Something I've been wondering for a while about ballerinas so I thought I'd ask ballerinas. I'm involved in a different form of dance and occasionally hear someone say they're too fat to dance. In online discussions someone usually says in ballet eating disorders are the norm.
But I've seen ballet and don't need to take a class to know that's hard work and it'd be more difficult if you didn't eat. So are eating disorders common or just a steriotype like all male ballet dancers are gay?
But I've seen ballet and don't need to take a class to know that's hard work and it'd be more difficult if you didn't eat. So are eating disorders common or just a steriotype like all male ballet dancers are gay?
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Re: eating disorders?
Wed, December 12, 2007 - 10:16 AMOkay, to start I'm no expert I don't have a PhD or anything like that but I've been in ballet since I was 3. So here's my 15 year ballet education opinion.
Yes, ballerinas are more readily stereotyped as having an eating disorder, but ballerinas are about 60% more likely than someone not in ballet classes. The main issue is that most major companies are influenced by the George Balanchine body type of long legs, long neck, skinny mid section. Some of them also have ridiculous standards pertaining to maintaing a certain body type.
Eating disorders rarely have to deal with food but rather a void that's trying to be filled by a traumatic event etc. Alot of times with hectic ballet and school schedules, eating is something that dancers feel they can control, but it becomes obsessive and turns into an eating disorder.
It's okay to be concerned about your weight if it's affecting your health, but more ballerinas are already thinner than the human populas, but as said some companies have ridiculous standards..
Erica, I have a whole essay dealing with eating disorders and ballet if you were looking for more organized insight. -
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Re: eating disorders?
Sun, December 16, 2007 - 9:03 AMI absolutely refused to check out ballet at all for many years because I had seen a 60 Minutes story about Balanchine's abusive behavior towards his dancers (including encouraging eating disorders and cosmetic surgery)-- it horrified me. The point, of course, is that there are dance teachers and choreographers who care very much for the well-being of their dancers and ones that do not-- so its very important to have a teacher who cares. My teacher is great.
I've gotten the impression that of the women who dance ballet professionally are the ones who somehow managed to avoid any career ending injury over many years of training-- either because they had humane teachers, or they had a body type that was naturally adapted to what their teachers wanted and so were less prone to being damaged by the demands put upon them. -
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Re: eating disorders?
Sun, December 16, 2007 - 11:24 AMThere are most definitely teachers out there who care about their dancers. I'm glad you also took ballet despite the horrifying 60 minutes.
The ones who do have professional careers have worked hard from them and if you're intelligent you realize that with all the dancing that a professional company requires it is nearly impossible to be "overweight" if you are eating a well balanced diet. Of course ballerinas are still far slimmer than the average person who does not dance ballet.
I go to a University with the No. 2 B.A dance program in the country and even with all the amazing teachers they have their are still a few who pride themselves on the "Russian" standards and say if girls gain weight they obviously are "not serious" about dancing. It's a shame but a fact of life. Dancing should be enjoyable not a quest for deadly standards. -
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Re: eating disorders?
Sun, December 16, 2007 - 11:46 AMTo the extent the profession demands a particular body type, I can understand a fetish for the manipulation for food intake. Certainly, danseurs and ballerinas, like models, and actors are conscious about their bodies. Unrealistic expectations in many venues pervade.
Yet, I think one should keep in mind that eating disorders affect others as well. The reason I mention this is because anorexia can be very self satisfying. Keeping in mind that I am a male, 5'10", I was able to drop from 165lbs to 137lbs within the period of approximately one year. It gives one a sense of control. Of course I am not anorexic, and I am not about 160lbs. I don't perform professionally in any way, and had no need to lose weight. The by product, even for a guy, is that people come up to you, show concern, after the faux concern, ironically, they pump you for information about how you lost the weight.
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Re: eating disorders?
Mon, December 17, 2007 - 1:59 PM> I'm glad you also took ballet despite the horrifying 60 minutes.
The story kept me from considering ballet for nearly twenty years. I only began taking classes after I was convinced that ballet would improve my work as a mime and I have become convinced that it is a valuable cross training discipline for any performer-- so long as you have a good teacher.
I suspect that any of the young people who sustained some injury in their teens or twenties that prevented them from continuing in ballet were just as serious as the ones who managed to evade that fate-- they were serious enough to attempt a standard that wasn't for them.
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Re: eating disorders?
Mon, December 17, 2007 - 5:16 AMI'd like to speak in defense of Balanchine, who is not here to defend himself. Althought he did like some thin dancers and a long line (ballet is a lot about line) and a thin dancer makes a nicer line, he also had many dancers that he liked who were not skinny. I'm thinking of Gloria Govrin ( a very large woman), Melissa Hayden and Violette Verdy--none of them emaciated. You should read "I Remember Balanchine" by Francis Mason who interviews many dancers who worked with him and none complain about any abuse and many talk about Gelsey Kirkland's complaints about him in her book "Dancing on My Grave" as being neurotic.
I've been a dancer for many years, though not professional, and have gotten caught up in the anorexia/bulimia mindset. But ballet is an art form and an aesthetic--thin dancers just look better.
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