In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alli Bollinger, a former Radio City Rockette who turned her struggle with an eating disorder into a platform for healing. Alli shares how her lifelong identity as "the dancer" became a double-edged sword during her collegiate BFA program, where innocent health goals spiraled into a restrictive and isolating illness. After a life-altering intervention by her professors and a necessary environmental reset during the pandemic, Alli achieved the ultimate full-circle moment: performing on the world’s most famous stage while fully recovered. Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Alli explains the mental shifts required to reach elite professional heights and why she believes the hardest chapters of our lives often prepare us for our greatest triumphs. Alli grew up being known as “the dancer”, which inspired her undergraduate journey pursuing her BFA in dance. After college, she moved to new york city where she booked her dream job as a Radio City Rockette, a full circle moment after recovering from an eating disorder. Her story inspired her to become a certified eating disorder recovery coach, and she is now in Boston pursing her masters in nutrition to become a Registered Dietitian.      

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • The subtle way "healthy" nutrition goals can snowball into disordered food rules and rigid routines.
  • Why the performance industry often rewards the very behaviors that signal a health crisis.
  • How an environmental reset, like the 2020 pandemic, can provide the space needed for a full recovery.
  • he grueling mental and physical preparation required to audition for—and book—a dream job at Radio City.
  • Why experiencing "low lows" can actually expand your capacity for the "high highs" of life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The Performance Industry Mirror: A look at how the dance world often applauds smaller bodies, making it difficult for performers to realize when they have crossed into an illness.
  • Control as a Coping Mechanism: How the uncertainty of a professional career can drive a need for rigid control over food and exercise.
  • The Environmental Reset: The importance of changing routines and physical spaces (like moving home during the pandemic) to break the cycle of ED behaviors.
  • Mindset for the Big Stage: The mental shift from "having something to prove" to "having everything to show" during high-stakes auditions.

IMPORTANT TIMECODES FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • [03:50] Alli’s early identity as “the dancer” and the transition to a BFA program.
  • [06:15] How "innocent" health goals turned into restrictive, disordered rules.
  • [10:40] Noticing the "dwindling" of personality and social life during an eating disorder.
  • [12:05] The life-saving intervention: When dance professors pull a student from the stage.
  • [17:15] Navigating recovery through self-education, books, and podcasts.
  • [20:45] The power of an environmental reset during the pandemic.
  • [28:15] The grueling five-year journey to becoming a Radio City Rockette.
  • [32:30] Gaining body appreciation through the physical demands of 17 shows a week.
  • [36:10] Turning pain into purpose: The move into coaching and clinical nutrition.

CONNECT WITH ALLI:

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Part of the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast Network, produced by the Tweaky Tales.

**Disclaimer:**

The content of this podcast episode is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views and experiences shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or affiliated organizations. If you have any medical or mental health concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare provider. Listener discretion is advised, especially for those sensitive to topics related to body image, weight stigma, and eating disorders.