Losing your period can weaken your bones and put you at risk for health issues later in life. It’s crazy how many dancers get theirs this late & I’m really glad they’re shedding light on the issue
Periods need to be talked about WAY more openly in the media so that people would get more educated about it and girls become more confident about this very natural part of their life.
I'm amazed that you had your periods at 18 and 25. I've never heard of that in my entire life. I started at 12. A pill to delay periods? Awful! This is such a good and necessary video. OMG. They don't let you have water?!
Same, flabbergasted. Most people I know started at 12 too (some earlier) and I don’t really know what I was expecting for pro students - 16? - but definitely not 25! This has been super informative, thank you!
It’s really common with female athletes actually. It’s called the female athlete triad. Common in aesthetic sports such as rhythmic gymnastics. Under weight, over exercising which causes lack of periods. a lot of girls get them so late.
i had a 'late start' and didn't really have any serious ballet training until age 14. i started menstruation 1 year before that, but i immediately had endometriosis symptoms (thought to be caused by too much estrogen). and even when i dropped from 140lbs down to 110lbs i still had my period very regularly. i was so hopeful that all this new training would stop my periods. but no amount of exercise could stop those debilitating periods. i always had to push through them, even when i was performing in a company. even when i was crying and throwing up from the pain and inflammation. but i was so surprised when my coach (Vaganova graduate and former Prima Ballerina with Lenningrad's Classical Ballet Company & Moscow Ballet) told me that the girls were allowed three "Red days" each month when they could rest and skip training during menstruation if they didn't feel well. it's not safe or healthy to demand such strenuous activity from the body during the bleeding phase of menstruation. i think every school & job should have 'red days' built in.
I got my period at age 8, which was also when I started my ballet training. I've dealt with it my entire dancing life. I only use pads and have a purple uniform leotard. It's hard, but at some point, you must realize that you are still a healthy, human girl. Your period is a good thing, although it may not feel like it.
It really is a very good sign that you're healthy. And health is the most important thing in life. It doesn't take long of missing your period before your bones break.
My first period was not until I was 16. I was dancing pre professionally at the time but quit shortly after due to mental breakdown. Unfortunately my very last period was age 33 as I had a hysterectomy and both ovaries out at that age for endometriosis. It was horrific going through surgical menopause at such a young age. Lifetime exposure to my natural hormones was only 17 years. I am 50 now. My lowest bone density measured was age 42 when a dexa scan registered -4.1 T score spine (-3.8 Z score). Anything under -2.5 is osteoporosis, z score accounting for age. I am on bone medication now due to the severity of my bone density. Lack of hormones definitely plays a HUGE role in bone health! The irony is I did not have an eating disorder as a teen, but I developed anorexia nervosa post surgical menopause from age 36 to 42, with bmi in 14-15 range most of that time. So it was a double whammy for my bones.
I’m just considering why Russian Vaganova students had periods and you didn’t. There is a long tradition there of taking care at that time of the month. Kirov dancers in the 90s told me that benefit wasn’t as easily applied as it was in the old days, so I wondered. Could it be that the regular benefit of sitting out 3 days is enough to regulate or kick start hormones? Did they eat differently? Fascinating topic, so good to have the conversation out in the open these days.
I started my period when I was 15 and it only came every 2 or 3 months until I got on the pill, and now it's more regular. I was a competitive runner but also just naturally lean. Much better to naturally get your period every month as it's a sign that you're healthy (most important thing in life).
This was so interesting, thats nice they let the girls wear shorts during their periods! I always feel weird in class having to ask my teachers if I could because it's against the dress code.
I think it is really true about exercise and periods. I have never been one to have heavy periods - but when I started doing ballet at 23 - I noticed over time, I had less pain and I was extremely grateful :) There are some months I can get away with not taking ibuprofen (Midol makes me dizzy). And maybe since I started ballet so late - I never really felt embarrassed by my period. It was just a normal thing for me and I had no problem telling my teacher if I was hurting or not. But no matter if its the first day or last day - I still go to class. But this may be because I started at 14 - so I have had 9 years before doing ballet that I had to deal with it.
