Dancers and Eating Disorders - is there a connection?

There has always been a lot of talk about the art of dance being connected to the horrible diseases characterized as eating disorders.  I definitely think that when you become very competitive in dance, the thought of needing to be thin crosses your mind often.  I have a lot of experience in dance, and I know a lot about eating disorders.  I have been dancing since the early age of two years old.  I did every type of dance imaginable, and I have to say I was pretty good.  I came first runner up in the Miss Dance of Canada pageant, and I am the tap champion of Canada.  I just recently quit dance due to being too skinny.  Why might you ask was I too skinny? Well because I suffered from Anorexia Nervosa two years ago and have had trouble with my eating patterns ever since.  So I would definitely say I have a lot of experience with both of these topics.

Me in my pointe solo "Allegro"

Me and two friends after the Canadian Dance Masters pageant

Me in my contemporary solo "Get Up"

One reason why dancers are more likely to stop eating is the fact the environment and outfits they are working in.  I can tell you that when I danced, it was very difficult not to compare bodies with the other girls.  We were all wearing skin tight leotards so it was very obvious who had indulged in a big lunch and who was big boned.  Not only were we in skin tight clothing, but we were in a room that was absolutely filled with mirrors.  There were mirrors on every wall in the room so it was impossible to escape your reflection.  Another huge stresser when you are a dancer is the fact that in ballet class you are actually told to hold in your stomach.  There are a lot of moves in dance that are much easier for a "skinny" person.  I can definitely say it would be a lot harder to go on pointe (ballet on your toes) if I was overweight.  It would also be more difficult to balance, and get off the ground in the difficult jumps we were expected to do.  Also, it would be almost impossible for the boys to lift us when we were doing partner dancing.  So there is definitely a huge advantage to being skinny when you are trying to become a ballet star.

Another reason why dancers are more prone to eating disorders is their personality.  All of these dancers want to be the best of the best so they strive to be perfect.  I can definitely say that when I was in the studio working on my solos, I became a total perfectionist.  I had to make sure that my arms were graceful, my feet were pointed, my legs were stretched, my posture was perfect, and the list goes on.  I literally had to be "perfect" to be praised by my teacher.  The teachers at my studio expected nothing less than perfection from their top girls.  We also had to strive to be flexible.  Only about six girls out of my whole studio were born "flexible", yet almost every girl there could do the splits.  We had to push ourselves to the point of pain to get to where we were supposed to be.  Dancers' perfectionism really makes them more likely to strive for the perfect body by limiting what they eat, or stopping eating all together.

One more reason why dancers are more prone to eating disorders is the people they look up to.  I don't think I could name one person who made it as a dancer who was overweight or even just normal sized.  All professional dancers have the "perfect body".  If you look at any poster of a dancer you will definitely see an girl with narrow hips, little or no fat deposits, a slim middle, small breasts, delicate looking arms, and short height.  This is because all dancers have to look the same on stage for professional companies.  The star of the show is usually very thin so everybody else in the show has to be thin to match her. 

These are just a few reasons why dancers are more likely to become anorexic or bulimic.  Even though dancers have a higher rate of eating disorders, it doesn't mean that every single dancer is going to stop eating.  I know tons of girls who have a bigger build and are some of the most amazing dancers in the world.  I have a friend who is extremely muscular which is not the typical "dancers body", yet she was Teen Miss Dance of Canada, Miss Dance of Western New York, Americas Dancer of the Year five years in a row, and as if that wasn't enough, she has three world titles.  Eating disorders don't just happen to every girl who decides to dance, it really depends on the person and they personality they have. 

World champion in acro solo "Silent Night

Miss Dance of Western New York

World champion in pointe solo "Don't Stop Believing

Cultural Icons of Yesterday and Today

When I think of the word DIVA, there are three names that come to mind.  These names are Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and of course the one and only Lady Gaga.  All three of these lovely ladies are blonde bombshells who changed the entertainment world for the better.  It is really interesting to see how these three cultural icons, all from different times, have many similarities and many differences.  All three of these women have different reasons for becoming famous, but they all stayed famous.  The public absolutely loved these three ladies and still do.

