barriers to nutrition support in the dance community: a fall 2025 survey

Melissa
Nov 12
8 min read

Abstract

This report presents the findings of an anonymous survey conducted in October 2025 among dancers, parents/caregivers, dance teachers/directors, and dance medicine professionals. The goal was to identify perceived barriers to accessing nutrition support, preferred formats of support, and to compare the lived experience of the dance community with existing literature on dancers’ nutrition and athlete behavior. The results reveal that while cost and logistics are real concerns, emotional safety, lack of clarity about what nutrition support means, and the belief “I don’t need help yet” are prominent barriers. These insights inform recommendations for designing accessible, dancer-friendly nutrition services and content.

Introduction: Why Dancers Delay Nutrition Support

Dancers perform under unique demands: high training volume, frequent rehearsal and performance, aesthetic pressures, and the need to balance artistry with physical health. Research has shown that dancers often have lower than recommended energy availability, risk of micronutrient deficiencies, and higher rates of disordered eating traits than the general population. For example, a scoping review found that pre-professional ballet and contemporary dancers frequently show negative energy balance and low energy availability (Rigoli, 2024).

Despite the physical and psychological risks, many dancers delay nutrition support until injury, fatigue or burnout manifests. My working assumptions going into this survey were:

Many dancers believe they already know what to eat and thus don’t seek nutrition support.
Financial cost is a major barrier.
The dance-community lacks clarity around what working with a nutrition professional actually looks like.

The survey was designed to test these assumptions and offer new insight into how dancers, parents, teachers, and dance-specific clinicians perceive nutrition support.

Methods: How This Survey Was Conducted

Survey format: A 3-5 minute anonymous online questionnaire created via Google Forms.
Distribution: Shared via social media, email to subscribers, and professional dance/health networks.
Response window: October 13-31, 2025.
Participants: Respondents self-identified as one of four roles: dancer; parent/caregiver; teacher/studio or company director; dance medicine professional (PT, AT, RD, MD, etc.).
Number of responses: 55 (n = 55).
Analysis: Quantitative multiple-choice results were tabulated (frequencies and percentages). Short-answer responses were coded for recurring themes. All personally identifying data (including email addresses) were removed or anonymized for this report.

Results: What Dancers, Parents, and Teachers Told Us

Overall Trends (All Participant Groups)

Across all roles, the following themes emerged consistently:

A substantial proportion of dancers report the belief “I don’t feel like I need help yet” — delaying help until problems arise.
The largest barrier cited by many is “I don’t know what nutrition support actually involves.”
Emotional safety concerns including fear of judgment, worry about restriction, and stigma around seeking help — were prominent.
Cost and logistical issues (time, scheduling) were significant — especially for parents and studio owners — but not always the first barrier for dancers themselves.

Dancers

Participants: 20 dancers (various ages, levels).

Top barriers (approximate percentages):

Fear of being judged / worried it’ll feel restrictive – ~35%
“I don’t know what working with a nutritionist is like / where to start” – ~35%
“I don’t think my eating is ‘bad enough’ / I don’t need help yet” – ~30%
Cost – ~20%
Time/scheduling – ~15%

Support formats preferred:

1:1 sessions (~70%)
Self-paced online program (~35%)
Anonymous Q&A / anonymous resource (~20%)
Small group/workshop (~15%)
Email-only program (~10%)

Representative quotes:

“I feel like the ballerina stigma is no longer ‘eat less,’ but now ‘eat perfect’ — perfect timing, perfect amounts. It feels overwhelming to approach.”

“Hearing stories from people who have worked with the nutritionist I’m interested in would help me feel safe.”

"An easy entryway into nutrition. I find myself overwhelmed often in learning and implementing new awarenesses." - Dancer Participant

Parents + Caregivers

Participants: 7 parents of dancers aged 10-18+.

Biggest barriers cited:

Cost/budget – 86%
Uncertainty about what the service includes / who to trust – 43%
Time/scheduling – 29%
Concern their dancer wouldn’t want to participate – 29%

What they believe holds dancers back:

“They think they already know what to eat.”
“They’re afraid of being told what not to eat.”
“They don’t understand what nutrition support looks like.”

