Call: (818) 679-6204
Located in: Agoura Hills & Santa Monica
PRESS / MEDIA
Book Dawn for your next Speaking Engagement!
Dawn is available to speak to schools, organizations, dance companies, conventions to educate others on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in dancers. Call (818) 679-6204 to schedule Dawn at your next event.
DST 2024 Speaking / Dance Schedule
March - Barnes and Noble - The Grove in Los Angeles
April 12 - Interview with Logan Crawford
April 20 & 21st - Los Angeles Festival of Books - University of Southern California
May 5 - Judging for the NFL Try Outs for the Cincinnati Ben Gals
July - Speaking at Performing Arts and Medical Association - PAMA in London, England
-
Past Events
/2023
June - Miss Kristin’s Dance Studio - Avon Lake, Ohio
October - The Dance Company - Cincinnati, Ohio
October - IADMS - Columbus, Ohio
/2022
April - Festival Ballet - Providence, Rhode Island
May - Sinai Akiba - Eating Disorder Prevention for parents - Los Angeles, CA
July - Festival Ballet - Providence, Rhode Island
October - IADMS - University of Limerick, Ireland
/2021
January - American Ballet Theatre - JKO School
February - Puerto Rico Classical Dance Center
March - Grand Rapids Ballet
June 27 - Performing Arts Medicine Association - NYC, NY
American Ballet Theatre
JKO Ballet School
Puerto Rico Classical Dance
Bella Academy Mumbai
Steps School of Dance in Clearwater
Grand Rapids Ballet
PAMA Conference
October - IADMS Conference - Denver, CO
In addition, Dawn appeared on Recovery Bites and Anyone Can Move Podcasts
on Dancers and Eating Disorders
/2020
October - IAEDP
December - Steps School of Dance in Clearwater Beach
/2019
January 5 - Brandywine Ballet West Chester, PA
January 12 - Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC
January 15 and 16 - University of Oklahoma
March 1 - Debbie Reynolds Scholarship Dancers
March 30 - City Dance Bethesda Maryland
March 30 - The Washington Ballet School
October 25 - 27, 2019 - IADMS Montreal
Book Signing at Barnes & Nobles - The Grove LA
Author Spotlight - Hollywood Weekly International
Esteemed psychotherapist, former professional dancer, and eating disorder expert, Dawn Smith-Theodore, announces the launch of her poignant memoir, Mother, Men and Me. Following the success of her previous book, TuTu Thin, which guides dancers through the challenges of eating disorders, Smith-Theodore delves deep into her personal journey, unraveling family secrets, unexpected love affairs, and her combat against anorexia.
Set against the backdrop of a quaint Ohio town, Mother, Men and Me portrays Smith-Theodore's early infatuation with the boy-next-door, which spirals into unforeseen revelations about her mother's past. As familial secrets unfold, she confronts her relationship with men and battles the silent enemy of anorexia while establishing herself as a professional dancer.
In her book, Smith-Theodore intricately depicts the complex bond shared between her and her mother, juxtaposed with their shared passion for dance. Through captivating narrative, readers witness their relationship's evolution, marked by trials and tribulations but fortified by their mutual love for the art of dance.
"Mother, Men and Me raises probing questions about the intricate dynamics of familial relationships, self-image, and the legacy of the past," says Smith-... [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]
Spotlight on Dawn Smith-Theodore - The Spotlight Network
The Eating Disorder Trap - By Robyn Goldberg
#159: Mother, Men and Me with Dawn Smith-Theodore
Released: Apr 22, 2024
Dawn Smith Theodore, MA, LMFT, CEDS is a specialist in the treatment of eating disorders. Dawn has treated eating disorders for over 20 years and is a former professional dancer. She is the author of “TuTu Thin” A Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder. She is also the author of her new book “Mother, Men and Me, A Memoir of Anxiety, Anorexia and Affairs
Pointe Magazine Interview
Dawn interviewed by Amy Brandt, Editor in Chief
This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Today we spoke with Dawn Smith Theodore, LMFT, a therapist and author of @tutu_thin. Learn about her new Tutu Thin Podcast, as well as her insights on having a positive body image, dealing with perfectionism and more... [WATCH INTERVIEW]
The Language of Eating Disorders: Are you helping or harming? (part 2)
Posted By IADMS Newsletter; Author: Dawn Smith-Theodore
IADMS International Association for Dance Medicine & Science
Martha Graham said “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” I believe that dance is a conversation between body and soul. Most dancers can execute the moves, but it is the expression of the emotions through the body that is so important.
