Dancer's Best Body Program Review & Testimonial

Most serious ballet students have probably heard of the Dancer's Best Body Program (also known as Whole Dancer, which is the name of the larger network of which DBB is a part).  It's been featured in magazines like Pointe and on Kathryn Morgan's YouTube channel and podcast.  If you haven't heard of it, the program is an 8-week course in health and nutrition geared toward professional and aspiring professional ballet dancers.  The class is all online, and it's broken up into approximately 30 lessons that each take 30-60 minutes to complete.

I started the Dancer's Best Body Program in April, and you can add me to the list of people who got great results.  Because the program is proprietary, I can't tell you exactly what I learned that's so life-changing.  However, I can tell you about the numerous positive shifts I've seen since I started and encourage anyone with an interest in achieving a strong, healthy dancer's body to take the course as well.

Let's start with a little background (some of this you may already know from things I've sprinkled in other posts).  I dance with a local ballet company in addition to working a full-time day job.  I've always been petite, but for the past year or so I've been in the odd early-mid 20s stage of "am I still growing or is my metabolism slowing down?"  I knew I had food intolerances and tried to avoid triggers, but I still had major issues with bloating and upset stomach.  I had 3 colitis flare-ups, two of which happened during performance runs.  The discomfort of physical symptoms plus the anxiety of not knowing if my eating plan was appropriate to maintaining a slim and healthy body for my simultaneously sedentary and extremely active lifestyle pushed me to reach out to Jess Spinner and ask if Dancer's Best Body could help me.

The first wonderful thing about Dancer's Best Body (and all of Whole Dancer) is Jess.  She is very calm and logical, which is a huge comfort to those of us prone to anxiety.  Jess responded to my first e-mail within 10 minutes, and we chatted back and forth for about half an hour before I decided to sign up for the program.  I went with the pro option, which includes unlimited e-mail chat and personalized content in addition to the lesson slides and worksheets.

I applied myself to the program and completed one lesson per day (weekdays).  DBB is most effective if the lessons are taken one at a time and all suggestions/lifestyle changes are implemented immediately.  Within a week I was eating better quality food, felt less hungry between meals, and was stronger in class.  Within 3 weeks I was sleeping better and felt happier.  By the end of the 8 weeks, I saw more muscles on my body and felt confident I was treating my body well.

I have fewer cravings and desires to eat out of boredom.  I have confidence that I can balance my regular healthy meals with snacks and treats to ensure I maintain a healthy weight.  I'm less concerned about exactly what I weigh and my body measurements and more excited about seeing a solid muscle or executing strong movements.  While the program is all about the body, I've also noticed I'm also a little less concerned with other visual things like how my hair looks.

Dancer's Best Body gave me wonderful results, but it wasn't exactly easy.  Some of the lessons repeated information I already knew, but others turned my ideas on their head.  I had to change a lot of things, from my morning routine to the times of my meals to how I approached grocery shopping.  A couple of lessons that focused on other parts of healthy living (besides food and exercise) left me close to tears because I just had no idea how to take in and apply the information.

Jess was such a wonderful resource throughout the program.  I e-mailed her daily to show my completed worksheets and ask questions.  She always got back to me within a few days and provided information that helped me apply the lessons to my life.  I can only wonder how Jess grew to be so knowledgeable, patient, and kind.  In addition to an excellent resource, she's a great inspiration and role model.

I highly recommend Dancer's Best Body and the entire Whole Dancer network.  If you are not interested in or motivated to change, or if you are young and don't have autonomy in your food and lifestyle choices, it may not be worth the investment.  However, for all other serious dancers, DBB is an amazing experience that really works to provide solid skills for reaching and maintaining health and strength.