I know this is long and you dont want to read something thats longer than 3 lines, but it will definitely be worth your time and I would love feedback. This is my project for my English 101 final next week. 3 weeks of research on this topic for my first college English final and almost 15 years of experience in this art have changed my perspective on ballet. Most dancers are between 85-120 pounds and between 53-57. Ballet has a standard of perfection. Ballerinas must work and strive to obtain the ballerina look, so they conform to the standards set for them at all costs. Why must we pressure these beautiful ladies into having the look? If you are seen as thin and beautiful in ballet, you get more opportunities and favoritism from artistic directors and teachers. Even in my college ballet classes, I struggle with self image due to the fact that I am in a leotard and tights, in front of a mirror constantly, and in a class with girls that I constantly compare myself to. Some ballet schools even have weight requirements and require you to step on a scale when applying or auditioning for them. Teachers and artistic directors will ask dancers to lose weight for roles or in class when they are already seriously underweight. From the atmosphere set in classes to the pressure put on by teachers and even ones self, ballet has and is headed down a dark road. The standards or ballet are leading to a disease that now takes more lives than any psychiatric disorder. 10% of people with anorexia die each year. A study was done on 29 ballerinas to test the statistics of eating disorders in ballet. Approximately 80% of those girls suffered from some type of eating disorder. I believe this is wrong. Not all dance studios or dance academies raise their students in this manner, but too many of them are to not speak up about it. Not all dance studios are bad. Not all dancers struggle with this. I am speaking up for the ones that do. Being thin does not make you a prettier dancer. Dance is about expressing oneself through movement. It is an art. I dont think there should be a look that ballerinas must strive to be. Dance comes from within not whats on the outside. I know a freshman in colleges facebook rant isnt going to change the world, but maybe it will get people to think. I know personally that the ballet look does exist and we dancers strive for it everyday in class. Dance is not about perfection. Perfection is not obtainable.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:12:51 +0000
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