10 October 2023
The star of last year's Find your dance space campaign, Tia Ungar has been open about her anxiety and the extent to which dance has helped her in the past. We're catching up with her and her teacher Claire Munday from Rise Studios, to discuss her relationship with dance and mental health, to mark World Mental Health Day.
Tia Ungar
Following on from our interview last year for Find your dance space – are you still dancing when you can?
Yes, I’m still dancing every chance I get. I also started to miss the structure of classes so over the summer I’ve been taking jazz and ballet classes at a local dance school. I’ve been loving being back in that environment and getting to meet a whole new group of people who share the same passion for dance as I do. It’s amazing how dance brings people together. I’ve met people I wouldn’t have met otherwise because we are all different ages and have different interests but we all share the same love for dance and that brings us together.
How has your relationship with dance changed over the years? What about during/post-university?
I’ve been dancing since I was about four and when you’re younger it’s just the best thing ever getting to skip around the room and wear a new ballet uniform.
When my anxiety got worse I didn’t dance much at all because I had stopped classes and didn’t do it in my spare time. Even when I did start going back to classes it was hard because I was worried about messing up choreography. Even getting to class was a struggle sometimes because I wasn’t comfortable with the way I looked or felt about myself and wearing a dance uniform when your self-esteem is low is difficult.
"It has always been a safe space where I could process what I was feeling and then quite literally dance it out."
However, over the years I’ve realised when I fully let go and don’t worry about what I look like or making mistakes that’s when I dance my best.
It can be hard at times to find the time at university to dance not having weekly classes but having started going back over the summer it’s been great to be able to dance as a form of keeping fit both mentally and physically.
You mentioned how dance helped you tackle your anxiety previously – could you talk about your history with anxiety, and how dance helped manage it?
Throughout my teen years, I struggled a lot with my confidence and self-esteem. I started having panic attacks and stopped a lot of my hobbies because I was too anxious to go. When I did start putting myself out there again dance classes were the first thing I went back to. I knew I was going back into an environment where people wanted me to do well and Claire helped a lot with that. Dancing itself had always been very freeing to me but I had to learn to not be too hard on myself when I did make mistakes in class. Doing this in dance helped me change my mindset the same way in many other aspects of my life.
Do you have any advice for other dancers who struggle with anxiety?
Remind yourself why you love to dance, for example, just put on some music and dance for yourself. It can be intimidating dancing in a class full of people when you feel anxious but it’s good to remember dancing is a good way to work through all the emotions you may be feeling. so use that time in class to focus on yourself.
What advice would you give to other people who may feel anxious?
Be kind to yourself. Working through anxiety is ten times harder when you're working against yourself. Find the things, such as dance, that make you happy and relaxed and try to incorporate them into your week.
Do you have advice for someone who’s nervous about attending a dance class?
Even going back to classes now at the age of 21 I was nervous. it’s a very normal feeling to have when entering into a new space with new people. Pushing yourself to do things that make you nervous sometimes leads to the best things. It’s always worth trying new things and it’s important to remember that if you don’t end up liking it you don’t have to do it again but you can be proud of the fact you’ve put yourself out there and given something new a go.
"Working through anxiety is ten times harder when you're working against yourself."
Do you think attending dance classes has helped you manage your anxiety for the better and if so, how?
100%, dance gave me a positive outlet to be able to channel all of those feelings and anxious energy. Although it was hard to go back, because I did I was able to get up on a stage and dance even when I couldn’t put my hand up to talk in a class at school. It meant that I was able to prove to myself I could do it, even if it took time to put that into action in other parts of my life.
It has always been a safe space where I could process what I was feeling and then quite literally dance it out.
Tia's Teacher - Claire Munday
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your dance school?
I opened my school Rise Studios, back in 2002, after a 10 year career as a professional dancer. I’d been dancing all my life! I think dancing got me through my teenage years, as my parents went through a very messy divorce when I was 12 years old, which sent me a little bit off the rails! Dance was definitely my safe space, so I completely understand how much it means to some of our students.