A dancer must step out of the comfort of technique to achieve humanness, which is what will allow the audience to connect with the dancer. Most members of the audience do not know about technique, but they want to understand the story a dancer is telling with their body. After all, the body is the instrument of the dancer, which expresses the language of... [Read More]
Recovery Bites - Episode 24:
Tutu Thin & Dancing Around the Issues with Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT
by Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS
In this episode, I am joined by Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and addictions. Dawn has a private practice in Agoura Hills and Westwood, CA, and she was the Director of Day Treatment Services... [READ MORE]
The Reality of Eating Disorders in the Dance World
Posted by Kirsten Kong on July 17, 2020
HONG KONG – Dawn Theodore, a former professional dancer from Los Angeles, was 15 when she started to eat less and less.
“When I began comparing myself to others…the mirror became my enemy,” she said in a previous interview with Pointe Magazine. “The drill sergeant in my head…never stopped proclaiming that I wasn’t good enough.”
She developed anorexia, an eating disorder where people restrict food intake, consume laxatives, and induce vomiting. Those who suffer from the disorder often have a distorted perception of their body, overly focusing on their body weight, said Theodore, now a psychotherapist... [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]
Weighing In on Eating Disorder Issues:
Taken from:
The Eating Disorder Journal
(December 2019, Vol. 20, No.12)
The Eating Disorder Trap: Dancers and the Illusion of Perfectionism by Dawn Theodore. I grew up in front of a mirror and as a dancer it was my best friend and my worst enemy. When I began comparing myself to others and listening to the drill sergeant in my head that never stopped proclaiming that needed to lose weight, then the mirror became my enemy. When I was 15 and my body started developing, I thought losing a few pounds would help me jump higher and look better in my leotard. Yet the less I ate, the louder my inner drill sergeant barked negative criticism. Soon, the drive to be perfect took over my thoughts. I spent hours planning my caloric intake and eventually developed anorexia nervosa where I did not see myself as thin no matter how much weight I lost. I was chasing the rainbow of perfection, an illusion. I feel very lucky that I recovered from anorexia. It was a long journey with years of therapy and learning to trust myself and my body. An eating disorder is like living in a prison in your mind. While perfectionism is part... [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]
Dawn speaks at IADMS 2019 Montreal
Dancers and Eating Disorders – Warning Signs and Helpful Resources by Dawn Smith-Theodore
When you suffer from an eating disorder, you live with the mantra, never enough. Whether it’s the number on the scale that could always be lower, or feeling as though you can never get enough food when binging, or when you believe you can never exercise enough, this concept remains a familiar thread in the life of someone who suffers from an eating disorder.
There is always someone better standing next to you in the mirror—someone with a better physique or a higher extension or more perfect feet. The critical mind works overtime, and can inhibit dancers from being able to perform their best at auditions and even in class. Not all dancers develop eating disorders, but research shows that they are 20 times more likely to than the general... [Read More]
The Whole Dancer Interview with Dawn Smith-Theodore
Jess Spinner (JS): What’s your background in dance?
Dawn Smith-Theodore (DS-T) :
My mom had a dancing school in Ohio so I danced before I was born. I moved to New York and danced for Henry Letang who at the time was doing a bunch of Broadway shows. And then I ended up going to Japan and performing at The Mikado Theater, I’ve danced at Carnegie Hall, and at the Sydney Olympics. After dancing professionally I opened my dance school in Los Angeles and ran it for 25 years. I still do a master class series around.... [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]
Dawn Smith-Theodore, a former professional dancer, is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She is also an anorexia-nervosa survivor. Here she explains how under the right circumstances, a dancer's perfectionism and ballet's culture of thinness can create a risky recipe for an eating disorder.
I grew up in front of a mirror and as a dancer it was my best friend and my worst enemy. I loved to watch myself to make sure that I had the right style, lines and technique. It was when I began comparing myself to others, and listening to the drill sergeant in my head that never stopped proclaiming that I wasn't good enough and needed to lose weight, that the... [Read More]
#NEDACHAT Eating Disorders and Body Image in the Dance Community.
