Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Smith-Theodore.
Hi Dawn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up above my mother’s dance studio outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. We built the house when I was eight years old, and I lived with my parents in a 3-bedroom apartment above the dance studio. I would come home from school and go right to dance after I had completed my homework for the day.
Dance was a huge part of my life, and I could never imagine my life without it. I guess I never recognized how lucky I was to have a dance studio in my house so that I could go and practice anytime I wanted. That has continued through my life where I have always wanted a place where I could immerse myself in my passion of dance.
Dance has woven its way through my life since I was born. After college, I became a flight attendant for a major airline, but when I was furloughed after several years, I moved to New York City to dance professionally. I had the opportunity to dance for the choreographer Henry LeTang. I had the opportunity to teach for him at his studio on Broadway and also perform for him in different parts of the world, including the world-renowned Mikado Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. I returned for a second performance at The Mikado after returning to flying and taking a leave of absence.
I did not want to give up dance, so I decided to do what I said I would never do, and I opened a dance studio in Los Angeles. I owned the dance studio for 25 years, during which time I had the opportunity to take my dancers to perform at Carnegie Hall, The Sydney 2000 Olympics, Lincoln Center, Disneyland, The Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships, Norwegian Cruise Line, Magic Mountain, The Clippers Halftime, and the opening for the Rockettes in Los Angeles Christmas Spectacular.
While I had my dance studio and was still flying, I went back to graduate school to get my Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. As a flight attendant, I had the opportunity to take classes in New York, London, and Tokyo and to see many shows in different cities.
My dance partner had dies of AIDS in 1988, so I was active in the fight against AIDS, and I wanted to work with AIDS patients after I graduated. I took a class on eating disorders in graduate school, and it was the first time I had really learned about eating disorders, except for my own struggle with anorexia, beginning at the age of 15 years old. I met a girl who suggested I reach out to a treatment center that was located near my home. The rest is history.
I began working at Monte Nido Residential Treatment Center in Calabasas, CA. It was founded by Carolyn Costin, who was also recovered from anorexia. She believed that hiring therapists who were recovered helped the clients see that full recovery was possible. I began taking the clients to my dance studio to dance and work on their fears around body image as they looked in the mirrors in the dance studio. We would dance and then have a process group. I had found another way to weave dance into my life as a therapist.
In 2015, I published my first book, “TuTu Thin” A Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder. I recognized that there was not a book about dancers and eating disorders. I felt I had the opportunity to look at it from a dancer who was recovered, a dance educator, a therapist who treats dancers. After the book was published, I began speaking at different dance studios, dance companies, and conferences both in the US and internationally.
I have now completed my second book, which is a memoir of my life… “Mother, Men and Me” A Memoir of Anxiety, Anorexia, and Affairs. I continue to dance and now have a podcast called TuTu Thin… How to be a dancer in mind, body, and spirit. I believe that my passion for dance was instrumental in my recovery from my eating disorder. It is important to have a passion in life. I am lucky to have had dance as my passion.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life is filled with bumps in the road, and you have to use the valleys to appreciate the peaks. My biggest struggle was my battle with anorexia, beginning at age 15 years old. There was not much known about the eating disorder at the time, and consequently, it took me much longer to get better.
My mother took me to the gynecologist who had delivered me into the world, and his response was, ” You need to be beat over the head with a baseball bat and some sense knocked into you.” Needless to say, that was not helpful.
Dance is what helped me want to recover. I wanted to be able to dance, and I am a survivor. Through all of my struggles, I have always pushed myself to move past it and continue to strive to be the best I could be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. I am also a podcaster who has a podcast, TuTu Thin… how to be a healthy dancer and athlete in mind, body and spirit. I am also the author of 2 books, “TuTu Thin” … A Guide to Dancing without an Eating Disorder and “Mother, Men and Me” A Memoir of Anxiety, Anorexia, and Affairs. I am also an international speaker who speaks on how to help dancers with eating disorders.
I love what I do and feel so happy every day to work with my clients on their journey to recover from their eating disorder. I feel that my own struggle with an eating disorder and my work has a dancer gives my a different perspective when working with my clients who are dancers and athletes.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was extremely shy and anxious. We moved to the new house with the dance studio when I was 8 years old, and I had to change schools. The school I had attended allowed me to go home for lunch and when I changed schools, I had to stay all day at school. I was filled with anxiety and fearful my mother would die while I was at school. I cried almost every day as I boarded the school bus to ride to my elementary school. My mother would have to follow the bus to school to make sure I went to my third-grade class. Prior to developing anorexia at 15 years old, I was riddled with anxiety and fears of death and abandonment.
Dance was always my escape. I lived in dance and loved all my friends that I made through my dance classes. My mother owned the only dance studio in town, and everyone took dance there. It was my social life and also my passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dawntheodore.com www.mothermenandme.com www.tututhin.com
- Instagram: @dawn.smith.theodore
- Facebook: @Dawn Smith-Theodore
- Linkedin: Dawn Theodore
- Twitter: @DawnSTheodore
