Dealing with haters is a painful part of life. In the world of dance, it can be especially fierce if you're a more accomplished dancer than others. Insecurity and jealousy will often make fellow dancers say mean and vicious things either behind your back or right to your face. While this might make you want to take your ballet shoes and run the other way, take heart instead with these simple tips for dealing with haters:

Keep in mind, it's their problem, not yours.

It can be so easy to get down on yourself if you're hearing from haters. But if someone is being particularly nasty to you, then it's not really about you. It's about them -- and their lack of confidence, security and self-awareness. After all, do you typically see well-adjusted, happy people going around hating others and making them feel bad?

That said, mean comments and actions can still hurt, especially if it was something about your appearance, like your girls leotard, or your dance abilities. But putting things into perspective can ease the pain. For instance, sometimes it can help to try and put yourself in the other person's ballet shoes. If someone is being particularly awful, think of what they might be going through at home, school or work. Are they having issues that they're taking out on you? Probably.

Just consider this quote from American anthropologist Helen Fisher:

"Why do we feel jealousy? Therapists often regard the demon as a scar of childhood trauma or a symptom of a psychological problem. And it's true that people who feel inadequate, insecure, or overly dependent tend to be more jealous than others."

Don't seek revenge (even when you desperately want to).

When haters hate, your first instinct is to get them back. But in the long run, you'll end up feeling worse by getting sucked into their games. Plus, commenting back will probably prolong the situation by validating what they said or did. Instead, sleep on it before you react to it. Perhaps you do need to confront the individual, or maybe what they said isn't as big a deal as you thought. Whatever the case, you'll never regret giving the situation some time before reacting to it.

Also, whatever you do, don't hate back. Hate is toxic and engaging in it is like drinking poison. It hurts you; not the hater. So even if you're tempted, try to channel that negative energy into something positive.

Ballet shoes were made for walking (in this case only).

If possible, don't interact with the person and try to limit how often you see them. If you can change your environment, then you won't have to be around the hater and their jealousy.

Address the situation head on if you have to.

In some cases, the situation will escalate and you'll need to address it. When this happens, try to approach the person in a private manner -- not in front of a group of people. Then ask them about their behavior. You can say something like: "I appreciate constructive criticism about my dancing, but you're crossing the line with your comments," or simply "You're making me uncomfortable with your comments." You can even take a different approach and ask if something is bothering them because they've seemed upset and angry lately.

Stay focused on your work.

You love to dance. And you must be great at it if people are jealous of your talent. That's the good news -- so focus on it. Focus on things like your accomplishments (being able to balance dance with school or work is a pretty big feat!), your successful performances, how hard you practice, and the positive comments from your teachers. In dance -- and in life -- there are going to be a lot of people who love what you do...and just as many who hate it. Either way, you should do what you love and focus on your work.

Take your ballet shoes -- and make friends outside of dance.

You love to dance, but it shouldn't be your entire life. So if your haters are fellow dancers, it's helpful to make friends outside of dance, with those at school, at work, or in other activities you're interested in. This will not only create a better balance in your life, but also a stronger support system for you to rely on when things get tough.

Remember, this too shall pass.

It seems like it will never get better. Better everything is temporary and your hater will either grow up or move onto someone else. So no matter what happens, take comfort in the fact that it won't be forever. Try to rise above the situation and even be an example to the hater in question by always being kind and considerate to everyone you interact with. Also, get inspired by others, like this plus-size ballerina executing an elaborate dance move. Do you think she listened to her haters? Probably not.