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The Ballerina Mindset: How to Protect Your Mental Health While Striving for Excellence
Learn how to thrive in intense, competitive environments with these secrets from one of America's premiere ballerinas--and get a sneak peek at what her life is really like.
Ballet may look glamorous and effortless to audience members, but it requires grueling discipline. It's a competitive and physically and mentally demanding career that combines elite athleticism, artistry, and performance. Not only do dancers rehearse for six to eight hours a day before performing at night, but they also must make it all look easy!
As a principal ballerina with New York City Ballet and a one-time Broadway star--not to mention a mother of three and an MBA student--Megan Fairchild is all too familiar with these challenges. In The Ballerina Mindset , she shares all the wisdom she's learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management--and how we can do the same. Inspiring, warm, and revelatory, The Ballerina Mindset is the perfect how-to guide for dancers, athletes, artists, and anyone struggling to stay sane in a high-pressure environment.
Ballet may look glamorous and effortless to audience members, but it requires grueling discipline. It's a competitive and physically and mentally demanding career that combines elite athleticism, artistry, and performance. Not only do dancers rehearse for six to eight hours a day before performing at night, but they also must make it all look easy!
As a principal ballerina with New York City Ballet and a one-time Broadway star--not to mention a mother of three and an MBA student--Megan Fairchild is all too familiar with these challenges. In The Ballerina Mindset , she shares all the wisdom she's learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management--and how we can do the same. Inspiring, warm, and revelatory, The Ballerina Mindset is the perfect how-to guide for dancers, athletes, artists, and anyone struggling to stay sane in a high-pressure environment.
176 pages, Paperback
Published December 7, 2021
32 people are currently reading
1656 people want to read
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December 27, 2021I know she doesn't read reviews, so I'll just say this: Thank you Megan for writing this book. I think that a lot of dancers will appreciate your honesty.
December 25, 2021
This book is short and graceful. The advice is simple, and solid advice- even for those of us who are not dancers. There is a fair amount of humble-bragging, but Ms. Fairchild has earned her place both on the stage and on the shelf.
June 4, 2021
Megan Fairchild, principal ballerina with New York City Ballet, presents several chapters on preserving one's emotional and mental health while living in the demanding world of professional dance. A few dancers with both American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet have written memoirs recently. Each one has presented a different voice to the challenges of the physical and mental demands inherent in the stressful world of a demanding ballet career.
Ms. Fairchild's book can be read and utilized by not only elite ballet dancers, but all people who seek their own personal best within their chosen profession. She presents chapters on handling anxiety, stagefright, self esteem, and perfectionism. She manages to discuss her decision to not read reviews of her work. (I presume she won't read this review). She tempers her high anxiety with Transcendental Meditation. She explains the necessity of having alternate interests and pursuits away from ballet- not just because a ballet career is a short one, but for the balance in one's own mind and life.
The Ballerina Mindset is not all about morning plies. It is a way of relating to oneself whether nor not one is an elite ballerina.
Many thanks to the author and publisher, as well as NetGalley for the eARC.
Ms. Fairchild's book can be read and utilized by not only elite ballet dancers, but all people who seek their own personal best within their chosen profession. She presents chapters on handling anxiety, stagefright, self esteem, and perfectionism. She manages to discuss her decision to not read reviews of her work. (I presume she won't read this review). She tempers her high anxiety with Transcendental Meditation. She explains the necessity of having alternate interests and pursuits away from ballet- not just because a ballet career is a short one, but for the balance in one's own mind and life.
The Ballerina Mindset is not all about morning plies. It is a way of relating to oneself whether nor not one is an elite ballerina.
Many thanks to the author and publisher, as well as NetGalley for the eARC.
June 7, 2022
"No matter what we do for a living, we are all more than our work. And as an artist, I am more than just my art. I am also more than just a mom. I don't feel I need to be completely defined by either title."
March 2, 2022
Megan Fairchild is a principal ballerina with New York City Ballet, a Broadway star, a mother of three, and an MBA student. This book chronicles all the challenges she has faced around weight, grueling exercise schedules, expectations, and criticism. She gives tips on dealing with the pressure of being a professional athlete. The book shares ten big life lessons on many different topics, including anxiety, eating, and taking care of your body.
