Article Link "Ballet directors talk about ‘fitness.’ That’s still code for rail-thin dancers."

[prettyinpink]

Originally Posted by Joni O

I remember being on a Firm trip and Lisa Kaye sharing that she was considered "the heavy one " of the Firm instructors. I think she said that was the consensus among all the Firm people.

Also, I watched a movie years ago about gymnastic training - or was it figure skating? It was really sad how they were all forced to extremely diet and over-practice - even through injuries.

USA Gymnastics was completely toxic in that area. I don’t know about now. Also the huge *** abuse issue that had that came to light a few years ago, with so many people having looked the other way.


As far as high level athletes and weight, I can see the conundrum because coaches are supposed to advise the athlete on how to maximize their performance, and sometimes that will be in making physical adjustments that involve becoming more lean or reducing weight. And then college coaches and national team coaches have responsibilities to their organizations as well, not only to the athletes. Maybe part of the solution is designated advocates who can help bring the mental health of individual athletes into the equation.

[fatkat555]

Originally Posted by Joni O

I remember being on a Firm trip and Lisa Kaye sharing that she was considered "the heavy one " of the Firm instructors. I think she said that was the consensus among all the Firm people.
.

This is incredibly sad. . I think she’s beautiful.

I remember criticism of Dale Brabham (awful comments) and LaReine Chabut. I don’t know if it’s true, but I remember hearing some awful things about how even the class participants of the Firm videos were being told to avoid salt, for example, to avoid a bloated look.

I was slightly angry when I read that the Firm instructors used personal trainers to get them in “video shape”. Only Heidi Tanner when asked how she prepared for the camera replied that she uses Firm videos. I guess at least they were honest if asked.

[hch]

Originally Posted by fatkat555

I liked watching some Ballet Conrad clips on YouTube. He addresses this demand for the esthetic frequently. What I gathered from what he said was that dancers need to eat healthily to be strong. The “thinness” comes from the work and strength required for ballet. He said if the women are strong dancers, the men don’t have to “lift” them because the women are strong enough to leap into the air.

I don't have enough experience in technical dance to put these two statements into a dialogue, but when I searched for more about male ballet dancers (about which I hope to post more later), I found a more general 2021 piece on the website of Dance magazine, "What Would It Take to Change Ballet’s Aesthetic of Extreme Thinness?"

Another myth? The idea that female ballet dancers must be very small in order to be lifted. “You need to have the muscular strength to help hold yourself up in the air. A dancer who has less muscle because they’re so focused on maintaining a low body mass is going to be harder to lift,” says Iafrate.

This piece also has this:

Many suggest that training correctly will transform a dancer’s body into the “right” shape. This isn’t true. The main reason ballet dancers’ bodies tend to look similar is because they were selected based on having that body type, Iafrate explains.

There've been VF stories of studio instructors who were hired primarily because of their appearance!

[hch]

Originally Posted by hch

when I searched for more about male ballet dancers (about which I hope to post more later)

One example is from 2018, "Yes, Male Dancers Get Body Shamed Too," which has

Hodges began dancing at age 10. Shortly after, a teacher who noticed his talent told him that if he were serious, he’d need to lose weight. By age 12, Hodges started winning awards on the competition circuit—where one director told him, “You’ll be unstoppable just as soon as you lose your baby fat.”

Losing self-esteem, he went on a diet and lost 14 pounds. To this day, Hodges thinks that weight loss might have stunted his growth.

(I'm reminded of a different story, or stories, that didn't mention dance but were related to height. Many years ago, both times off VF, I read two accounts--though I'm not sure if these were two different women or the same woman posting in different places--of a woman who'd become taller than average in a cultural setting where height in girls was considered "unfeminine." Because Good Girls Don't Take Up Space, she learned to slump and slouch. Years later, she posted seeking advice because interesting posture choices eventually gave her "results"! Three cheers for aesthetics! )