Thanks for making this video! You’re right that all girls/women benefit from support when they first get their periods and it can be intimidating to think this is going to happen *every* month. If you’re away at ballet school and not at home, I can only imagine that makes it scarier. This (as well as the health risks of no period) is not often talked about as one of the sacrifices of being a young dancer.
The good attitude at Vaganova towards girls having their periods is very interesting and also heartening. The good attitude seems to exist because it is normal for the girls to menstruate. Also, The fact that so many of the girls are menstruating normally seems to indicate that, although they are very thin, they are actually at a normal weight "FOR THEM". If they were not at the correct weight for them, they would not menstruate. This also confirms that the Vaganova selection process is working, since it is picking those girls who are naturally thin, with small light bone structure and lightly muscled - genetically the "right type" for Vaganova to train as dancers! They might still be having to watch what they eat, but not to the extent of the girls who are not naturally thin. The girls who struggle to keep their weight so low and do not menstruate, probably are those who are just not designed to fit the ultra skinny mould of a Vaganova/Mariinsky dancer. In another school or company, it would be different.
Lol I was anorexic and 80lbs and I still had my period, every single month like clockwork. Having a period is absolutely not an indicator that you're healthy and at an okay weight. The weight requirements at Vaganova are absurd.
I dont know how you can saybthe school had a "good attitude" when they never provided medical treatment when this woman was not menstuating at age 25. Very dangerous.
This is a really interesting discussion! I think I'll also need to share about my own experience but with different perspectives like yours or Suvi's in mind. I was one of those girls who got their's super young and hasn't skipped a single month in 16 years!
Thank you for talking about this! 💗 Menstrual discs have been a game changer for me on my period, but of course everyone’s bodies are different and we all have different preferences as well. I also didn’t get my period until later because I was a dancer, gymnast, and figure skater. And even when I finally did get my period, it was so irregular that my doctor put me on the pill to make me more regular… instead of taking into account my body weight, high level of exercise, etc.
I laughed so hard at the ending 😂 Great topic to discuss and interested for more in this series. I'm curious to learn about what goes on behind the Vaganova doors we normally don't hear or read about. All the little quirks and behaviourisms. I hope to think this community of mutual dance lovers will be respectful and mindful towards each other while discussing and having a healthy conversation about important and related topics for girls who practice ballet on both a proffessional and amateur level. Thanks for providing your platform to do so and encouraging to share our experiences.
When I was training (in America) we were told that class was the best thing to help you get rid of cramps. Especially jumping because it shook everything loose. We all survived. 😄
It is great that you are talking about this so openly. In some spheres of life women are being prevented from talking about things like this. It is so important that women can be allowed to get together and talk about these shared experiences without shame. Well done to both of you 👏👏👏 Also, I’m now going through peri menopause and one thing I’ve noticed after years of having periods is that after I’ve got over the initial 2 days where I feel tired and uncomfortable, that I then find a physical strength that I don’t have at other times. It’s weird. I have an iron framed piano at home that I sometimes need to shift slightly to get into a cupboard and most of the time it is almost beyond my capability to move it, because it is so heavy, but on those few days of the month I referred to - well, I feel like maybe I turn into the Incredible Hulk slightly, because I can lift the corner of it so much more easily. It feels like some womanly superpower that is really quite surprising. I don’t understand why this happens, but the difference in what I can lift is really noticeable. 💪💪💪 I like it, makes me feel like I could move mountains.
It’s unfortunate that not getting your period in the dance world can be seen as a good thing, but it sounds great that you can sit out or wear shorts! I wish my studio did that growing up! I would be so much more comfortable in shorts
This is crazy to hear as I had such a different experience! I got my period when I was 10, but I hit puberty very early. I stopped growing entirely when I was 14, and at 11 I stopped competitive swimming due to the embarrassment I felt having hit puberty and looking/feeling more "womanly" than the other young girls around me
I am surprised that menstrual cups were not even mentioned. Yes they are a bit more difficult than tampons but you can absolutely wear a white Leo on stage even on your heavier flow days if your cup works well for you. It is unfortunately a bit of trial and error until you find your perfect cup, a bit like finding a good pointe shoe, but it is sooo worth it. With the birth control pill it is possible to move the start of your period by a few days, or even skip a cycle, but at least for me the cramps would just come anyway. Plus the pill can have lots of side effects. If i could go back in time I would tell my younger self to not take it and to get a cup instead, plus a few osteopathy sessions for the cramps. I got rid of cramps for good at age 33 after just two sessions. I wish I had known that at 12.