The first cultural icon I would like to discuss is Marilyn Monroe.  Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926.  She was actually born to the name Norma Jeane Mortenson, but later changed her name for her career as a diva.  Marilyn Monroe is also known as "The Blonde Bombshell".  Before Monroe became famous she actually worked in a factory.  Eventually this gorgeous blond signed with Blue Book Modeling Agency and became one of Blue Book's most successful models.  Monroe appeared on the cover of numerous magazines and was extremely famous for her appearances in Playboy.  Marilyn Monroe's most famous movie is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and her most famous song is Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.  Marilyn Monroe was married to three different men (at different times).  Her first husband was James Dougherty, then she married Jo DiMaggio, and finally she was married to Arthur Miller.  Unfortunately, Monroe died at the young age of thirty six years old.  Her death was due to acute barbiturate poisoning which could have been a suicide.  The name Marilyn Monroe is still extremely well known.  I think almost everyone knows who this bombshell is.  She was a cultural icon in her day, and her name will live on forever.

The second name that comes to mind when I think "Diva" is Madonna.  Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 and she was the third of six children.  Madonna was the "sissy" in her family and often used her feminine charm to get what she wanted.  Madonna's family was extremely religious.  Her mother unfortunately died of breast cancer when Madonna was only five years old, but this actually helped her start her career.  Madonna said "I think the biggest reason I was able to express myself and not be intimidated was by not having a mother.  For example, mothers teach you manners, and I absolutely did not learn any of those rules and regulations."  Eventually Madonna's father got remarried, but the young girl did not like her new stepmother.  Madonna said she saw herself as a "Cinderella".  Because she didn't enjoy life with her new family, Madonna rebelled by wearing revealing clothing and going to underground gay night clubs.  Even though the young girl had a rebellious side, she was still a straight A student, a cheerleader, and a dancer.  Eventually Madonna dropped out of college to pursue a career in dancing and even spent some time working in France as a show girl.  Madonna formed many bands and eventually went solo.  Two of Madonna's most famous songs would have to be Vogue and Like a Virgin.  Madonna's videos became very controversial because of the way she pushed boundaries.  I think Madonna is one of the most famous divas who have ever lived and I really don't think she will ever be forgotten.

The most recent definition of "Diva" is definitely fulfilled by one simple word: Gaga.  Lady Gaga's birth name is Stefani Joanne Germanotta but this simple name just didn't suit such a big personality, so she is now known as "Lady Gaga".  Gaga went to a very strict catholic school that actually pushed her to want to be different.  She was definitely a social misfit when she was young because of the fact that she just doesn't conform.  Gaga started out by writing songs for other pop divas such as Britney Spears, but eventually started writing for herself.  Lady Gaga doesn't cater to the mainstream, yet the mainstream loves her.  Lady Gaga has an extremely unique sense of fashion and she actually merges music and fashion.  Gaga is always thinking of new and improved music, dance moves, outfits, and video concepts, in fact she says she even dreams these things while she is asleep.  Gaga absolutely loves the spotlight, yet she doesn't take herself seriously.  Unfortunately there is a lot of negativity around Lady Gaga.  This amazing artist definitely pushes the boundaries and creates extremely controversial videos and music.  Her most controversial video to date is her new video Judas.  Though there are some people who associate negativity with the name Gaga, this artists fans are some of the most loyal group of people on the Earth.  Gaga is extremely in touch with her fans or "Little Monsters" as she calls them.  Because of these fans, Gaga has the top twitter account of anybody in the world with over ten million followers.  Lady Gaga says "It's not about the world telling you who you are, it's about you telling the world". I think Lady Gaga is the most famous "diva" there has ever been and I don't think anybody will ever forget her.

I can definitely see similarities and differences between these three cultural icons.  One big similarity I see is the fact that Madonna and Lady Gaga were both raised in a very religious environment which made them want to be different.  Another huge similarity between Madonna and Lady Gaga is the fact that both of their music and videos were, and still are very controversial.  I really don't see any similarities between these two and Marilyn Monroe except for the obvious "blonde bombsell

Why do we love designer brands?

Some people think of clothes as just a necessity to cover their body in public, but some people spend hours thinking about what they are going to wear.  Not only do we put a lot of time into our outfits, but we spend huge amounts of money on getting the latest and greatest clothing.  What is the difference between spending fifteen dollars on a top from Walmart or spending thousands of dollars on a top designed by somebody famous? Well I personally think there is a big difference.  I am one of those people who would rather buy one new outfit for tons of money instead of a bunch of cheaper outfits.  Designer brands are a big part of my life. 

