Most people experience their first depression in their late teens and early 20s. This is the same time that dancers are going through the most stressful period of their training and career looking for a job or entering a competitive program.
There is data that shows that practice of ballet can have a potential impact on mental health by showing that young ballet students exhibit greater psychological inflexibility.
Nearly 50% of the dance audience consists of current and former dancers. It is imperative, not only for the wellness of the individual, but also the art form, that we train dancers with respect for their mental wellness so that they become future patrons, donors and enroll their own children in dance schools.