This #NEDAchat will be focusing on eating disorders and body image in the dance community. We have an incredible panel lined up, and we wanted to introduce you to them. Read on to see who they are and what they are doing to tackle this discussion in the dance community... [Read More]
Is there really such a thing as too thin?
Like drugs and alcohol, food can be a way of coping with emotions. "There’s an underlying reason why people develop an eating disorder," said Dawn Smith-Theodore, a specialist in the treatment of eating disorders. "It’s about the food and it’s not about the food. Somewhere along the line the true reason that we... [Read More]
DANCE HEALTH: How to prevent the thinking and behavior that leads to an eating disorder.
We’ve seen it portrayed in movies, in literature, in art and in theater – the dancer who’s obsessed with her weight. Whether in secret or in public, many of us dancers have argued against this stereotype, contending that it supports a... [Read More]
FEATURE ARTICLE: Is it safe to create a dance social media profile?
In an effort to boost self-branding, build a professional network or to simply stay informed, many young dancers continue to invade social media platforms, particularly Instagram, by setting up profiles. While social media can be a... [Read More]
Dawn Smith Theodore Interview:
The Gina Pero Show - Living Life Full Out
The Gina Pero Show inspires audiences worldwide to start living life full out with feeling. Her vast knowledge, valuable information, and real-life stories create an experience that will ignite awareness into your heart and soul.
Calabasas Style – Dawn Smith Theodore: Helping those with Eating Disorders
When I treat clients with eating disorders, I always talk to the person about the “fork in the road”, which is the choice they have as to whether to choose their life in that moment or their eating disorder. Every decision that is made moves them closer to one destination or the other. [Read More]
Pointe Magazine - New Dance Resource
Though it’s sometimes difficult to acknowledge, eating disorders are a reality in the dance world. In her new book, Tutu Thin, former studio owner Dawn Smith-Theodore, a therapist who specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, approaches the topic in an honest, nonjudgmental light. The author shares her struggle as a teen with anorexia nervosa and offers helpful strategies for creating a nutritious meal plan, worrying signs of anorexia, bulimia and binging and when to seek treatment. Although the book is tailored for younger dancers, the message is important for performers, teachers and parents alike… Available at TuTuThin.com
BOOK REVIEW: TuTu Thin: A Guide to Dancing without an Eating Disorder
Though it’s sometimes difficult to acknowledge, eating disorders are a reality in the dance world. In her new book, Tutu Thin, former studio owner Dawn Smith-Theodore, a therapist who specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, ... [Read More]
Tutu Thin in Dance Magazine – Your Body Tips
As a dancer, it’s likely that someone you know has struggled with an eating disorder: Meta-analysis of 33 studies from 1966 to 2013 found that dancers’ risk is three times as high as in other populations. Statistics like these are why Dawn… [Read More]
Tutu Thin in Dance Teacher Magazine – Win It!
Written by a dancer-turned-eating disorder specialist, this book offers insight into why some dancers develop disorders, how to recognize the warning signs and how to get help. It also includes nutrition plans and dancer case studies. Learn… [Read More]
Gurze – Salucore – Eating Disorder Resource Catalogue
Author Dawn Smith-Theodore, MA, MFT, CEDS, joined us to discuss her book, Tutu Thin: A Guide to Dancing Without an Eating Disorder. What follows are our questions in italics, and Dawn’s thoughtful responses. You note a familiar… [Read More]
GUEST BLOG: Unique Challenges for the Clinician Treating a Middle-Aged Eating Disorder Patient
By Dawn Smith-Theodore, MA, MFT, CEDS.When I treat clients with eating disorders, I always talk to the person about the “fork in the road”, which is the choice they have as to whether to choose their life in that moment or their eating disorder. Every decision that is made moves them closer to one destination or the other. [Read More]
Episode 2 Part 1 (A High Price To Pay)
Tracey wants to help Suzanne, currently in jail for theft, continue her treatment while Lisa’s husband is ready to leave her if she doesn’t agree to get treatment for her anorexia. [Video]
Episode 2 Part 2 (A High Price To Pay)
Tracey wants to help Suzanne, currently in jail for theft, continue her treatment while Lisa’s husband is ready to leave her if she doesn’t agree to get treatment for her anorexia. [Video]