Jenn Edwards has designed a multifaceted career: she performs with free skate, a contemporary skating company, dances, lessons and choreographies for gymnasts and dancers, and plays in a group. Although her work extent was impressive, she also had trouble with periods of doubt, wondering if she really belonged to one of her chosen fields. “Because I jumped a lot in different disciplines, I sometimes felt like I was not an expert in one of these things – I was just a kind of fraud to all,” she said.
Edwards' experiences indicate impostor syndrome. Although doubt and intense fear associated with this way of thinking can become debilitating, it is also possible for dancers to change their thinking models, strengthen their confidence and regain the property of their profession.
Impostor syndrome and dancers
“I would be very surprised if I met a high -level dancer and they did not have a version,” explains Liv Massey, coach and mental performance advisor who works with artists and athletes. “Impostor syndrome exists on a spectrum, so some people have a little and some people are really, really paralyzed. But with most of the dancers with whom I talk, that's something we are talking about.”
The impostor syndrome is a model of thought, says Massey, not a diagnosis. It is characterized by the doubt of its capacities, the achievements and the fear of being exposed as a fraud, she explains. It is common in high and motivated individuals, especially those who are subject to perfectionism. People with great anxiety are also more likely to feel it, just like those who have trouble hosting experiences outside their comfort zone. If you are on insufficiency thoughts without also taking into account your hard work and your success, you may feel imposing syndrome.
Triggers and career effects
Certain events or situations can also provoke these models of thought, and sometimes they can meet with other aspects of identity. When the director of the Boston Ballet, Chyrstyn Fentroy, began to dance professionally – and more recently, when the conversations surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion took the front of the scene in the world of ballet – she fought against insecurity and fears that she is not worthy. “I was wondering if everything I had accomplished so far was deserved, and I started to doubt that I had won him. I assumed that it was the product of a final reason, ”she says. “I asked people to say that I was only hiring in the Boston Ballet because they needed a diversity rental.”
The triggers are individual with each dancer, although there are certain common points. Often, the more a dancer rises in the ranks, the more he is likely to feel doubts surrounding their capacities and her skills for the position, explains Brooke Ewert, a professional adviser specializing in the treatment of athletes and artists. In addition, the landing of a coveted role – or, on the other hand, having poor hearing or performance – can also cause an escape from the impostor syndrome. For example, a dancer can feel it most after a promotion because they fear not deserving their new rank, while another can feel it more after being transmitted for a role.
If impostor syndrome does not take place, says Ewert, it can prevent a dancer from progressing and reaching its full artistic potential, even if they are in the front row. This can even lead them to leave the field. Massey adds that impostor syndrome is also likely to lead to professional exhaustion because it hinders the state of joy and flow which often accompanies performance. “If you constantly have the impression of being exposed and you live in this belief system that you are not good enough, it is not a lasting way to continue to take advantage of what you are doing,” said Massey.
Healing and adaptation
Edwards has undermined the impostor syndrome for a creative inspiration, drawing from his doubt to choreographed a contemporary dance work, Impostor syndromeWho made his debut at the Vancouver Fringe Festival 2019. “I think that each time we take a concept of life and put it in something we create as an art, it helps to treat this thing and to part with it,” she says.
Another useful adaptation tool, explains Massey, is simply to label self-depreciating thoughts as a impostor syndrome. This can help you recognize that they may not reflect reality. “Instead of thinking” I do not deserve this role “, cropped like:” I worked very hard for that, and I grow with each performance, “explains Massey. She adds that relying on your support system, inside and outside the studio, can help you when you make these adjustments.
If you encounter impostor syndrome, working with a therapist is useful, especially if you see that these thoughts have an impact on your work and your daily life. Fentroy says that participation in therapy has helped her develop tools to challenge and crop his thoughts – and that breastfeeding an injury last season has also become an unexpected balm for impostor syndrome. “I realized that there was so much to love in your experiences. You don't want to get away from this career and say to me, “I hated myself all the time and I didn't believe in me,” she said. “You must love yourself through difficult things, and love yourself through difficult things, it's like reminding you that you belong where you are.”
