shapes

So, I was talking to one of my besties last night and she was mentioning how her 6 year old daughter could be in better shape and how she has more of a belly in ballet class than the other girls. this brought back memories of my own dance class insecurities. I was a bit chubby in elementary school. my metabolism changed in middle school and I was a size 2/3 for most of high school, but there was the time when I took ballet and tap in 2-5th grade where I would look in that huge oversized mirror at the line of  super skinny black leotards and then I saw me, a chubby little browish girl who never quite felt like I fit in. I was a pretty good dancer, but I always felt ashamed that I wasn't as thin as ther rest of the girls or as pale, or had pretty blonde hair.  Parents worry about putting extra stress and negative body images on their kids but I think that kids tend to do it to themselves no matter what.  I had a pretty good self confidence outside of dance class.  I was a good singer and also played piano very well. I did very well in school and my art teacher thought I was an art prodigy.  I just coudn't get over the fact that I didn't look like the stereotypical ballerina. I wasn't lazy or an overeater.  and my mom did not feed me lots of junk food. I think it was just genetics from my dads side.  The martinez are just more fuller figured.  but back to my friend's daughter. I was just very adamant that she not tell her daughter that she needed to lose weight and that as long as she is getting out and moving then she will be fine and she is pretty just the way she is.  I am still dealing with my own body issues and my own weight. I still see the fat little ballerina in the mirror. Even when I was super skinny and weighed barely 100 lbs, I still thought I was chubby.  The funny thing was that none of the other girls made fun of me (at least not to my face) I was the one who was judging and being mean to myself.  my mom and my gradnparents never said anything either.  I think it is just this self loathing thing to be perfect, or what others percieve as perfect. I don't have the answers but I hope we can move with future generations to a more self loving, self accepting body image.