TuTu Thin: A Podcast for Dancers | Be a healthy dancer/athlete in mind, body and spirit.  

Dawn Smith-Theodore, MA, MFT, CEDS

The TuTu Thin Podcast will explore the complex relationship between dancers, athletes, their body and eating disorders, explaining how eating disorders can too easily develop in this driven, perfectionistic yet vulnerable population. TuTu Thin also explores the relationship between the dancer/athlete and the drive for perfection. How can the dancer/athlete develop healthy eating patterns in a world where there is expectation to have a strong, yet thin body. How can the dance teacher, choreographers, coaches and parents identify who may be struggling with an eating disorder? Coaches and dance teachers can promote healthy body image, but what is their responsibility if a dancer/athlete is exhibiting signs of having an eating disorder? Both prevention and treatment of eating disorders for the dancer/athlete are examined as well as how to return them back to their passion for dance or their sport. There will also be interviews with dancers, athletes, and those who work with them to promote wellness in mind, body and spirit.

  1. MAY 1

    The Recovery Road for Rivka Levin

    Rivka Levin is a clinical psychology PhD candidate, researcher, and therapist-in-training whose work integrates research, clinical practice, and lived experience. Her clinical training centers on eating disorders, neurodivergence, and gender diversity, and she has published research on orthorexia and the relationship between ADHD and eating disorders. She is currently completing her doctoral dissertation on emotion regulation and eating disorders, examining both the inner experience of emotions and how they unfold in relational contexts.  Drawing on both her clinical training and her own experience of full recovery from an eating disorder, Rivka brings a warm, grounded perspective to these conversations and is particularly interested in expanding how recovery is understood and what makes it possible. Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    48 min

  2. APR 17

    Ryan Lenkey discusses his love for Ballet and his Journey to State Street Ballet, The Male Dance Connection and Much More

    Ryan Lenkey is a professional ballet dancer and teacher based in Santa Barbara, CA. He began training at 9 years old and has gone on to perform with companies including Ballet West II, Texture Contemporary Ballet, and State Street Ballet, where he has been a company member since 2021.  He has also performed internationally, including with English National Ballet at London’s Royal Albert Hall.In addition to his performing career, Ryan is a NASM-certified Sports Nutritionist who helps dancers and athletes build strength, improve mobility, and stay injury-free through evidence-based training. He is also the Associate Director of The Male Dance Connection, an organization dedicated to supporting and educating the next generation of male dancers. Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    47 min

  3. APR 3

    Carolyn Costin talks about her work with Eating Disorders and EMDR

    Carolyn Costin is an eating disorder clinician, author, and international speaker  acclaimed for her expertise, passion and accomplishments.    In her early twenties, Carolyn recovered from anorexia nervosa, earned two masters degrees, became a teacher and began her career as a psychotherapist. A passionate and dedicated educator Carolyn taught high school and community college for 8 years and brought teaching to her role as an eating disorder therapist.   After successfully treating her first eating disorder client in 1979, Carolyn recognized this was her calling. Her continued success led her to develop and direct several inpatient eating disorder facilities during the period of 1987 to 1996.   In 1996, Carolyn created Monte Nido, the first licensed, residential eating disorder treatment facility in a home setting. She was the first to combine state of the art eating disorder treatment with eastern healing modalities, such as yoga and meditation. She was first to speak out that people with eating disorders could be fully “Recovered” and first to openly hire recovered therapists. Knowing that role models, trust and relationships matter, staff and clients shopped, cooked and ate meals together like a family. Carolyn created a healing environment where professionals delivered expert care and clients acquired the knowledge and skills necessary for long-term recovery.   Carolyn’s past eating disorder, her humanistic relational approach, her acclaimed speaking engagements, her six books and Monte Nido’s highly successful outcome study (Brewerton & Costin, 2011) have resulted in her being one of the most respected and sought-after leaders in the eating disorder field.    A large percentage of Carolyn’s career has been lecturing, training, teaching and supervising clinicians, dietitians and physicians. As early as the mid 1980’s she ran study groups for professionals.  Carolyn is an official continuing education provider on through her online institute and in her internationally travels, educating professionals and the public about eating disorders.   Leaving Monte Nido in 2016 Carolyn remains active in the eating disorder field on many fronts. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders and stays involved in many professional eating disorder organizations, as a member, speaker, consultant, or a collaborator on projects, such as her work with Project Heal.   Opened in 2017 the Carolyn Costin Institute is the first program of its kind to train and certify eating disorder coaches, filling a gap in current services. Carolyn also trains clinicians and staff consulting with treatment centers around the globe.   In 2022 Carolyn was awarded, from the government of Australia, a distinguished talent visa for her work in eating disorders. She currently spends time in Australia training eating disorder clinicians, running groups, consulting on various eating disorder cases and projects, and working as an independent contractor for Wandi Nerida, the first eating disorder residential treatment program in Australia. Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    41 min

