Actually in my country there is still the stereotype present that you have to be extremely petite to be a ballet dancer. Funny how it differs around the world.
The tall/petite thing is the opposite in the UK. Darcey Bussell is probably our most famous ballerina, and when she started out she garnered a lot of attention specifically because of how tall and non-petite she is. That continues to this day even though she's been retired for over a decade. The standard (or at least the supposition) here is that to be a successful ballerina you have to be petite and dainty. Ironic really, isn't it? Having to be exceptionally strong and athletic, yet also having to be able to appear fragile and delicate.
Such a good video!! I have a question, do you think it's better to do exercises like for your leg strength and back strength, abs, and all of that, before OR after class?
Emma Hapgood thank you so much for replying! I've been trying lately to see what works for me the best and I think before because when I come from ballet I come exhausted and maybe if I'm not that tired I do some more exercises, thank you!
Ballet Lover yeah same problem I am so tired after class I just don't want to do anything but sleep before class doing stretching or working out or doing anything it works out better in Long-term and when I try to do is get classes early as I can and go into a back room or studio and work out as much as I can and then practice whatever like variation or dance I'm doing so I hope that helps😊
Haha! I LOVE this video! Hope many people - who's not really part of the ballet world - will see it. Except for the ballet mom, and all ballerinas being tall, you could also add that EVERY company has the mean ballerina who puts razor blades in her competitors pointe shoes, the girl with an eating disorder, the girl who do drugs (which is usually also the girl who has an eating disorder), the rock'n'roll ballerina (which you mentioned) who gives the innocent ballerina her first alcoholic drink (and tells her there is something called "sex"), and the sociopath company owner, who also likes to sexually abuse the female dancers... *Derp*... Although I broke myself too early to become a professional ballet dancer, I use ballet as a burlesque dancer today - yes I STRIP while dancing ballet! Haha! - and in my modelling career, I've had SO many friends asking me if THAT is what ballet life in companies is like, after watching a ballet movie or TV-series. Although bad things exist in that world, it does in many other occupations too. It's just sad the media always have to focus on our bloody feet (pun intended), instead of ballet dancers as top athletes, and the joy of dancing. Also, as a model who does ballet, SO many photographers have wanted to do a shoot with me as the Black Swan, after seeing the movie with that title - with the same makeup Natalie Portman has in that role, just because that's the only reference they have to Odile (a name they don't even know). The makeup in the movie is fabulous (and after seeing the movie, I can say it's actually a good horror story), but THAT makeup is just THAT movie - not the REAL black swan, who has existed since the 1800s! Aaaarghhh!!!! So, this answer became a bit long... But I just had to. Maybe someone in the media world will read it. Haha! Thank you for sharing great stuff honey!
It’s a pity you did not see “Black Swan”…this movie should not be viewed as movie about ballet company but as an art piece, fairytale, an artistic picture. It is beautifully made and this is most magical and high level movie made about ballet so far. The music is just incredible and so many pictures and scene stay in mind forever. This movie it’s like a painting and is full of inspiration. It should not be seen as documentary. Justifying not watching “Black Swan” cause the ballet reality shown there is far from real life of ballet dancers is like not watching “Nutcracker” saying none of its things could happen on Christmas. I hope you will catch up on this movie :)
There are so few movies about ballet that professional dancers for some strange reason expect those that ARE made to adhere perfectly to their own particular lived experiences while simultaneously portraying any and all things in the world of ballet as blissfully perfect. Yes, eating disorders, obsessive perfectionism, professional jealousy, stage moms, mean-girl backstabbing and hokey stories about the shy girl dancer's first love, are all stale tropes. Then again, if everyone is smart, extremely talented, kind, ethical, free of body issues, happy, supportive and friendly, you'd have no dramatic conflict and no story. Also, it bothers me that so many dancers are dismissive of ballet movies because of the cliches, yet they never seem to be upset at those issues in ballet that are always omitted. For instance, ballet films never seem to acknowledge the large numbers of gay men in every level of the art form. Instead, on-screen companies seem to have only straight men and a single, lonely, closeted gay man. I've NEVER seen this to be true in real life. Likewise, no film has dealt honestly with issues like ballet's cultural insularity, it's failure to expand beyond aging audiences, its lack of women in positions of power and its history of hostility to people - particularly women - with dark skin. I sense a kid of closing of ranks wherein people who don't feel everything is beautiful in ballet, are shown the door.
aw don’t worry abt it! when i was 12 i was 5’7 too & i thought i’d grow to be super tall but now three years later i still am 5’7” ! i used to always be one of the tallest people until fairly recently & now i belong to the rather short ones :’)
The eating disorder thing is hard to take seriously when SO many of the dancers I see are painfully thin. Wendy Whelan is a beautiful dancer but she is also unbelieveably thin. A lot of the top Russian dancers look anorexic. Ditto the French.
Actually in my country there is still the stereotype present that you have to be extremely petite to be a ballet dancer. Funny how it differs around the world.
The tall/petite thing is the opposite in the UK. Darcey Bussell is probably our most famous ballerina, and when she started out she garnered a lot of attention specifically because of how tall and non-petite she is. That continues to this day even though she's been retired for over a decade. The standard (or at least the supposition) here is that to be a successful ballerina you have to be petite and dainty. Ironic really, isn't it? Having to be exceptionally strong and athletic, yet also having to be able to appear fragile and delicate.