At Rise Studios we offer ballet, street dance, tap, modern, hip hop, contemporary and Musical Theatre for all ages and abilities. We have adult classes in tap, ballet and street. Classes run in Rickmansworth Monday to Friday from 4-9.30pm.
What aspects of teaching do you enjoy the most?
100% the development and progression of the students. It’s so inspiring when you see them work really hard for something. Perhaps it’s to perfect their pirouettes, or to stretch every day to achieve their splits. Whatever it is, their determination and enthusiasm to achieve inspires me daily!
Can you share your experience of teaching Tia specifically in relation to helping manage her anxiety?
Tia was an absolute pleasure to teach. I knew she was struggling at school with bullying and her self-esteem had taken a huge blow. Sometimes I would catch a glimpse of her outside the studio deciding whether or not to come in and take class that day. I would always go out and offer her a hug, tell her to take a moment and come in when she was ready, and that is what she would do. I used a lot of positive reinforcement to help Tia on her dance journey. She didn’t believe she was good enough a lot of the time, so I made sure to encourage her every step of the way. When she managed to gain enough confidence to take her modern exam I was so proud! You can see the emotion when Tia dances, she dances with her full heart, and that is very rare and very difficult to bring out in some students, but with Tia you can see she feels every movement.
Do you have any advice for teachers on creating an inclusive and supportive environment within their dance class?
We always do a check-in when students arrive. We sit down, take the register and everyone tells me how they are feeling with a mark out of 10. Often they are feeling pretty low- 3’s and 4’s. We then check in again at the end of the class to see if their score has improved and it always always has! Dance is such a great release and with my teenage students, they always leave on a high, no matter what kind of day they've had. My teaching style has definitely improved since having children of my own. I am so much more empathetic.
"It’s not about the dancing all the time, sometimes it’s just about making sure those kids leave feeling like the best version of themselves."
I also give them all notebooks at the start of term and we record our goals. This could be as simple as perfecting a step or it could be more detailed about working towards an exam and when they would like to achieve that. It really helps to focus on the students. I definitely think making the space inclusive comes from the top.
We run a Musical Theatre session at Rise and we’ve had a fantastic autistic student with us for several years now. He’s 17 years old and the other students in the class are absolutely wonderful with him. They encourage him and look after him, and I really believe that comes from the teachers and the culture they develop within their class.
How does your dance school help students who may struggle with low confidence/ are anxious?
All of the teachers at Rise are encouraged to do our check-in system that I mentioned before. If a student says they are a 3 out of 10 that day, then you know that you are going to need to use a lot of positive encouragement and maybe back off from the corrections and pushing them too hard that lesson. Yes, we want our students to be the best dancers they can be, but their mental health comes first at Rise and I remind our teachers of that at every termly team meeting! Teachers are also taught to come to management if they do suspect a student is really struggling so that we can come up with a plan to help them.
What would you say to parents thinking of enrolling their child to a dance school if they have struggled with their anxiety previously?
I would actively encourage parents to try a dance class for their child, but just make sure the school you are choosing is the right one. What I mean is, that a student struggling with low self-esteem and anxiety may not fare well in a studio that is focused on competing and pushing students to the limit. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with this at all, and we absolutely need those types of schools too, but just make sure the school you chose focuses on well-being if this is what your child needs. Dancing releases endorphins and will absolutely give your child an outlet and a safe space.
Has dance helped your mental health?
100% Dancing is a way to relax, let go, and release any tension! I personally now attend an adult hip-hop class (not at my studio) for my own well-being. I love it! It’s a great way to meet like-minded people, make friends and just have some ‘me time’!
Can you speak to dance's ability to overcome stress and anxiety?
Dance is definitely a great way to relieve stress. If you are feeling really stressed and anxious, give it a try. If you can push yourself out of your comfort zone and walk through that dance studio door, I am sure you won’t regret it!