One reason why I believe designer brands are worth spending money on is the quality of the clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, etc.  The rich and famous designers that we are all familiar with have access to the finest fabrics out there.  These designers only hire the best people in the fashion industry and therefore the actual stitching of the clothing is superior.  I personally would rather spend three hundred dollars on a pair of jeans that are going to last me years instead of buying a new, cheaper pair of jeans often.  When people splurge once on a designer outfit they will realize how long it lasts and when they finally need a new outfit they will most likely go back to the same designer.  You can always count on these talented designers to put out the best quality of clothing because they have to keep up their reputation in the fashion industry.

One huge reason for people buying designer brands is self identity.  All of the brands that we are familiar with represent different things.  If you like to be simple then you may go with an outfit designed by Vera Wang.  If you want to stand out more and have a large personality you may go with a designer such as Vivienne Westwood, or Alexander McQueen.  Clothing has evolved from being something that you just put on because you have to, to being something that people actually care about.  What we wear is now one of our main forms of expressing who we are as a person.  What we wear is scrutinized by pretty much everybody.  At school, at work, or even just walking around the mall, people are judging what you are wearing.  This is why people put so much thought into their outfits-they want to make a good impression.  When people are wearing a designer brand, they feel like they are worth more.  I know that when I am wearing my favourite designer I feel like I am on top of the world, and nobody is better than me.  Clothing is definitely something used to boost social status. 

Clothing designed by Vivienne Westwood

Clothing designed by Alexander McQueen

Another main reason why people wear clothing designed by the top designers in the world is because celebrities are known for wearing these brands.  Everybody knows that most celebrities wear only the highest quality, expensive clothing there is. This is why a lot of people splurge on designer clothes-They want to be like their favourite celebrity.  There is actually a website that you can go to that will track down what a celebrity is wearing in a picture so you can purchase the same clothing as them.  The website is run by two very accomplished people in the fashion industry.  The two people running the website were actually past editors of vogue.  I actually subscribed to this website and use it quite regularly.  You may think I am crazy for caring so much about what I wear, but it is a huge part of my life! 
http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/home.php

I know I personally am very into fashion.  I love looking up what my favourite designers have in store for their next collection, I go to fashion shows, and I have Fashion Television on twenty four seven in my room.  I am actually planning on going into the fashion business myself.  After high school I want to move to New York City and go to Parsons School of Design.  I think what I like most about wearing designer brands is that their pieces are more like works of art than clothing.  When I watch fashion shows on Fashion Television I am amazed at what these people come up with and are able to execute.  I really like the fact that I am buying a piece of clothing that came from the mind of a talented, and credited designer instead of just buying a cheap top from Walmart which the designer is unknown.  I credit myself on having extremely high quality clothes.  I am traveling to Europe over the summer and I actually searched the Internet for hours to find a good designer outlet mall.  I am very excited that I found an amazing place to shop called "The Mall".  This outdoor mall has numerous designer brands for seventy five percent off.  I plan to work the whole summer before the trip just to be able to afford a few outfits.  Personally, my favourite designers are Roberto Cavalli, Zac Posen, and Missoni. 

Ad for Roberto Cavalli

Clothing designed by Zac Posen

Beautiful dresses designed by Missoni

CELEBRITIES: why are we so obsessed?

There are some people in the world that everybody just seems to know.  These people may be Tiger Woods, Lady Gaga, or Justin Bieber.  What is the similarity between these people?  They are celebrities.  Whether they are famous for sports, singing, acting, or just being rich, everybody knows who these people are.  We all know when these people accomplish something new, or when they have done something wrong.  Some teenagers even know more about celebrity gossip than gossip in their own school. 

Every single bad thing any celebrity in this world has done, has been done by somebody else, yet nobody really cares.  We all know that Tiger Woods had sex with a lot of women while he was married.  So many men and even women do this, yet it seems to be so much more of a big deal when it is somebody so well known like Tiger Woods.  I'm sure a lot of people are more familiar with Lindsay Lohan's rehab history than they are with their own family history.  We know more about what is going on in celebrities lives than we do about the lives of our friends and families.  My question is, WHY ? Why are we so obsessed with what these people are doing? 

One of the reasons we are so obsessed with celebrities is we feel like we know them.  Because these people are always in the spotlight, and so many people talk about them, we actually feel like they are a part of our lives.  If you found out your best friend was pregnant, you would be shocked and you would always want updates.  If a celebrity became pregnant, most people would act the same way.  They would buy many magazines every month just to get updates on the person's pregnancy.  Some people actually feel very protective of their favourite celebrity.  They will defend them when people trash talk them. 

