Jenifer Ringer: A Body Image Role Model for the Holidays

One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up?? Going to see the Nutcracker Ballet. I was pretty involved in ballet until the 7th grade, so it made the ballet even that much more meaningful and special to me. I have to say it's been a few years since I've gone- I think the last time I went I saw a very 'interesting' production at the Raleigh Memorial Theatre that featured a more modern interpretation and ballet style. Because I have such positive and warm memories surrounding the Nutcracker, it was even more sad to hear about what happened recently- that something so festive and beautiful could turn into an opportunity for criticism and ignorance. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, there was a pretty big controversy recently over some comments that dance critic Alistair Macaulay from the NY Times wrote about Jenifer Ringer, the ballerina playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the New York City Ballet's production of the Nutcracker. His critical comments were focused on her weight, which is bad enough- but she has been open about her struggles with anorexia and disordered eating in the past, which seemed to make this critique even more upsetting, disappointing, and irresponsible. Ringer was interviewed on the Today Show by Ann Curry, and I was extremely moved by how strong, gracious, articulate and healthy she was in communicating about the whole thing! This clip below is the segment that was featured- it provides the backstory as to what actually happened, and also includes the interview with Ringer. In total it is about 7 minutes, and I would really encourage you to watch it. (I have watched it a few times!!) She does a fabulous job of articulating that being a dancer did not cause her eating disorder (she busted an ED myth!) and around the 6:40 mark she has some very encouraging words for us about our bodies. Check it out below.

A Follow-Up to Bullying

I recently wrote a post on bullying at school, in which I included a link to an article on increased efforts to understand and prevent bullying at schools. This article can be found here. I wanted to post a follow-up because I have been coming across more articles on bullying since then that are interesting and informative! I wanted to pass them on. The first one is a brief article which highlights a few statistics, as well as a study on bullying that was recently completed in Finland. The study concluded that young people who are bullied typically experience psychiatric problems later in life. To read this brief article, follow this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090916/hl_hsn/scarsofbullyinglinger.

The second article, which can be accessed here,

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/schooling/bullying/the_wounded_spirit.aspx, is an article from Focus on the Family that explores the lasting effects of bullying on adults. The last article is geared towards parents whose children are being bullied. It advocates being vigilant and aware of your child's emotional well-being, as bullying often results in varying degrees of depression. If your child or teenager is experiencing depression, it is wise to seek professional help, either through counseling or other avenues. Follow this link to read.

Bullying: A Resource for Parents

I work with a lot of teenagers, and many of them have experienced bullying in some form.  Whether it exists in the hallways at school, online (cyber-bullying) or elsewhere, this is a problem that is becoming more and more common.  Most parents struggle with knowing how to support and respond to their children when they are being bullied, and as a result, often feel confused and helpless. Follow the link below for an article that provides a bit of insight and that may help you or someone that you know who is dealing with bullies at school!

http://www.psychologymatters.org/bullying.html