Let’s be real: there’s nothing graceful about trying to nail choreography when your uterus feels like it’s staging a protest. Whether you’re rehearsing for a show or stretching through fatigue, dancing on your period can feel like performing with a weighted vest - one that no one else sees.
But it does affect you. Your energy, your joints, your mindset - and it’s time we talk about it.
To help us break the silence, we spoke to Suzana De Pina, Clinical Exercise Physiologist at Papayya, a 1-1 virtual personal training service. With over a decade of experience in health, fitness, and lifestyle transformation, Suzana blends science with empathy to guide dancers and athletes through all phases of life - including their cycles.
“In the first half of the cycle… more strength and energy.”
First up: your period doesn’t just arrive one day and disappear the next. Your menstrual cycle has phases, and each one can affect your performance differently.
Suzana told us:
“In the first half of the cycle, when the hormone oestrogen rises, girls often have more strength and energy. This is a great time for heavier training and learning new steps,” Suzana explains.
“During ovulation, around the middle of the cycle, the body moves faster and easier, but it can also be more sensitive to pain.”
So that burst of grace and agility during centre work? That might be ovulation magic. But just as quickly, your body can enter a slower, more sensitive gear.
“In the second half of the cycle, when the hormone progesterone rises, girls can be tired, joints relaxed, and recovery slower. When menstruation comes, the first few days, that’s often when pain, low energy, and tiredness appear, which can cause and make exercising harder, especially when preparing and working on such things.”
Translation: if pliés feel harder than usual, or your endurance drops suddenly, it’s not weakness - it’s hormones doing their thing.
“There are simple ways to help your body.”
The good news? You don’t have to suffer through it. Suzana shares some practical, science-backed ways dancers can support their bodies - especially during the tougher days.
“It’s important to drink enough water, eat food rich in iron like spinach and red meat, and snack on healthy things like berries, which can help reduce inflammation. If you have cramps, you can put a warm compress on your stomach.
“During longer training, you can do lighter exercises like Pilates or stretching. Magnesium can help with muscle pain, and special compression socks help with better circulation.”
And when it comes to managing leaks and staying comfortable mid-pirouette? Our Stretch Seamless Midi Briefs are built for movement and support - no shifting, no discomfort, just period care that works.
“Menstruation is not talked about enough.”
Period stigma is still alive in a lot of studios - and that silence makes it harder for young dancers to listen to their bodies, speak up, or ask for what they need.
“Unfortunately, in some dance studios, menstruation is not talked about enough,” says Suzana. “But there are simple ways to help. In the studio, there should be open conversation about the cycle, using apps to track it and teaching coaches how hormones really have an effect on the body. Studios can set up educational posters and make schedules that take into account when girls don’t feel their best.”
A cycle-informed studio is a stronger studio - for everyone.
“If a girl doesn’t get her period…”
There’s another layer to this conversation - and it’s one that hits especially hard in the dance world: under-fuelling.
“It’s very important to eat adequate food. If you avoid certain foods, it can negatively affect and stop the cycle. If a girl doesn’t get her period, that can mean that the body is not producing hormones.
“That can lead to problems with bones, fractures later, and difficulty getting pregnant. That’s why it’s important to eat enough proper food, and take care of the body on time.”
Missing a period isn’t a sign of commitment - it’s a red flag. And it’s not just about the now. It's about your bones, your hormones, your future health.
“Tiredness and pain are not weakness.”
For dancers - especially young ones - the pressure to push through is real. But Suzana has this advice:
“To young dancers, if they feel pressure to train even when it hurts or they are tired, I say they should listen to their body. Tiredness and pain are not weakness—they are a way your body is telling you something.
“If you can’t jump, do strength exercises. If you are tired, stretch, rest, and tell the coach how you feel. Eat healthy and take care of yourself; that way, you will stay strong, not only now, but also in the future.”
Dance Doesn’t Stop for Your Period - and Neither Should Support
Your cycle is part of your performance, your training, your power - not a shameful secret to hide under a leotard. With the right knowledge, support, and products (hi again, period pants), dancers can move through every phase with confidence - not confusion.
Because dancing while bleeding? That’s strength. And strength looks damn good in pointe shoes.
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