When a celebrity does something wrong, it is made out to be much more horrible than it actually is.  For example, when just a regular person does drugs, nobody except the parents even care about it, but when a celebrity is caught doing drugs it is made out to be the biggest scandal,when in reality, they are just regular people doing something that shouldn't be done.  Its not a big deal.  We actually idolize celebrities and want to be like them.  This is why we make such a big deal when they do something wrong.  We lose all faith in them.  On the other hand, when celebrities are good at something, we make it seem like they are the best in the world.  For example, a concert for Justin Bieber will sell out in minutes, yet people don't even go to school talent shows.  I guarantee if you went to every school talent show in the world, you would find somebody more talented than the beloved Justin Bieber.
 

I watched the Justin Bieber movie the other day and I was absolutely shocked. I have actually never been to a concert, so I was mesmerized by the number of people that showed up to watch one human being sing.  It was so amazing seeing the large crowd of people screaming one person's name.  In the movie, a lot of teenage girls and younger girls got to say a few words about Justin Bieber the way they spoke about him sounded like he was their best friend, like they actually know him.  Other people straight out said that Justin Bieber is their idol.  But the other parts of the movie showed that Justin is just a regular teenage boy.  Justin loves to play basketball with his friends, he has a messy room, and he can be a trouble maker when he wants to be.  I personally don't understand why he is more important than any other teenage boy other than the fact that he can sing.

I really believe that people should stop caring about celebrities so much and focus on their own life.  I don't think their lives should be more important than mine or anybody Else's.  Yes, I read gossip magazines, but I believe that I have a good perspective on the whole thing.  I do not really idolize any celebrities.  Yes, I have two favourite celebrities (Leighton Meester and Ryan Reynolds), but I don't really base my life on theirs.  They aren't my idols because there really is no reason for them to be.  If I was asked who my idol was I would probably say my sister, not the star of Gossip Girl.  I believe that everybody else should try to idolize somebody who actually has an impact on their life instead of idolizing a person they don't even know.

MODELS: Are they real people?

We have all seen models on the cover of a magazine, or walking the catwalk and we assume they are "perfect".  People don't even think of models as people, they are just perfect beings put on Earth to look beautiful and make everybody else feel bad about themselves.  But a model is a regular human being just like you and me.  Everybody has flaws and things about themselves that they would like to change, and models are no exception.  I guarantee if you had a talk with every super model in the world, they would all have at least one thing that they would like to change about their body, their personality, or even their life in general.  You would also find out that their lives are not much different than yours.  They are just regular people whose dream happened to come true.

My absolute favourite shows are America's Next Top Model, Canada's Next Top Model, and Australia's Next Top Model.  I love watching these shows because I really relate to some of the contestants.  Every model on these shows have their own personal stories.  On America's Next Top Model Cycle 13, Nicole beat Laura in an amazing finale.  Both of these girls had touching stories.  Nicole was the classic shy girl at school.  She wouldn't talk to anybody and would even sit in a bathroom stall at lunch so nobody would see her eating alone.  Laura on the other hand was very outgoing, but that doesn't mean her life was perfect.  Laura suffered from dyslexia and had a very hard time reading and remembering commercials on the show.  Neither of them were perfect by any means.  Then there is Cycle 15 winner Ann Ward.  Ann was extremely tall (6'2").  She was also extremely skinny.  Some people may think this is a good thing, but Ann always got made fun of at school and people would point at her in public.  She was so self conscious about her body.  The big difference between Ann and other girls who have body issues is the fact that Ann learned to use her weird proportions as a strength.  Ann is now a top model living in New York City who has graced the cover of Beauty in Vogue, Italian Vogue, and has a contract with Covergirl and IMG Models.  There are two more girls who stick out to me from Americas Next Top Model that had an incredible story, and that is the two finalists for cycle 16.  The runner up of cycle 16 was named Molly, and she definitely didn't have a perfect life.  Molly was adopted the day she was born and still hasn't met her birth mother.  Because of the adoption, she has had a lot of abandonment issues and has experimented with illegal substances.  She had to go to rehabilitation to get her life back on track, but she still has significant anger issues.  Then there is the winner of cycle 16.  Brittani didn't live the life of luxury before she won this show.  In fact, Brittani lived with her mother in a trailer park.  Not only is she less fortunate, but she is a normal teenager.  If you have seen this show, you may know Brittani as the one who started drama with fellow contestant Alexandria.  In fact, Brittani mouthed off at panel, and almost got herself kicked off.  Brittani worked through all her problems and is now very successful and is able to provide for herself and her mother.  These are only a few of the amazing stories from Americas Next Top Model.  I personally like watching Canada's Next Top Model best because they are so much like me.  All of the girls on the show are just small town Canadian girls who have a dream.  It amazes me when I hear about winners who have come from a small town in Ontario, just like me.  In fact, I have met cycle 2 winner Rebecca Hardy at her agency in Toronto.  Why might you ask? Because Rebecca and I are from the same modeling agency.  Rebecca is one of the nicest girls I have ever met.  So I ask you, are these people perfect? Is it perfect to have anger issues, be the shy girl, eat lunch in a bathroom stall, suffer from learning disorders, and live in a trailer park?  I personally don't think so.