That’s amazing! Yes I never took the actual pill for long as I hated it. The cup is such a great alternative and so good to hear you’ve had a good experience with it. I think this is also such a personal thing and everyone is different. Thanks for sharing!
They’re life saving! My periods were so heavy for a while that I had to change it every 3 hours. Which is not very practical at all but was better than changing a tampon every 45min 😭 So glad I didn’t do dance when I was younger because idk how I’d have survived that!
Great, interesting video about sth i never knew! Just have been appreciating how thin the Vaganova girls are. Btw you don’t how hard I was laughing about “acceptive”😂😂
Thanks for talking about this. I will only add tampons are one of the best inventions of humanity and every woman should try to learn to use them. I used the ones with applicator like for a couple of decades and then tried the ones without applicator. I wished I did before. They are so discrete to have in any pocket. It would have been nice to be able to used them when I was young and easily embarased. I am glad to hear how naturally and openly it is handled in Vaganova school. So you can learn from early age not to be embarased about something so natural.
I started my period at 14 years old and I was already taking ballet classes! We have a male teacher but thankfully we were allowed to wear shorts! I still use pads to this day, I feel uncomfortable and unwell on the first days but I power through it! I still haven't found the courage to try tampons but I think it would be life-changing!
I remember watching documentaries about the selection of students at age 10-11 to enter Russian schools like Vaganova or Bolshoi and that they even evaluated the children’s parents to select naturally thin students. So maybe that’s why so many of the Russian girls had their periods
This was interesting to watch. I was naturally extremely skinny when I was young - but I desperately wanted to gain weight. I was a toothpick and I hated it and was so jealous of the other girls in school having curves. I ate like a ravenous wolf but I got full easily. I did ballet briefly, but then I played tennis casually for a while. I was checked out by a doctor repeatedly and was healthy in every other way, other than being in the 99 percentile for weight on the low side. I also did not get my period until late 16. I never took pills. Now at 47 I am already in menopause and have gained plenty of weight especially after having two kids. I miss my old metabolism lol! I honestly wish I had my period back rather than the night and day sweats and daily moodiness, but it is what it is. My oldest got her period at 12 but she is very skinny as well although not as much as me, and developed quite early. I was very surprised at that and such things are still a bit of a mystery to me.
Maybe the delay in menarche was a result of undetected emotional stress resulting from being in a foreign country along with the stresses of the intense Vaganova training. That may be why the other dancers continued to have regular cycles.
It’s a common issue with female athletes and being underweight/ exercising a lot though I never understood how the Russians didn’t have so much of an issue although we didn’t talk about it much
@@balletwithisabella Yes, since the other dancers were undergoing similar training and presumably diets, then there must have been another factor that accounted for the difference. I don't know if the other dancers took vitamins or other supplements. That could be a factor to consider. If the asian dancers experienced the same delay in menarche that the British dancers did, then it would seem to strengthen the "homesickness hypothesis". Right now in America there's a very alarming trend of girls as young as eight and nine getting their periods, and not just a few. In the 1700s in America the average age was about 17 years old. I have a personal belief that it may be all the steroids and hormones present in the American meat supply, and some dairy products also, that are be responsible for so many extremely young girls starting early.
When I was training intensely between 14-17, I’d never get my period while training during the ballet school term, but they’d come back as soon as I take time off and they’d be super regular, only to be completely gone again as soon as I get back to dancing.
It's CRIMINAL how ballet, figure skating, gymnastics, and modeling all require women to be UNHEALTHILY thin in order to pursue these vocations. When a female is eating enough to have a damn period, THAT is what she should look like onstage.
@@SwanTheQueen Clearly, you didn't read a word I wrote. So thin you have an eating disorder, so thin you don't have a period, so thin you are unhealthy, should NEVER be thought of as "beauty."
I started menstruation at age 16, but not because of low weight, just because of slow development. i didn't mind it came so late, because it's a hassle and i don't really care for all the female curves getting in the way of clean ballet positions. Usually the first day is pretty bad but i never take time off work or ballet just to rest. maybe i should. i take a double paracetamol before class and then i forget about the pain. actually it's a bit dangerous because once i'm 'drugged' i tend to stretch too much and risk injury. at age 40+ i'm much more vulnerable to injury.