This book is not just for athletes. It is written in more of a universal way where it can apply to anyone pushing themselves to reach specific goals or their full potential. The author did a great job tackling the topics we all face, especially in fitness. She spells out why anxiety makes no sense even though we all do it or how meditation can help us move through the fears we face. She gives us tips on letting go of the pressure and living a bit healthier, something we can all do.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/meg...
This book is not just for athletes. It is written in more of a universal way where it can apply to anyone pushing themselves to reach specific goals or their full potential. The author did a great job tackling the topics we all face, especially in fitness. She spells out why anxiety makes no sense even though we all do it or how meditation can help us move through the fears we face. She gives us tips on letting go of the pressure and living a bit healthier, something we can all do.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/meg...
January 17, 2022
This was a nice memoir— not too deep or personal, but nice. I think the title is a bit misleading— this book isn’t really about the mindset of the average ballerina so much as being a great ballerina without having the classic ballet mindset. That is, this is a book about not getting bogged down by perfectionism, about meditation, about having other interests in life beyond ones profession. It’s a good book for someone in an intense profession, but none of the advice is mind blowing. A fun read for a ballet enthusiast, but not a must read career guide.
January 21, 2022
Not much value added here.
January 19, 2022
I've followed Megan Fairchild's career since its inception, and she is someone who can do no wrong from where I sit. She's a spectacular dancer and has become even stronger and more vibrant in her performances since the birth of her three (!) daughters. She's one of those people that seems to have more time, or at least more energy and focus, than the rest of us. She balances a full-time job as a principal dancer at NYCB with getting her MBA, mothering three babies under three (a toddler and infant twins), hosting a podcast, and somehow also writing a book. She also seems like a very kind and down-to-earth person.
This book is something you can read in a couple of hours. I found her personal stories/anecdotes to be fairly interesting but she's like a lot of public figures who kind of skim the surface rather than providing a great deal of detail about themselves -- which I can understand, and I don't think every memoir/advice book has to involve the author baring their soul or oversharing. But you read this and come away with perhaps greater admiration for her for all she has accomplished, yet without having any deeper knowledge of what got her there.
The advice in this book is somewhat generic, although I could relate to a lot of it since I was also a perfectionist, anxiety-prone, fainting-prone, type A dancer once upon a time. I'm older than Megan and, while I feel like a giant loser compared to what she has managed to do in her life, I have been through a lot of the same arcs in terms of overcoming (or learning to moderate) perfectionism and finding ways to cope with anxiety. So a lot of it wasn't revelatory for me, but perhaps would be for someone who is more in the midst of that kind of struggle (whether or not they're a dancer).
I do think that she could have put in more step-by-step, detailed advice for certain things - for example, she talks a lot about transcendental meditation, but you don't get any instruction on how to actually practice it to see if it would work for you, too. Or how about providing some alternatives for people who aren't inclined toward meditation? Overall, it was fine for me, but not life-changing.
This book is something you can read in a couple of hours. I found her personal stories/anecdotes to be fairly interesting but she's like a lot of public figures who kind of skim the surface rather than providing a great deal of detail about themselves -- which I can understand, and I don't think every memoir/advice book has to involve the author baring their soul or oversharing. But you read this and come away with perhaps greater admiration for her for all she has accomplished, yet without having any deeper knowledge of what got her there.
The advice in this book is somewhat generic, although I could relate to a lot of it since I was also a perfectionist, anxiety-prone, fainting-prone, type A dancer once upon a time. I'm older than Megan and, while I feel like a giant loser compared to what she has managed to do in her life, I have been through a lot of the same arcs in terms of overcoming (or learning to moderate) perfectionism and finding ways to cope with anxiety. So a lot of it wasn't revelatory for me, but perhaps would be for someone who is more in the midst of that kind of struggle (whether or not they're a dancer).
I do think that she could have put in more step-by-step, detailed advice for certain things - for example, she talks a lot about transcendental meditation, but you don't get any instruction on how to actually practice it to see if it would work for you, too. Or how about providing some alternatives for people who aren't inclined toward meditation? Overall, it was fine for me, but not life-changing.
