By Julia Bluhm
The perfect ballet dancer has to have a thin body, long legs, and a long neck and no chest. They have to be tall enough that their lines look long, but not so tall that they’re taller than their partner on pointe. They can’t be curvy, but they can’t be so bony that they look unhealthy, according to Pointe Magazine.
How many people do you know with a perfect body like that? Not many. Even in the ballet world there aren’t tons of people that fit all the criteria. If you do, you’re lucky. But what about everyone else?
The population of dancers who aren’t 100% perfect is large. But if they’re fit enough and talented enough (which is also hard to be), there’s probably a company out there who will hire them. Yet, different ballet companies and different directors have different tastes. Alonzo King of LINES likes tall, long ballet dancers. The School Of American Ballet has a taste limited to very long-legged, very thin dancers. At the same time, there are many contemporary ballet companies that love muscular, healthy looking bodies.
A few generations ago, dancers who are 5’11”, or 5’10” would probably be too tall. Today, it’s a growing trend. Look at Uylana Lopatkina, for example. Her technique was so pin-point and she was such a great dancer, that people looked past the fact that she was 5’10” and wears a size 10.5 shoe. She’s been with the Kirov ballet for over a decade, despite the fact that there aren’t many male dancers tall enough to partner her (keep in mind that pointe shoes probably add like 4 inches to your height). But then again, Lopatkina is one of the most talented ballet dancers worldwide.
Drew Jacoby, is another more real-life example. She’s 5’11”. She didn’t make it into every company she tried out for, thanks to her height. But she was offered a job with Alonzo King of LINES, who loved her long body. Drew Jacoby states that at LINES “there was no issue with my height- it was a good thing.”
So we’ve covered “too tall”, what about “too short?” Take a look at Maria Kotchetkova, a principle at San Fransico Ballet. She was always told she was too short at auditions, but she didn’t let that stop her. She gave off a good impression, and in the end her talent overpowered her height and she was given offers anyways.
If you watched “So You Think You Can Dance,” you might remember Mellissa Sandvig. She’s a trained ballerina. She got a job at Milwaukee Ballet, with an artistic director who loved her muscular build. When a new artistic director came in, she was put on weight probation. She says that not fitting in with the ballet world made her confidence drop, so she took a break from ballet and tried out for “So You Think You Can Dance.” She says that “being on “So You Think You Can Dance” felt like a sweet victory when they called me “The Ballerina.””
So what about me? I’m a ballet dancer — and a really serious one. But I don’t have the perfect ballet body. My legs aren’t necessarily long “enough” and my feet aren’t bendy “enough.” I also know that I don’t have good turnout (a term referring to a ballet dancer’s hip rotation), and I’m reminded of that every day in class from my teacher. That’s something I can work at and improve on, but it never will be perfect.
I’m also not super skinny, but I have a slim, muscular body. I’m proud of it, though. I don’t think I need to be unhealthily skinny looking. The ballet world will continue to drift to different tastes and there are many companies today that like the look of thin, but muscular dancers. I know the ballet world is a hard world to get by in. Some dancers are born with everything… and others have to work hard to find a place where they fit in. But the ballet world is always changing, too. One aspiring dancer could be the first step towards changing it.
I have an 8 year old little girl who’s been doing gymanstics since she was 4. She’s short (I’m 5’4 her dad is 5’9) and muscular, just like the rest of her family. She’s got a super strong core & thick muscular legs with the cutest bubble butt ever! (Being her mom, I could be biased) However, last summer, she was getting a little bored of gymnastics and wanted to try something different, she requested dance like so many of her friends were doing. So we did it, enrolled in some clsses, she audtioned & was cast into the local Nutcracker. She had a great time, but very clearly did not fit in physically and knew it. She had more stamina, strenth, & muscle control than the other girls, but because shes not pencil thin didn’t do very well and wasn’t given the kindest words from some of the show moms or even the costume people. Last month, she requested to return to gymnastics. It’s only been a few weeks but you can already see how much better she’s feeling about her appearence. Three cheers for adult role models who encourage kids to have fun & be active regardless of how well the fit the “perfect image” of their chosen sport.
I can identify with this article so much! I’m a ballet dancer too, but definitely not the “perfect” dancer. I’m short; my feet are not at all flexible; I enjoy understudying “male” dances, like partnering my friends and grande allegro; and though I’m skinny with a long neck I’ve large hips. I am never going to be professional, and I’m fine with that. I think as long as you do something you love, how much you fit the “stereotype” doesn’t really matter. And there’s other opportunities if the restraints are too stiff to break through. For example, my studio recently began offering contemporary dance classes, something that my body type is a lot more suited too. And it’s fun.
Hope you succeed in ballet! And even if it doesn’t work out, I’m sure you’ll be able to put your talents to use somewhere else, and keep dancing!