Support formats parents are open to:

Parent + dancer workshops
Online info sessions
Email-based guides/mini-courses
1:1 nutrition support
Printable guides

Representative quote:

“I want to teach my daughter to have a healthy relationship with food, but I’m concerned [that] bringing attention to it can encourage more unhealthy habits.”

Teachers / Studio + Company Directors

Participants: 12 teachers/directors (recreational through professional settings).

Key findings:

Only a small number had referred to a nutrition professional; many were “thinking about it.”
What prevents dancers (according to teachers):
- Cost – 67%
- Don’t understand what nutrition support looks like – 67%
- Don’t think they need it – 50%
What stops teachers themselves from bringing support in:
- Budget limitations
- Scheduling/logistics
- Unsure of parent buy-in
- Concern about triggering sensitive topics
- Finding the right trusted person

Support formats they’re comfortable offering:

Workshops (dancers) – 100%
Parent sessions – 67%
Teacher/staff training – 50%
Digital/hybrid resources – 42%

Representative quotes:

“Knowing where to start, especially with teen girls — this can be a touchy subject. I don’t want parents thinking I’m criticizing their choices.”

“Convenient timing with our busy studio schedule… not dragging dancers/parents into another ‘mandatory’ meeting.”

Dance Medicine Professionals

Participants: 16 professionals (PTs, ATs, RDs, mental health providers).

Barriers they observe dancers facing:

Lack of clarity on what nutritionists do / “not knowing where to go” – ~69%
Dancers don’t think they need help – ~56%
Cost – ~44%
Fear of judgment – ~38%
Previous negative experience – ~19%

When dancers DO seek help, typical triggers:

Injury or burnout
Low energy/fatigue
Body change concerns
Teacher/parent referral
Competition-season or performance prep
Medical recommendation

What professionals say would help:

Earlier integration of nutrition education — “like warm-up + proper shoes”
Embedded services in the studio/company culture
Clear referral pathways
Parent education
Leadership buy-in

Representative quote:

“They don’t know where to go or to whom.”

“Many dancers fear what will come with meeting a nutritionist — recommendations they don’t want to comply with.”

“Make nutrition part of the dance curriculum like cross-training.”

"Webinars or online workshops I can refer to! I honestly feel that my dancers WANT to eat healthier, it’s the parents’ lack of understanding what nutrition is in addition to the stigma of food with dance educators. I always tell me dancers I can teach them about nutrition all day long but they’re not the ones buying groceries." - Dance Medicine Specialist Participant

Discussion: Top Barriers to Nutrition Support in the Dance World

“I don’t need help yet” – a major access barrier

While cost and time are important, a key insight from this survey is that many dancers self-screen out of support before cost or scheduling become relevant. The pervasive belief “I should already know this” or “I’m fine, I can push through” aligns with research showing many dancers are at risk of low energy availability and yet may not self-identify as needing help (Rigoli, 2024).

The unknown is fear-provoking

Across roles, lack of clarity about what nutrition support looks like emerged as a strong barrier. Existing literature shows that athletes often have knowledge gaps or uncertainty around nutrition practice. For example, one study found lack of nutrition knowledge, time constraints, and cost were among top barriers to healthy eating among athletes (Sharples, 2021).

Our survey adds nuance: For dancers, the fear is not only “I don’t know what to do” but “I don’t know what will happen if I do,” “Will I be judged?” and “Will I be told to restrict?” This suggests that beyond knowledge gaps, perceived emotional risk is a real barrier.

Emotional safety matters

The fear of judgment, of being restricted, or of being ‘found out’ is similar to findings in dancer-nutrition literature: insufficient energy intake, micronutrient risk, and cultural pressures exist behind the scenes. Recognizing emotional safety as a barrier frames nutrition support as not just technical but relational—how dancers feel in the process matters.

Cost is real but not always first

Cost is a major barrier especially for parents and studios, but for many dancers themselves the barrier stops earlier: “Is this safe/for me?” Then “can I afford it?” This indicates that reducing emotional and conceptual barriers precedes cost reduction in many cases.

