I recently interviewed Melissa T. after being impressed by both her dancing and her strength of character and will in the crazy world of professional dance.

A dancer since the tender age of three, Melissa recently graduated from Point Park University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in dance with a concentration in classical ballet. When she isn’t pursuing a professional career in dance, she currently divides her time between dancing with a modern dance company, teaching ballet, and continuing her training.

Below, she answers questions about being beautiful in a body-conscious industry.

How does the dance world view the ideal of the human body and do you agree? Is there a particular body type or weight that you have to have?

This is an extremely controversial issue. The body types do vary based on the style of dance, but in general, you have to maintain a slim yet muscular physique. For classical ballet, a very long, lean line is required in order to achieve the desired aesthetic. For modern, contemporary, or jazz dance, a more athletic look is valued.

In defense of saying this, the aesthetic is also for practical purposes. Carrying extra weight when dancing can actually cause and aggravate injuries — bulky muscles will get in the way of classical technique, and in contemporary dance you actually need more muscle in order to perform the athletic choreography.

Do dancers face pressure to attain a certain body or shape? Does what dancers and performers face so acutely on a daily basis — the demand for a perfect figure — compare to what women of every size experience as well?

Yes, as a dancer you face pressure from directors and instructors to have and maintain a perfect, lean dancer body. They constantly correct and critique the way your body is moving and the way it looks everyday in class and rehearsals. It’s hard when under all that criticism to keep a positive attitude towards your body. You are constantly working towards an ideal that is impossible to reach.

I feel it is the same for women who aren’t dancers. We all see the pictures in the media of these beautiful perfect women who are size 0 — and we try as hard as we can to conform and force our bodies to be like the images we see. Yet what we are trying to reach is unattainable; the human body comes in all shapes and sizes and everyone’s body is different.

Is there some sort of balance or compromise you have to reach to balance a healthy body (and body image) with the demands of your profession?

Because of the demands of the profession, I do have to watch what I eat and make healthy choices. I have to spend extra hours at the gym making sure I maintain a slim muscular physique.

But I strive to not allow these things to control me. I love chocolate so I eat chocolate. Sometimes, I go for a walk outside instead of staying in the gym. I allow myself some flexibility. I try not to diet and focus on getting skinnier, but instead I try work to get healthier. My desire is to be healthy. I want my body to be healthy so that I can work and perform to the best of my ability, but it’s about having the proper mindset: Are you doing this to get skinnier or are you doing this to get healthier?

What have you witnessed in other dancers and performers who were unable to have a healthy perspective on their bodies? Is it damaging? Is it a battle?

Many dancers who are unable to cope with the pressure to have a perfect dancer body end up with a disorder called body dysmorphia, where they constantly obsess about their perceived physical flaws. This then manifests itself in a number of ways — all of which are damaging — an obsession with what they eat (leading to bulimia or anorexia), an obsession with working out, an obsession with weighing themselves, etc. It becomes damaging when a person loses sight of who they are as an individual and only can see the flaws in the mirror. We must break the mirror!

What has been the most challenging thing for you to hear or experience? How do you deal with it?

Once in a partnering class, one of my dance instructors told us girls that we really should not weigh more than 100 to 120 pounds (no matter our height!) if we were going to have a guy lift us. I was shocked, because at almost 5′ 8″, I weighed a good 20 lbs more than that — as did a number of the other girls in the class.

Once an instructor photographed us in class and gave us the photos so we could critique ourselves and see how we really looked in different classical ballet positions. After seeing my photos, I felt terrible about my body for the rest of the week. That weekend in order to release myself from the images I burned them. I refuse to hold on to negative images like the ones those photos embodied.

You have to let such images simply burn away until you see your body for what it truly is. The battle is in your mind. When I am struggling with the way my body looks I often journal about it. For me if I can just get the negative thoughts and emotions out of my head and onto paper I find that I can leave them there and gain some kind of peace.

Now for fashion! Tell us what your favorite stores and websites are for dance clothes? Is it all about tutus? What are some of the must-haves for a dancer?

I have two websites that I buy all my dancewear from. I am in love with Yumiko leotards. They are handmade and beautifully crafted, with so many fun and colorful styles to choose from. Many of the cheaper leotards by other brands don’t fit my body well either the fabric doesn’t sit right or it pulls in a funny place.

For all my other dancewear needs I use Discount Dance. It’s much cheaper to buy dancewear online than in stores and I’ve found that Discount Dance has really good prices on just about everything else I need. I buy my favorite tights from them (Capezio #9) and my pointe shoes (Grishko 2007). I love their Body Wrappers “Rip Stop” shorts.

When it comes to legwarmers, I like to have fun. I buy funky leg warmers off-season at stores like Forever 21 and H&M. Way more fun than the average black or pink legwarmer in a dance store, they are cheap and your friends won’t all have the exact same pair. I have legwarmers in every shade of the rainbow as well as ones with fun prints, stripes, and my favorite: argyle!

Here at EthicalStyle, we often discuss organic cotton, sustainable fabrics, and conscious consumption in addition to what is underneath the clothes. Am I right to say that for a dancer — and every woman for that matter — ethical style means treating your own body with respect?

Wearing sustainable fabrics and organic cotton is difficult as a dancer. Most dancewear is made from pliable, synthetic products that wick away moisture and need to remain wearable through hours of sweaty rehearsals. I do make a conscious effort to reuse my dancewear though. Old tights I cut up and turn into tights-tops to wear over leotards on cold days and old dance pants I cut into dance capris or shorts. There is always another use for everything.

And it’s true, ethical style is so much more than what you wear. It is about treating your body with respect. It is about recognizing the beauty within yourself. It is about how you carry yourself and how you present yourself to others. It is about not letting the mirror control who you are or who you become.