Tag: puberty

When Your Period Disappears

Nobody likes having a period. It’s messy, it’s often painful and it doesn’t go well with a leotard and tights. But as much of a nuisance as your monthly visitor may be, not getting it can be an indication of a serious issue. “A period is about much more than just bleeding once a month—it […]

Breast Assured

Girls know that growing up means growing breasts. But for dancers, going through this change can be extra awkward—especially since we spend hours in  leotards, analyzing our bodies in the mirror. We’ve got your breast interests in mind! Read on for answers to your most embarrassing boob-related questions, from size and shape to hair and […]

The Truth About Your Breasts

Breast development is uncomfortable for every teen, but it can be especially traumatic for dancers. While you can hide behind a loose T-shirt or sweater at school, at dance your leotard or fitted costume puts your ever-changing body on display. Suddenly you have these alien things on your chest: They’re lopsided, they’re big, they even […]

The Truth About The Pill

Monica Levy, a Hunter College senior and DS intern, was having trouble with her number one instrument—her body. “I had really irregular menstrual cycles. Months went by where I wouldn’t get my period and then, when it came, the flow would be extremely heavy,” she says. To regulate her period, she went on birth control […]

Nine Ways to Love the Woman You're Becoming

It seemed like everything changed overnight. Suddenly, 14-year-old Karen Black’s* breasts didn’t fit into her favorite camisole leotard, her thighs rubbed together in weird places, and she couldn’t get through 10 fouettés without becoming winded. What was going on? Puberty. Your body will change a lot from now until your twenties. You’ll start your period, […]

What You Need To Know About Your Period

Like many female dancers, you probably have a quintessential “period disaster” tale—maybe it’s the white booty shorts you had to wear at a competition or the time you were partnered with your class crush when you were retaining more water than a camel. Still, there’s a lot more to your menstrual cycle than a monthly […]

Info You Need to Know About Breast Reduction Surgery

Alyssa Lemenager’s large chest always seemed to get in the way of her dancing. She loathed spaghetti-strap leos and constantly altered her costumes to accommodate her 34E bust. “I couldn’t take the constant back pain and discomfort that the weight of my breasts caused,” says Lemenager, now captain of the Suffolk University Dance Company in […]