The beauty of podcasts

Living in the busy city that is London where working, commuting and trying to put free time to good use can be stressful. As society immerses in continual partial attention, it makes it nearly impossible for one to be mindfully in the moment. To feel a sense of being within the physical space around you. Continual partial attention is a modern idea of having attention deficit syndrome. Being distracted and impatient can play a part in dangerous superficial 'quick solutions'. For some, this approach may remind them of Brexit which is still full of uncertainties. For others, this relates to social media apps which indulge in the consumers living under instant gratification. Putting your 'eggs in too many baskets' may well seem like a good method of multitasking and developing as many skills as possible, but perhaps it can lead to too much 'stuff' and not enough quality or real thought into the priorities of what truly matters the most.

This is where podcasts are a saviour. Podcasts allow me to be in touch with the outer world by taking in the sights around me. Whether that is the tube or a park, I can simply listen. 'The wonderful dance and ballet podcast' by Savanna Saunders is one I have recently discovered. One I found very interesting was named 'Let's talk dancers' mental health with former Royal Ballet dancer and dance counsellor'. Terry Hyde is an inspiration. He spoke of his career, his work and the changes he is trying to make within the dance industry. Ballet being a traditional art form, there is a stigma towards mental health. Terry just being on the podcast is a statement in itself, fighting for change. He is one of many wanting to spread awareness. One person can change the world, initiating a difference in approach towards this sensitive subject matter. 

As I listened to this podcast, I was on my morning commute taking notes on my phone. Terry's job title is 'Dance Councillor'. He kept emphasising the importance of support. There simply is not enough support. Even in the respected and established national companies, let alone small independent organisations. There are "small pockets" of support from only a handful of vocational schools and companies. A question I asked myself was: does less funding lead to less support? If governments keep making cuts to arts funding, will this lead to an increase in mental health issues? Perhaps the more investment companies are prepared to make to provide the resources, such as an on-base councillor, the less chance there will be of the dancers suffering from conditions like anxiety. What shocked me was when Terry explained how non-freelance dancers will visit him for symptoms of anxiety and depression because of the mental health stigma they feel within their own company community, and want to hide it. These chemical imbalances in the brain can be caused from mistreatment from their company, school and can even root back to their childhood environment. 

I really connected to Terry's point about not feeling good enough. Nowadays, compared to even twenty years ago, there is more competition in the arts industry than ever before. Being constantly corrected in the studio from a young age is very tough. Terry used the example: "Now look at Joanna here, she is doing it right". I personally came across this attitude many times during my school days. The trouble is that I am not Joanna, I am Serina. We are all unique, so passing comments like that from a teacher is absolutely pointless in my eyes. "Words are powerful" is a phrase that should never be underestimated. 

For those reading this blog post (if any), I would like to ask if you agree or disagree with this opinion. After Terry left the Royal Ballet, he went down the route of musical theatre. As soon as he made that leap across dance genres he felt a completely different vibe from the ballet industry. Expressing yourself is totally normalised. The atmosphere is far more accepting of mental health. What do you think? 

Savanna and Terry discussed why dancers develop mental health issues. In short, dancers are afraid of judgement. Less so with injuries, but mental health we feel harder to talk about. What I found interesting was how Terry stated that each life stage and transition is a bereavement. I have never visualised it as such, but everyday issues can cause intricate traumas that then in course build up over time. Dance can take up your life and "is your identity". For the lucky few, you start dancing from 3yrs old, to vocational school from 11yrs old and then begin working in the industry from 19yrs old. All these transitions are an end of one life chapter, and the start of a new one. Feeling anxious is regularly "swept under the carpet". The pressure is created from being a part of an aesthetic art, where "everything has to look good". Earlier I mentioned the stigma that occurs with mental health. This idea comes from where directors "can't have dancers with depression". Symptoms are feeling low, touchy, quick-tempered, un-talkative and wanting to be alone. A typical response will be one saying "I'm fine", which we are all culprits of. However, something Terry said, and I have since implemented, is to ask twice. REALLY how are you? Not a passing comment where you aren't looking for a genuine reply to your insincere question. (Try this out in everyday life, it's a game changer). 

The podcast interview briefly discussed ADHD and autism. Terry put a positive spin on these mental health conditions, where ADHD is a hyper trait, and autism is a good concentration span tool. Us dancers need focus and doses of hyper-activity to be able to rehearse and perform as our job. Therefore, schools and companies perhaps shouldn't frown upon these conditions too much. Like any job, you need to apply for it. Similar to interviews, dancers do auditions across the globe looking for contracts. After an unsuccessful audition, I certainly felt less confident and blamed myself for not being good enough. Terry suggests to his clients to use the phrase "I wasn't right for them". It is not you, it is them. You may not be what they are looking for, and it is their loss they didn't hire you. From previous experience, getting into a gloomy spiral of negative thoughts is easily done when you are in the audition process. However, Terry mentioned the law of attraction. Positive energy feeds positive energy. Going into an audition with a positive mindset can increase your chances of success, because no director will want to work with a negative person.

I apologise for such a long and in-depth blog post, but to finish off I will repeat the final pieces of advice from Terry Hyde. Be kind to yourself. Take time off. If you have a day off, take a day off. Rest your body and mind. Rest is valuable. I hope to make a change in the dance industry, spread knowledge, understanding and undo the ongoing stigma towards mental health conditions. This post is that one step closer.