I'm not a dancer (although would love to take classes again), I would hope that more dance studios would be much more accomodating to dancers who have a period, at least in terms of attire. Also, I feel that at this point, costumes should also be more accomodating as well.
I’m very surprised that they are this lenient in Russia. I expected it to be like suck it up and dance and wear the uniform just like everyone else and if you were Odette in the ballet then you just have to make sure youre covered properly. I never changed my attire and wore my same old leotard and tights and that’s it and it was no big deal for me but I do know that there are some girls that would wear shorts or wrap skirts.
Hello, Thank you for the video! I have a question: Don't you think that many Vaganova students and also current dancers at the Marinsky take the pill as if it was the most normal think to make you have your period ?? I honestly can not imagine that all these super thin students get their periods naturally. Thanks for your answer!!
I am not a dancer, but am physically active. I had used tampons and pantiliners for years. However, I tried the switch to a menstrual cup, and they were really hit or miss for me. However, what has been an absolute game changer for me is a reusable menstrual disk, and period underwear as a back up.
I started dancing professional very late... Before that I started to get my period with about 12 y. In age of 19 - 21 I stopped having my period because of a to low BMI (< 18). I‘m not a natural skinny person, my figure is more sportiv/ feminin. With gaining some weight again, my period came back and after a time very regularly. I didn’t want to take the pill regularly so I decided to take the contraceptive spiral for a couple of years. But in the first day my period was so hard I was not able even to walk (and certainly not able to use my stomach muscels in any way….) It happened always in the night from Thursday to Friday and in the morning I had ballet class with a real strict prof and an inexcusable dress code: no pants, no skirts….. I didn‘t dare to tell the prof the reason why I was absent once a month on Friday morning. We were just 5 students in this class and I felt so bad leaving my mates alone. One Friday afternoon I met the prof in the hallway and she looked at me so bad and strict that I started shrinking…… I told her the truth and so I was expecting a reaction you can imagine…. But what happened!? She looked friendly to me and replied that she could understand my situation very well, she had the same painful problems in her youth and now knows what‘s up when I was absent once a month on Friday morning. What a surprise!! Unfortunately I expected my period for the day of my exams…. (yes, it took part on a Friday morning……) I asked my gynecologist and she advised me to start taking the normal birth contol pills a few months before my exams. ….on top to my hormon spiral….! And then to take them further on these special days. So the period will not start this day. what should I say? Nevertheless I got my period exactly that day! But maybe because of adrenalin it wasn‘t so bad. At least I passed my exams - and not even that bad…. 😅
I was watching Prix de Lausanne, and I saw they have health hazard warnings for osteoporosis (for indications of being too thin, no periods, and low bone density) to prevent anorexic behaviors. (It’s in candidates info.) I thought that kind of education is really necessary! Also they didn’t select/award dancers who looked too thin (I think it’s done in effort to discourage those images being promoted.) I wonder how periods are dealt in company settings? I heard Russian companies do use pills to control periods. (Less human rights😢 as their health becomes secondary…) But on the other hand, Russian girls do get married fairy young & have babies👶🏻 (even for professionals, usually in their early 20s 😮 I notice it’s common for most of rhythmic gymnasts, figure skaters, and dancers!)
So maybe this is what they mean when they say that they consider the physique of the dancer amongst the criteria of evaluation. Without any specification I found that point sounded very alarming when they read it before the performances.
Interesting chat. Not quite the same but my daughter is in the military and almost all the women use the contraceptive pill to 'control' when they get their period.
Yeh I think it’s one of those things that even though that’s not the best option for many reasons it’s the thing that gives you the most control on important days. I’m not surprised the girls in the military do that.
I had always wondered if military women just had natural cycle. Thanks for sharing the info, it makes total sense, especially for those suffering unhuman cramps. 🧛🏻♀️🖤
It's crazy how different our bodies are.. I started mine at 9 and when i consulted a doctor she told me it's cause of excessive physical activity/ dancing. I was/ still am heavily anemic. I just push through it.
At all the schools I attended, we weren't allowed to drink during class. I think that's just the old school approach. It's good to see that things are changing.