December 15, 2021
3.5 stars rolled up to 4, mostly because I think some of what Megan talks about (performance anxiety, perfectionism, not reading reviews, etc.) has a lot of utility outside the dance world. She speaks primarily to techniques or approaches that worked for her, such as transcendental meditation, etc. and also the challenges of being a young adult and learning how to care for ones' self in a high-pressure career situation (she was promoted to Principal very early in her career).
Where this book falls a little flat for me is in anything approaching memoir. It's very clear that she's trying not to say anything negative about anyone, no matter how awful they were (when she gets "the fat talk" she does not name who this ballet mistress was, whereas other dancers' memoirs have gone very public with the culture). This is particularly noticeable where she refers to long-time artistic director Peter Martins, who has been credibly accused of verbal abuse among other things, as "my boss" for most of the book except for one specific instance where he bouyed her up when she credits him by name. I get that she would be grateful to someone who gave her a lot of career opportunities, but it does feel very much like we aren't seeing all the sides to someone.
Where this book falls a little flat for me is in anything approaching memoir. It's very clear that she's trying not to say anything negative about anyone, no matter how awful they were (when she gets "the fat talk" she does not name who this ballet mistress was, whereas other dancers' memoirs have gone very public with the culture). This is particularly noticeable where she refers to long-time artistic director Peter Martins, who has been credibly accused of verbal abuse among other things, as "my boss" for most of the book except for one specific instance where he bouyed her up when she credits him by name. I get that she would be grateful to someone who gave her a lot of career opportunities, but it does feel very much like we aren't seeing all the sides to someone.
July 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this audiobook by Megan Fairchild. She talked about her experiences as a dancer, and how she had to overcome a lot of the unhealthy habits and ideologies that come with it. I appreciated that she mostly focused on her own experiences, rather than preaching that she found THE way to solve your problems. It definitely gave me things to think about and ideas to try implementing into my own life. A good read.
November 5, 2022
A collection of personal events intertwined with well known suggestions like: try meditation, avoid perfectionism, turn failure into a positive experience. I would not recommend this book to anyone: not to the seasoned 'self-help' bookworm & not to the 'self-help' newcomer.
March 20, 2025
I wanted to read before I see her guest with Boca ballet in coppelia! It’s not so much a how-to, but more of sitting across from her and asking for advice. I really like her honesty and all of her anecdotes:)
January 1, 2022
(4.5) I really liked this! It was super readable and had some really good wisdom. It was fun to read about the world of ballet, and made me miss dancing, but at the same time grateful I never pursued it professionally.
It also made me change my mind about City Ballet a litte. I've always had a preference for Ballet Theater, and this (+watching videos of Megan dancing) made me appreciate NYCB a bit more.
It also made me change my mind about City Ballet a litte. I've always had a preference for Ballet Theater, and this (+watching videos of Megan dancing) made me appreciate NYCB a bit more.
May 13, 2022
Megan! Girl! You dope!
Megan gives you a lick of the various flavors you get when you go within and explore who you are by living life.
Megan gives you a lick of the various flavors you get when you go within and explore who you are by living life.
June 21, 2022
This was a great read for a long train ride. While it gave fascinating insight into the author's life as a ballerina, it really is for everyone who cares about their mental health. She explains the strategies that keep her balanced and healthy in clear and concise ways.
Disclosure- I am a relative of the author though I have yet to meet her.
Disclosure- I am a relative of the author though I have yet to meet her.
December 19, 2022
This book was so great!! Really easy to read and I enjoyed reading Megan’s experiences on what she learned from working in the NYCB ballet and how she learned to take care of herself during that time. I found this book as research for my pro-seminar class but ended up really enjoying and reading it for fun.
March 7, 2022
First of all MY FRIEND WROTE THIS BOOK! And lived this amazing life! I’m immensely proud and in awe of her. She is simply divine. The book was surprisingly relatable. I hung up my satin slippers decades ago but her wise words are applicable to all careers. I really appreciate what she learned about managing stress and finding balance. I found it helpful and insightful. Way to go Meg!
December 20, 2021
Superficial Advice
The stories and advice in this book seemed really superficial to me. "Find strengths in your flaws"... Ok, but how??? As a dancer in a regional company balancing an academic career, I was hoping for more practical advice but this wasn't that helpful.
