day off, you feel like you’ve been hit by a train.

You know it ’ s important to take care of your body. But who has the time? You don’t have time to plan and prepare your meals. There’s no down time or time for self-care.

Your body has taken a pounding over the years as a dancer. And poor nutrition hasn’t helped. Your body suffers.

Still, the pressure to be perfect plagues you. You’re overly conscious of your body. Your costume reveals everything.

Plus, you think that if you’re super skinny, you’ll be a better dancer.

Beyond that, the pressure to be thin is a very real thing in your world. Your battle with food and body image is the norm. Weight is always a topic of conversation.

But you secretly fear that your body won’t take this kind of treatment for too much longer.

Pain, inflammation and burnout lurk in the connective tissue of your body. The risk of injury threatens to sideline you. You’re mentally and emotionally exhausted from pushing yourself to stay in the game.

You fear that your dance career will suddenly vanish: a company folds, you suffer a career-ending injury. There’s so much you can’t control.

And there’s so much you can.