Never had a period till late 30s . Nothing zero . Ex ddancer cfrom the seventies , eighties ... had a cpuple very rare and then went i to menopause vert early ... so glad this is now taken more seriously and discussed, as in my day it really wasnt .( Yep osteoporosis happened .)
Have y'all heard about the period cup/disk? It's amazing! It's kinda like an upgraded tampon, lol, except it's a cup that sits just inside of you and collects all the menstrual discharge. Then you empty it after 12 hours or when it gets full. I change mind in the shower which makes it even easier. It was life changing for me (once I got through the learning curve and found my correct cup/size that worked best with my body).
Some people swear by these, but they are a nightmare. I’ve tried so many and everyone tried to shame me and tell me I’m doing it wrong. Turns out, I wasn’t doing it wrong, but for the significant amount of women who posses an anteverted uterus, those discs and cups are not a good option. So put that in your cup and insert it 🤮
@@Constantin9va It's obvious that the cup isn't a good fit for women that don't have a normal shaped uterus. Idk why others would try and shame you for that, that's messed up of them. It's not going to work for everyone and that's okay.
I’m not surprised more ballerinas don’t get stress fractures? Maybe they do, idk. But that’s really sad…to be happy you don’t menstruate…But I understand why and where you’re coming from, from a professional ballerinas point. I’m happy you both allowed your body to relax and love yourself
Guys, I'm 14 , I had my period 6 times when I was 11, after that, I haven't have my period, everyone my age I know, already have it, is it like weird? Or I am still like young? (I'm a ballerina and my ginecologist said one year ago that because of my body, exersice and age its still okay)
It’s not unusual for your period to be irregular at first but having it disappear for 3 years is definitely not typical. I’d recommend getting a second opinion if you can!!! It’s actually really difficult to find a good gynaecologist, even as an adult when you have a lot more control over who you go to. I’m in my late 20s and I still haven’t found a gynaecologist who will help me with my issues. They all just want to put me on birth control without investigating what’s happening first. If you feel like something isn’t right don’t give up and keep looking until you get answers!
(Context: Soviet Union late 70' s-80’ s). My first period was at 16 thanks to my crazy fast metabolism that allowed me to eat more than other students while looking extreamly thin and ripped AF. I was put *INMEDIATELY* on birth control pills taken *every single day* to make sure that: a) I never had my -period- withdrawal bleeding coming in the most inconvenient moment. b) Avoid mood changes and cycle phases like the lutheal (PMS) because our body looses flexibility, energy and retain liquids. Not to talk about how female WAG' s gained more strength and power before synthetic testosterone was available (imported from the DDR- East Germany). 🧛🏻♀️🖤
What?! Anytime between 11 to 14 is normal to get your period for the first time.. . Where was the school and your parents?! I know both of you were living away from home but surely your parents worried, asked you, got involved?! This isnone of the reasons why so many ballerinas get osteoporosis and multiple hip/joint surgeries before they are 50!
I wonder how this effect fertility in the future. So many women are struggling with fertility for a variety of reasons and some unknown. It seems both the ballet and the modeling industry resent female puberty. It's very odd.
The contraceptive pill can have awful long term (generational) side effects: for example, a little-known danger is that it can contribute to endometriosis not just in those who take it, but also in the daughters of women who used it.
Dear, most girls get their first period between 12-14 years old. At 15 is already later than average. And actually eating natural fats, is no problem, what's a problem is the excess of sugar and simple calories. You need fats to be healthy.
Soviet days no such thing as pads, tampons. Just cotton wad and gauze to fashion a pseudo pad. Could be why ‘red days’. I taught in the Soviet Union late 1980s. Made me so angry Soviet government had zero products for periods. Talk with Soviet Kirov dancers.
This is shocking!!! No period ??? Would no Dr tell you there is something very wrong in that You are doing??? That you suffer under eating disorder??? Crazy
Is it possible and how to ask you for advice and give video ideas, I got a like but no reply, guess you don't read comments 😞, but I understand since it takes time to read
I read every single comment but don’t have time always to reply. You can always email me too if you want to send in specific requests! All requests and comments are taken into account but I won’t always film them straight away as I have other plans. Really appreciate the suggestions!