  4. MAR 20

    Going For Gold

    In this episode, Dawn talks about the recent win of Alysa Liu and how she skated for herself and the love of her sport and not the Gold Medal.  Many times our desire to achieve the highest score or be the best has an impact on our mental health.  Did Alysa's break from skating help her come back with a renewed perspective on her sport and her desires?  Do you take breaks from your sport or dance?  If so, do you feel like it has an impact on your performance.  Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    8 min

  5. MAR 6

    Jacque Mular talks about her Journey from Runner to Dietitian to Psychotherapist

    Jacque Mular, LMFT, RDN, brings over 25 years of expertise in healing relationships with food, body and mind. With dual master's degrees in Nutrition and Psychology, she integrates science and compassion as both a therapist and dietitian. Grounded in Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size, Jacque empowers clients to rediscover trust and joy in eating. Her trauma-informed approach, enriched by being Level 2 trained in Sensorimotor Therapy, supports a somatic approach to healing. Jacque brings a wealth of experience working with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Jacque’s vibrant energy, deep empathy, and commitment to evidence-based care make her a trusted ally. Jacque Mular, LMFT, RDN, brings over 25 years of expertise in healing relationships with food, body and mind. With dual master's degrees in Nutrition and Psychology, she integrates science and compassion as both a therapist and dietitian. Grounded in Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size, Jacque empowers clients to rediscover trust and joy in eating. Her trauma-informed approach, enriched by being Level 2 trained in Sensorimotor Therapy, supports a somatic approach to healing. Jacque brings a wealth of experience working with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Jacque’s vibrant energy, deep empathy, and commitment to evidence-based care make her a trusted ally.  Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    25 min

  6. FEB 20

    The Discussion with Gus Bembery.......From Dancer for Shakira to Dance Educator Around the World

    I’ve been teaching in L.A. and around the world for more than 20 years. I began teaching at The Edge in Hollywood when I first arrived in California in 1993 (from Boston, where I was the first hip hop teacher ever!), and then moved on to teach in the other major studios in L.A. like: Millenium, and Debbie Reynolds.  My name spread and soon people were traveling overseas to take my Hip Hop dance classes.  My first invitation abroad was to Italy, and then to Japan, and soon I was flying around the world, teaching at all the major cities on the planet.  New York:  Broadway Dance Center Tokyo:  BDC London:  Pineapple Paris:  Studio Harmonic, Juste Debout Rome:  Ials  I’ve taught in every country in Europe and Scandinavia.  Also, Russia, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Japan all over Canada and the United States. I performed with Shakira at the Grammy Awards,  and danced with some of the best dancers/teachers/performers/ choreographers such as: Jamie King, Tabitha and Napolean, Sean Evaristo, The Jabbawockeez and many more.But sharing my love for hip hop by teaching dance classes is my true passion. My class is all about power, becoming one with the music and telling a story through hip hop dance. The music I choose are the songs that inspire me to use my imagination and to dance to my fullest. At the end of class we should all be a sweaty wreck, having just danced for our LIVES. – Gus Bembery  Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    30 min