Ann Ward, Cycle 15 WINNER

Brittani Kline, Cycle 16 WINNER

Not only are the girls on Top Model a lot like us, supermodels are too.  One supermodel who I definitely relate to is Addison Gill.  Addison is one of the newest supermodels in the world, but her career shot to the top very fast.  Addison is a small town girl.  Which small town you may ask? Well Addison lives in Brantford, Ontario and goes to Assumption College.  She literally is living my life-going to high school, dealing with homework and boys, partying-except her dream has already come true.  Addison wasn't always model material.  In fact, when she was younger she joined the Limeridge Mall Modeling Contest twice, and lost both times.  Addison was extremely determined to make it into the glittery world of fashion so she joined the Chantale Nadeau Model Search.  Addison won the contest at the young age of fourteen.  The young model then signed with one of the top modeling agencies in Canada, Sutherland Models.  The next year, Addison entered yet another contest.  This one was the V-Magazine Supreme Model Search.  Once again, Addison came out on top.  Her prizes for winning this contest were amazing.  She had a spread in V-Magazine, signed a three year contract with Supreme Management in New York City, as well as a three year contract with Woman Management in Milan.  Addison is just like any other teenager in Brantford

Addison Gill

Addison on the Runway

Addison on the cover of Vogue Italia

Another supermodel who was discovered merely by a contest is the one and only Heidi Klum.  Klum entered a national modeling contest called Model 92.  Out of 25, 000 contestants, she came first and was offered a 300,000 dollar modeling contract with Metropolitan Models in New York City.  Heidi Klum has been on pretty much every magazine there is including Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire.  Klum is most famous for her work with Sports Illustrated and Victorias Secret.  Heidi Klum actually hosted the 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2009 Victorias Secret Fashion Shows, the most famous fashion event in the world.  Heidi Klum is one of the world's highest paid supermodel, but she didn't get to that point by just being pretty.  Klum is known to be extremely hard working.  As well as modeling, Klum has appeared in many movies and TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Yes Dear, Sex And The City, and The Devil Wears Prada.  Heidi Klum is now signed with IMG Models which is the same agency as fellow supermodels Kate Moss, and Gisele.  Even though Heidi Klum is busy as a supermodel and actress, she has a personal life just like any other person on this planet.  Heidi Klum married a stylist named Ric Pipino in 1997, but just like a lot of couples, they divorced in 2002.  While pregnant, Heidi Klum started dating Seal Samuel who is a musician.  She gave birth to her first daughter Helene Boshoven "Leni" Klum and states that since her biological father is not involved in Leni's life, Seal is the father.  In fact, Seal Samuel later adopted Leni.  Seal and Heidi eventually married on the beach in Mexico and had three more kids: sons Henry, and Johan, and daughter Lou.  Every year, Heidi Klum and Seal Samuel renew their vows in front of family and friends.  On November 21, 2009, Heidi Klum took Seal's last name and is now known as Heidi Samuel. 

Heidi Klum on the runway for Victoria's Secret

Heidi Klum for Vogue

Hearing all of these supermodels' personal stories makes me realize that they are not "perfect".  They are just regular human beings like you and I who happen to be living their dreams.  I personally am trying to become a top model.  I have walked for famous hairstylist Robin Barker, and Toronto designer Annie Thompson.  I have also appeared in a few ads, and am hoping to appear in Toronto Fashion Week this year.  I have also done numerous photo shoots with top photographers such as John Ortner and David Hou.  I am currently signed with the same agency as Canada's Next Top Model winner cycle 2 Rebecca Hardy, and supermodel Addison Gill.  It is also the same agency that shot supermodel Shalom Harlow to the top.  Knowing that so many supermodels come from small towns and go through the same day to day life as me really gives me hope that my dream will come true.

Me on the runway for Annie Thompson's show

Head shot shot by David Hou

Body shot shot by David Hou