Implications for service design

The data strongly point to what dance-accessible nutrition services should include:

Transparent explanation of what happens in a session, what it doesn’t include (e.g., not weight-centric, not shaming)
Entry formats that feel low-risk (anonymous resources, self-paced modules, short Q+A)
1:1 personal support, especially early on
Workshops and group formats for dancers + parents + teachers, with a focus on stamina, performance fuel, and health rather than weight
Embedded, preventive nutrition integration in studios/companies, rather than only crisis response

Limitations

This survey relied on self-selected respondents and therefore may not represent the full spectrum of dancers, studios, or organizations within the wider dance community. Sample sizes in certain subgroups, particularly parents and caregivers, were relatively small, which limits the generalizability of these findings.
All data were self-reported and derived from brief multiple-choice and open-ended responses; measures of nutrition intake, training load, or health outcomes were not collected.
To preserve participant anonymity, all identifying information (including email addresses) was removed prior to analysis. While this means individual survey responses cannot be linked to identifiable participants for targeted follow-up, several respondents voluntarily provided separate contact information. This allows for potential future engagement or clarification on broad themes — but not case-specific or response-linked follow-up.
Maintaining this distinction helps ensure ethical integrity, upholds participant privacy, and reinforces trust within the dance community when conducting future research or surveys.

Conclusion + Next Steps

The results of this Fall 2025 survey highlight a consistent message across all groups: dancers and their supporters want credible, dancer-specific nutrition guidance—but many hesitate to access it. The hesitation rarely stems from disinterest. Instead, it’s shaped by three interconnected barriers: not believing they “need” help yet, uncertainty about what nutrition support actually involves, and fear of how the process might feel.

Addressing these barriers is more critical than simply discounting services. Building trust, clarity, and safety around nutrition support will make the most meaningful impact.

Next Steps for the Dance-Nutrition Community

Increase transparency. Develop content that clearly explains what working with a nutrition professional looks like in the dance world: what to expect, what it’s not, and how it supports both health and performance.
Offer low-pressure entry points. Create accessible ways for dancers to learn and engage, such as self-paced programs, anonymous Q+As, and short workshops that build comfort and confidence.
Embed nutrition early. Partner with studios, schools, and companies to make nutrition education a consistent part of dance training; integrated into rehearsal seasons and intensives, not limited to one-off talks.
Align messaging across roles. Offer role-specific education for dancers, parents, and teachers so everyone shares a common language around fueling, recovery, and health.
Evaluate and evolve. As engagement grows, track how introductory or low-barrier offerings lead to deeper participation. Use these insights to refine outreach and improve accessibility.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey. Your honesty and insight are helping shape a more informed, inclusive, and compassionate approach to nutrition in dance—one that supports artistry, longevity, and well-being at every level.

Cited References

Rigoli A, Dang E, Michael V, Gifford J, & Davies A. (2024). What Do We Know About the Energy Status and Diets of Pre-Professional and Professional Dancers: A Scoping Review. Nutrients, 16(24), 4293. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244293. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11676647/
Sharples A. M. , Galloway Stuart D. , Baker D. , Smith Brett , Black Katherine. (2021). Barriers, Attitudes, and Influences Towards Dietary Intake Amongst Elite Rugby Union Players. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, (3). Doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.789452. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.789452/full.

Other References

Saenz C, Sanders DJ, Brooks SJ, Bracken L, Jordan A, Stoner J, Vatne E, Wahler M, Brown AF. The Relationship Between Dance Training Volume, Body Composition, and Habitual Diet in Female Collegiate Dancers: The Intercollegiate Artistic Athlete Research Assessment (TIAARA) Study. Nutrients. 2024; 16(21):3733. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16213733. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/21/3733.
AlKasasbeh W, Akroush S. Investigating the Interrelationships among Food Habits, Sports Nutrition Knowledge, and Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating: A Study of Adolescent Swimmers. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1381801. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1381801/full.
Hopper C, Mooney E, Mc Cloat A. Nutritional Intake and Dietary Knowledge of Athletes: A Scoping Review. Nutrients. 2025;17(2):207. Published 2025 Jan 7. doi:10.3390/nu17020207. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39861338/.
Challis J, Stevens A. Nutrition Resource Paper for Dancers & Teachers. IADMS. 2016/2019. https://iadms.org/media/3589/iadms-resource-paper-nutrition-resource-paper.pdf.