Image: Meigan Picard / UFV / Provided

By Alyssa Conti

COMPETITIVE SPORTS

UFV kinesiology student reveals poor mental health in ballet culture

Jul 26, 2025 | 9:50 AM

ABBOTSFORD — A University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) researcher is looking to peel back the curtains on an issue that has long plagued the world of high-performance ballet.

Kinesiology student Meigan Picard spent much of her earlier life on the stage, even spending a year in Boston to train in ballet– but her dream began to come with a disheartening toll.

“I remember being 10 and thinking I was big in comparison to other girls,” Picard recalled. “By the time I was 15 I was told that I had low bone density, and that scared me a lot. I also had a couple ankle surgeries, and at that point, it registered that I needed to start taking care of my body.”

Picard had developed body dysmorphia and an eating disorder. Now, she’s taken those struggles and asked if other competitive dancers shared the same experiences.

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For her research, Picard interviewed 10 current or retired professional high-level dancers, aged 18 to 25 years old. Her findings revealed a common theme of cyclic trauma, especially with women ballet dancers facing a higher risk for body dysmorphia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse, and vulnerability to sexual abuse.

“…Teachers would say, ‘You should take an apple and slice it and make the apple last all day.’ […] And if someone was anorexic or was starving themselves, everybody would be jealous of them,” one participant explained.

While immersed in ballet, Picard said those in the culture have chosen to accept the conditions in fear of losing opportunities. Teachers reinforce unhealthy practices, while peers influence each other due to competition.

One participant said, “We’ve been told, ‘Oh, you can come talk to me whenever you want,’ but no one’s gonna go to the artistic director’s office and tell them how much of a hard time they are having because they’re afraid that it’s going to affect casting, and that’s going to affect other things. ”

“You don’t want to seem weak.”

Picard now hopes to spark conversation around these issues.

“We need something to get the ball rolling,” she said. “[S]etting standards and expectations will take time, and I’m just doing what I can, even if it’s just small steps that might lead to bigger changes.”