Project Ballet is working with Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana (MHANI) to teach young hard-working dancers how to manage the stresses of preparing for an exacting and pressure-filled career in the arts.

Project Ballet offers an onsite Academic Conservatory for its elite dancers. This unique arrangement allows dancers to pursue both their ballet training and their academic coursework in one facility. The school’s pre-professional dancers, mainly ages 10 to 18, are expected to devote many hours to their dance training each week, in addition to school responsibilities. It is physically and mentally exhausting work.

Mastering the delicate and precise art of ballet is a physical and mental challenge requiring a schedule similar to that of a Division I college athlete, according to Project Ballet’s Founder and Artistic Director, Beth McLeish.

“Project Ballet has always prioritized dancer health and wellness,” said McLeish. “Previously these efforts have focused mainly on physical health – i.e. injury prevention and recovery, cross training, nutrition, etc. We felt that the natural next step in our programming was to expand to offer mental health training for both our students and staff.”

Heather Miller, Director of School and Family Engagement for MHANI, is a parent of two Project Ballet alumni. Being familiar with the demands placed on young prospective professionals, she approached McLeish with the idea of providing mental health trainings to support all aspects of these young dancers’ busy lives.

“They have high, high expectations for themselves. Much higher than others their age,” said Miller. “It’s a matter of learning how to balance who they are over what they do.” Lessons shared involve how to process stress, how to have difficult conversations, and how to build their own support networks.

“Heather was able to facilitate and lead this partnership for our two organizations,” said McLeish. “Our goal is to equip our students with the skills they need to handle the unique pressures of a career in professional ballet.”

“When they are ready to transition from our school to a bigger, more intimidating institution – we want them to have the tools they need to succeed and flourish,” McLeish said. “Our job is to make sure that they are not only learning the techniques of the art form of ballet, but also learning to be secure in their own worth.”

Feature image courtesy Project Ballet’s Facebook Page


A huge piece of Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana’s mission is education. We provide a variety of private and public trainings focused on mental health, suicide prevention, substance use, self-care, trauma, and more. Visit our Mental Health Training page to learn more and request a training. Public trainings can be found on our Events Calendar.