The stories and advice in this book seemed really superficial to me. "Find strengths in your flaws"... Ok, but how??? As a dancer in a regional company balancing an academic career, I was hoping for more practical advice but this wasn't that helpful.
March 17, 2022
I was probably predisposed to like this book because I am a massive fan of ballet. And I mean massive. I was so happy for New York City Ballet to be back from the shutdown that I saw every program that was part of their Winter season. I'm probably going to do the same thing for their Spring season. Basically, I see a lot of ballet. And I really like Megan Fairchild. She has incredible stage presence.
To be clear, this book is going to be more beneficial to young adults, someone like me who is starting out their careers and figuring things out. Nothing she writes in this book is mind-blowingly original. I think a reader with more life experience would have either heard this advice phrased in a different way or figured it out for themselves. For me, this book came to me at the right time. I found it very reassuring. I needed to hear her frank experience on anxiety and failure. I needed someone who went through similar struggles, who made it out to the other side to turn to me and basically say 'it's going to be alright, and here are some things I learned from it.'
Anxiety is fearing the outcome of something...This means that worrying about an outcome, when you truly have no idea how you will perform in a given situation or how something will pan out, is a waste of energy. Why are we assuming the worst before the event has even happened?
To be clear, this book is going to be more beneficial to young adults, someone like me who is starting out their careers and figuring things out. Nothing she writes in this book is mind-blowingly original. I think a reader with more life experience would have either heard this advice phrased in a different way or figured it out for themselves. For me, this book came to me at the right time. I found it very reassuring. I needed to hear her frank experience on anxiety and failure. I needed someone who went through similar struggles, who made it out to the other side to turn to me and basically say 'it's going to be alright, and here are some things I learned from it.'
Anxiety is fearing the outcome of something...This means that worrying about an outcome, when you truly have no idea how you will perform in a given situation or how something will pan out, is a waste of energy. Why are we assuming the worst before the event has even happened?
December 28, 2021
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway (finally won after years of entering these giveaways, woohoo)! My mom had to return the copy she purchased for me for Christmas so I would have read this book even if I hadn’t received it from Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book and found it very relatable! My favorite parts were the glimpses into life as a principal ballerina (the cost of those tutus… wow)!! I’m a huge fan of Megan Fairchild, the NYCB and was serious about ballet myself from age 5 through my college years, but found her advice completely applicable to many aspects of life even if you’re not interested in ballet. It was an easy read, short but packed with great advice and reminders. My only complaint about this book is I wish it was longer! I hope she writes another book!
March 20, 2022
2.75 stars. I liked one review I read about this book saying, “I forgot how messed up dancers can be.” Ahhhh. I liked some things about this book and didn’t like some things about this book. I really liked how she talked about how ballet shouldn’t be your whole world and encouraged others to find something outside of ballet to connect with. That’s what I always preach as well. She is a very accomplished dancer and has her MBA, which is incredible! The sub title of this book is a little inaccurate. I also thought her chapter on nutrition missed the mark. Especially since the bulk of the people reading this were most likely aspiring dancers. I don’t like anything saying you shouldn’t have a cookie if you want them. She did explain how food should be fuel, but…I don’t know….let’s not make anyone feel guilty for eating treats.
January 25, 2022
Review
This book felt like music to my ears. I am currently going through something in life and hearing encouraging words that weren't from family or friends is exactly what I needed. The chapters "Coming to Terms with Failure," "Diversifying Your Life," and "Taking Time Off" truly hit home for me (also page 82 was *chefs kiss*), those chapters were very much relatable to my current failure, one that was unexpected, that I am grieving. This definitely gave me the tiny push that I needed.
Lesson
Failure and change are not the end, it is just the beginning of my evolvement
Recommend?
Yes, especially if you are going through a tough failure that is weighing you down
This book felt like music to my ears. I am currently going through something in life and hearing encouraging words that weren't from family or friends is exactly what I needed. The chapters "Coming to Terms with Failure," "Diversifying Your Life," and "Taking Time Off" truly hit home for me (also page 82 was *chefs kiss*), those chapters were very much relatable to my current failure, one that was unexpected, that I am grieving. This definitely gave me the tiny push that I needed.
