⚖️ Is Anything Weighing You Down
December 2025
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting, both literally in the mirror and looking back at memories and experiences from this current year and from my childhood and growing up.
One of the most damaging things that multiple teachers and family members said to me as I was growing up was a version of this statement:
“ you’re a good dancer, but you would be great if you lost XX pounds. ”
I believe that they meant this as tough love, or to brace me for disappointment, or just telling me “how it is.”
And if I look back at photos of myself at any of the times a teacher told me that,
I LOOK AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC
AND NOT OVERWEIGHT AT ALL!
(Headshots of Lisa, age 26, NYC. Photographer unknown.)
Those critiques were never useful.
They were not constructive feedback.
The words were like bricks.
Although I didn’t give up and kept dancing, my self-esteem and body dysmorphia clouded my vision of myself for many years.
Fast forward to me as a Dance Teacher: and instead of becoming depressed or upset about things that were said or done to me as a young person and dancer,
I am turning those into teachable moments to build my teaching toolbox.
Those experiences have formed me into the kind of teacher I want to be: not repeating hurtful methodologies or ideologies, but replacing those with activities and projects that build students up!
(Lisa in Hawaiʻi in 2015. PC: Mark Kwaitkowski @mkimageshawaii)
I encourage teachers to examine their teaching:
Are you teaching the way you were taught because that’s “the way it’s always been done?”
Is what you are doing with your students helping them to grow into people who are able to become the dancers and artists and citizens that they want to be?
I have found that I keep the good parts of my education, but actively reverse the damaging aspects of how I was taught so I can build curriculum and classroom protocols that are student affirming, engaging, and inspiring!
I encourage you to be a reflective practitioner and celebrate your successes along with analyzing elements that need to shift or change to make improvements.
Hint: You will always need to change, because your students are always different people.
Here are some journaling prompts to help you reflect.
Reflective Heart Journaling Prompts
Journal about an experience you had as a student.
What can you learn from yourself?
What can you take and use today?
Write a letter to your younger self about what to expect as you approach your current age.
List out the teachers you have had.
What was great about them?
What are things you emulate about them?
What are things you don’t want to repeat in your teaching?
Teacher’s Heart (this is a classic!)
Draw a large heart on a piece of paper.
Brainstorm all the things that are important to you as a Dance teacher (or any teacher, or person).
Turn these into positive statements, goals, mission, or branding.
DANCE IT OUT!!!
Dance about your journaling.
Dance the letter to your younger self.
Dance a routine you did as a kid.
Dance for your teachers.
Dance your teacher’s heart.
Here’s my most recent teacher’s heart:
(Photo of my notebook.)
And from that teacher’s heart activity I wrote out my mission statement/goals as a Dance Teacher:
Create a safe place to move, discover, share, critique, edit, revise, and perform.
Love yourself at every weight, shape, size, and ability.
Respect yourself, others, the space, and the art form.
Build community, trust, and student voice and expression.
Reach out if you know or have a dance student who is struggling with body image issues. I have coaching offerings and would be glad to have a conversation.