  7. FEB 6

    Frankie Tan tells her journey from Ballerina to Aerialist and Beyond

    Described as “resolutely incapable of being one dimensional” Frankie Tan’s is a fearsome artist and entertainer whose work explores the intersection of environment, body, joy, and grief. As the queer multicultural spawn of three worlds, they have performed nationwide, and been prominently featured as an aerial circus artist with Cirque Berzerk, Ultra Music Festival, Kaimera Wanderbeasts, and others, and as a principal aerialist with Madmann’s Playground. They have held performance residencies at legendary venues throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco, and are known for their magnetic, emotive performance style- described “as spellbinding as I have ever seen…powerful… beguiling, and totally believable” by Noho ArsDistrict (2023). Their aerial burlesque act was honorably mentioned at the Oregon Burlesque Festival 2019 & they were named a performer in not one but three of LA Weekly’s Best Burlesque Shows 2019, including as a soloist in Hollywood’s famed aerial burlesque show, Luxe Obscura. Frankie is a scholarship graduate of the Alonzo King Lines Ballet Training Program and adjacent pedagogy program, and their teaching philosophy is rooted in somatic wellness and thoughtful body mechanics. When not training, teaching, or wrangling performers, Frankie can be found authoring their next award-nominated book.  Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    35 min

  8. JAN 23

    The Author of the book "Intuitive Eating" is Candid about Eating Disorders, Fertility and Much More

    Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-C, Fiaedp, FADA, FAND, is a nutrition therapist in private practice with forty-three years of experience, specializing in eating disorders, Intuitive Eating, and Health at Every Size®. She is the co-creator and co-author of Intuitive Eating, now in its 4th edition (5th edition in process), the Intuitive Eating Workbook (now in its 2nd edition) and The Intuitive Eating Card Deck—50 Bite-Sized Ways to Make Peace with Food.  Elyse is also the author of The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens and The Intuitive Eating Journal—Your Guided Journey for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Foodand a chapter contributor to both The Handbook of Positive Body Image and Embodiment and Weight and Wisdom: Reflections on Decades of Working for Body Liberation. In addition, she is the co-creator of the only official Intuitive Eating app—Intue. Elyse has published journal articles, print articles, and blog posts and does regular speaking engagements, podcast interviews, and extensive media interviews. Her work has been profiled on ABC, NPR, CNN, KABC, NBC, KTTV, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, KFI Radio, USA Today, and the Huffington Post, among others. Elyse is nationally known for her work in helping patients break free from diet culture through the Intuitive Eating process. Her philosophy embraces the goal of reconnecting with one’s internal wisdom about eating and developing body liberation, with the belief that all bodies deserve dignity and respect.  She is a social justice advocate, a member of the Healer’s Circle of Project Heal—Help to Eat, Accept, and Live, and consults with and trains health professionals. Elyse is also a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant, on the Advisory Board of Within Health, a Fellow of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.         Thank you for listening to The TuTu thin Podcast Please contact us through  www.dawntheodore.com www.tututhin.com  IG @dawn.smith.theodore Facebook  @Dawn Smith-Theodore Twitter @Dawnstheodore Thank you to Matt Miller @ Smacky Media Group

    45 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The TuTu Thin Podcast will explore the complex relationship between dancers, athletes, their body and eating disorders, explaining how eating disorders can too easily develop in this driven, perfectionistic yet vulnerable population. TuTu Thin also explores the relationship between the dancer/athlete and the drive for perfection. How can the dancer/athlete develop healthy eating patterns in a world where there is expectation to have a strong, yet thin body. How can the dance teacher, choreographers, coaches and parents identify who may be struggling with an eating disorder? Coaches and dance teachers can promote healthy body image, but what is their responsibility if a dancer/athlete is exhibiting signs of having an eating disorder? Both prevention and treatment of eating disorders for the dancer/athlete are examined as well as how to return them back to their passion for dance or their sport. There will also be interviews with dancers, athletes, and those who work with them to promote wellness in mind, body and spirit.

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