Lesson
Failure and change are not the end, it is just the beginning of my evolvement
Recommend?
Yes, especially if you are going through a tough failure that is weighing you down
February 9, 2022
was excited to read this one, but unfortunately this was a mediocre short autobiography, not a self help book. was hoping to gain knowledge to pass on to my students, but really she wrote no new, exciting, or really insightful information. pretty disappointed by the misleading title and lack of content. writing about one specific thing that helped you in a time of crisis does not qualify as “how to protect your mental health while striving for excellence” 🥴 like, she literally talked about how she regretted taking time off for her honeymoon… nah that’s not healthy, sorry. gorgeous dancer obviously with an impressive and wonderful career, but this book wasn’t it.
May 7, 2022
This is a lovely book and I’m so grateful that Megan wrote this book and shared her experiences.
I’ve never read a book in the “self-help” category where I saw my own thoughts and internal monologue reflected back to me from the page before. I related to all of this so much, even though I’m not a professional dancer. I really needed to see someone else work toward a goal that others might have considered a distraction from their day job, and to be reminded that it’s okay if achieving that goal takes a long time. What’s important is that you keep chipping away at it and that you keep at it if it brings you the balance you need.
I’ve never read a book in the “self-help” category where I saw my own thoughts and internal monologue reflected back to me from the page before. I related to all of this so much, even though I’m not a professional dancer. I really needed to see someone else work toward a goal that others might have considered a distraction from their day job, and to be reminded that it’s okay if achieving that goal takes a long time. What’s important is that you keep chipping away at it and that you keep at it if it brings you the balance you need.
February 4, 2022
A short read to explore the life and struggles of a professional ballerina. Although the title and the chapter title ("Coming to Terms with Failure," "Diversifying Your Life," "Taking Time Off"...) suggest that this is suppose to be a self-help book, and the author does give her ways to deal with anxiety, perfectionism, being criticised (reviews) etc, it does feel more like a motivational autobiography than an actual self-book - possibly because the book is solely focused on her. She says nothing new though, but I found it interesting to hear about the ballet aspect.
April 22, 2022
Loved this book! I'm a huge fan of the New York City Ballet, and Megan Fairchild is one of my favorite dancers. I really enjoyed reading her takes on managing a high-intensity career, with broadly applicable pearls of wisdom, and also getting an inside look at ballerina life. If you're a recovering over-achiever and perfectionist like I am, highly recommend. Good advice such as reminders that we are all more than our work, that we can only do our best work when our physical and mental health are intact, and that there is opportunity in failure.
June 30, 2022
This book is very readable. Addressing 10 different themes as lessons Megan Fairchild wants to share from her life, she addresses things like anxiety, stress, balance, feedback, and perfectionism from her experiences as a principal ballerina with the New Your City Ballet.
While I don't think that many of the insights are novel, I appreciated the universal insights into her own experiences, and her straightforward approach to sharing how she reflected on some of the most challenging aspects of her high profile, high stress life.
While I don't think that many of the insights are novel, I appreciated the universal insights into her own experiences, and her straightforward approach to sharing how she reflected on some of the most challenging aspects of her high profile, high stress life.
March 16, 2022
Megan Fairchild has had an interesting life and I picked this book thinking it would offer more applicable advice to deal with anxiety and having a proper mindset. Basically it touched upon her not reading reviews about herself, meditation, lots of interests outside of dance and proper diet.
A good story but not great. I recommend the book as it was a good read but I do not highly recommend it.
A good story but not great. I recommend the book as it was a good read but I do not highly recommend it.
April 29, 2022
I am so glad I paged through this book at my local bookstore (thanks independent books stores!). I think the marketing of this book is off. I had originally interpreted this book to be advice to young dancers. While it goes offer that, it's so much more. Megan doesn't hold back in being honest and vulnerable. I think this book is related to any woman striving for perfection in her career. I hope this book sets the stage for a memoir.
May 15, 2022
Although not a ballerina, I could rely on many chapters within this book. Of course, some others were irrelevant but still a precious insight from a principal at NYCB and a great achiever in her personal life. Many of her life lessons resonated with me and a lot of her advice might come in handy in my life. I'm happy I got to read this book and annotated it as I might go back into this book for some enjoyable reread!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews