Listening vs. Pushing: Understanding Intuition as a Dancer- Maidie Widmer

Intuition.

Something so primal, yet such a conundrum for so many people.

One of the few things we can lose as we grow up, being constantly influenced by the world around us.

Particularly when it comes to the dance and performance industry, where we push our bodies to the limit and ask more of them than the average person, this sense of intuition may be questioned as we push past it in order to achieve more from ourselves.

Intuition, particularly in dance, is something deeply personal and crucial to a performer being at their best- knowing when to act on, or go against, what their mind is telling them.

There are two main scenarios where this is particularly evident:

Eating/Nutrition and Rest/Recovery

Eating/Nutrition

Across the internet, “intuitive eating” is a phrase you see a lot, and it is definitely not without its benefits. But as physically active human beings, it may not always be the best thing to rely on as dancers. Physical activity - particularly when high intensity- is known to suppress hunger cues. This can often mean that when dancing all day, you rarely intuitively feel the need for food, but on the contrary, you must be fuelling even more to support the level of activity in the day.

Similarly, around performances, this area becomes even more grey. Pre-show nerves begin to affect how one feels or digests food, and noise around feeling bloated or how food might digest can cloud pre-show fuelling. On the flip side, post-show adrenaline and fatigue often mean dancers may not feel like eating afterwards, when in actual fact replenishing those energy stores is the most important and beneficial thing to do.

This is when intuition often has to give way to performance-based nutrition planning- sometimes going against intuition, but knowing that one must eat for recovery, injury prevention, and to best support the work they are doing.

This planning often reaps its rewards on long rehearsal days when breaks are short and few. It removes the question of what or when to eat- you have planned what you know you need for that day and can follow through with it.

Long rehearsal days aren’t the only days that need to be considered when it comes to this intuitive approach to nutrition. Rest and recovery days are equally as important. These are the days where, either subconsciously or not, intake can be lower. Whether it’s the assumption that doing less requires less fuel, or simply a lack of appetite, these are actually the days your body is using to recover and rejuvenate so you can continue working hard the next day.

The body doesn’t reset every 24 hours—it uses what you give it (or don’t give it) in the days before to continue sustaining you as best as possible.

Intuition can be fed and nurtured by learning from experiences and getting to know our bodies as we grow.

As we get to know ourselves, we can open up to our intuition. At the beginning of this journey, having a flexible framework or plan to ease mental load or provide structure may be crucial to our success and growth. However, being open to learning from that plan—so that it doesn’t become a rigid set of rules with no flexibility—is equally important, allowing us to appreciate new things and live with freedom and enjoyment of food, which at the end of the day is incredibly important.

The reality of this freedom also means that, as humans, we may make mistakes- something doesn’t sit right, we veer off plan, or upon reflection we recognise we may not have fuelled enough one day. We can adapt and learn from these experiences, teaching our intuition valuable information for the future.

Another aspect of dancers’ nutrition that cannot be ignored is the aesthetic pressure of the art form and the perceived “look” required to succeed. Unfortunately, this ideal can really affect and harm many dancers’ mental logic when it comes to fuelling themselves properly.

This, combined with many of the factors mentioned above, means dancers may be less likely to follow performance-based nutrition advice and instead fall into the trap of restriction. It becomes easy to hide behind a lack of appetite, suppressed hunger cues, a busy schedule, or fatigue in order to reach a perceived aesthetic goal encouraged by aspects of the industry.

When left unsupported, this can become a very slippery slope into disordered eating or an eating disorder, which is incredibly harmful.

Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, with studies showing prevalence in dancers rising to as high as 82.6%, it is crucial that dancers have access to the information and support needed to combat these pressures and build knowledge that supports long, healthy careers—and, most importantly, lives.

Nutrition is individual, and every dancer needs the space to figure out what works for them. But there is no doubt that everyone needs to be fuelling adequately- even if that doesn’t feel intuitive. Something is always better than nothing when carrying the workload expected in this industry.

Rest/Recovery

Both of these scenarios are interlinked to a degree, particularly in an industry that can glorify hard work and discipline.

Every single day, there are dancers working through fatigue—and often burnout—in pursuit of their goals and self-improvement. Elements of this mindset may be important in developing the work ethic and discipline required to become a professional dancer, but only to a certain point.

This mindset can become second nature, and dancers may begin to perceive it as intuition—to do more, push more. But sometimes this, combined with external pressures, can cloud the body’s true intuition: the need for rest, for body-kindness, for recovery.

This is where learning what your intuition truly sounds like becomes essential—figuring out how to listen to it versus the constant “go, go, go” mindset. It’s a fine line that every dancer must learn to navigate.

We are all striving to be our best, but often underestimate the benefits of time off, recovery, and rest days. In reality, they are crucial for the longevity and success of our careers—and our lives.

The challenge is learning your body—recognising and, most importantly, listening to signs of fatigue and burnout, and actively making decisions that support it.

This might look like:

• Taking it easy so you can push later

• Not repeating every exercise in class if you have a long rehearsal day ahead

• Taking a weekend off from class when possible

• Taking proper rest days (that don’t include the gym, Pilates, or other physical activity)

• Finding recovery tools your body responds well to—rolling out, icing, compression, sauna

• Ensuring you are hydrating and fuelling well

The list is endless...

Filling up your “human cup” is also an aspect of recovery that can often be overlooked. With the tunnel vision that can come from a work-focused mindset, we can forget that spending time with friends or family can be just as restorative as physical recovery.

Not everything will work for every dancer—and that’s okay. But discovering what truly supports your recovery (and recognising what actually leaves you feeling restored, rather than just feeding a “more is better” mindset) will only benefit your dancing and your career.

The ultimate double-edged sword that is intuition is something that, as a dancer, needs to be explored, worked with, and understood.

We are all still learning, growing, changing, making mistakes, and celebrating wins. This ongoing process of discovering ourselves at a deeper level will only help us develop respect for ourselves and our bodies.

It takes time and knowledge—but it will, without a doubt, benefit you for a lifetime.

Maidie x