2 things you forgot:
1. Not all dancers actually have perfect turn out
2. Not all male dancers are gay
the male dancers being gay thing has been debunked quite popularly
Points very well taken. I love ballet and thank you for the enlightenment! One day, your grandchildren are going to love this video.
I always love your insight. You bring such value to the ballet world and a lovely role model for young, beginning dancers.
Such a good video!! I have a question, do you think it's better to do exercises like for your leg strength and back strength, abs, and all of that, before OR after class?
Ballet Lover I think for me personally do it before class I do that it works a lot better but I maybe wrong hope it help😊
Emma Hapgood thank you so much for replying! I've been trying lately to see what works for me the best and I think before because when I come from ballet I come exhausted and maybe if I'm not that tired I do some more exercises, thank you!
Ballet Lover yeah same problem I am so tired after class I just don't want to do anything but sleep before class doing stretching or working out or doing anything it works out better in Long-term and when I try to do is get classes early as I can and go into a back room or studio and work out as much as I can and then practice whatever like variation or dance I'm doing so I hope that helps😊
Emma Hapgood Thank you so much !!
Stretch before, workout before & stretch after
Haha! I LOVE this video! Hope many people - who's not really part of the ballet world - will see it. Except for the ballet mom, and all ballerinas being tall, you could also add that EVERY company has the mean ballerina who puts razor blades in her competitors pointe shoes, the girl with an eating disorder, the girl who do drugs (which is usually also the girl who has an eating disorder), the rock'n'roll ballerina (which you mentioned) who gives the innocent ballerina her first alcoholic drink (and tells her there is something called "sex"), and the sociopath company owner, who also likes to sexually abuse the female dancers... *Derp*... Although I broke myself too early to become a professional ballet dancer, I use ballet as a burlesque dancer today - yes I STRIP while dancing ballet! Haha! - and in my modelling career, I've had SO many friends asking me if THAT is what ballet life in companies is like, after watching a ballet movie or TV-series. Although bad things exist in that world, it does in many other occupations too. It's just sad the media always have to focus on our bloody feet (pun intended), instead of ballet dancers as top athletes, and the joy of dancing. Also, as a model who does ballet, SO many photographers have wanted to do a shoot with me as the Black Swan, after seeing the movie with that title - with the same makeup Natalie Portman has in that role, just because that's the only reference they have to Odile (a name they don't even know). The makeup in the movie is fabulous (and after seeing the movie, I can say it's actually a good horror story), but THAT makeup is just THAT movie - not the REAL black swan, who has existed since the 1800s! Aaaarghhh!!!! So, this answer became a bit long... But I just had to. Maybe someone in the media world will read it. Haha! Thank you for sharing great stuff honey!
It’s a pity you did not see “Black Swan”…this movie should not be viewed as movie about ballet company but as an art piece, fairytale, an artistic picture. It is beautifully made and this is most magical and high level movie made about ballet so far. The music is just incredible and so many pictures and scene stay in mind forever. This movie it’s like a painting and is full of inspiration. It should not be seen as documentary. Justifying not watching “Black Swan” cause the ballet reality shown there is far from real life of ballet dancers is like not watching “Nutcracker” saying none of its things could happen on Christmas. I hope you will catch up on this movie :)
Watch "the Red Shoes". _That's_ the best movie about ballet!
Black Swan is better. Not more accurate, just better.
the alive thing. Why I
I used to do ballet 🩰 I stopped doing it for a while. I’m going to start doing ballet 🩰 again, when this corona virus thing clears up.
There are so few movies about ballet that professional dancers for some strange reason expect those that ARE made to adhere perfectly to their own particular lived experiences while simultaneously portraying any and all things in the world of ballet as blissfully perfect.
Yes, eating disorders, obsessive perfectionism, professional jealousy, stage moms, mean-girl backstabbing and hokey stories about the shy girl dancer's first love, are all stale tropes. Then again, if everyone is smart, extremely talented, kind, ethical, free of body issues, happy, supportive and friendly, you'd have no dramatic conflict and no story.
Also, it bothers me that so many dancers are dismissive of ballet movies because of the cliches, yet they never seem to be upset at those issues in ballet that are always omitted. For instance, ballet films never seem to acknowledge the large numbers of gay men in every level of the art form. Instead, on-screen companies seem to have only straight men and a single, lonely, closeted gay man. I've NEVER seen this to be true in real life.
Likewise, no film has dealt honestly with issues like ballet's cultural insularity, it's failure to expand beyond aging audiences, its lack of women in positions of power and its history of hostility to people - particularly women - with dark skin.
I sense a kid of closing of ranks wherein people who don't feel everything is beautiful in ballet, are shown the door.
When you're 5"7 and still growing...🤣
DancerSophie Louise I'm 5"10 and 14 halp
Lucky 😭😭😭 I'm 5'2 and done growing
I want to be 5”7 but i am 5”5 do you think i will grow?
Holy cow I'm 4'9" and 18 what the hell
DancerSophie Louise what if you are 5”11
Did anyone else catch that white thing floating to her rught on top in the beginning
+Kaitlyn G Busted. That was definitely cat hair 😹
On the tv show Breaking Pointe, shows dancers going to bars, having relationships and the problems involved.
So yeah I’ll probably be a lot taller than the guys
Agreed. Dance moms stress me out
Hi! I love your shirt in this video where is it from?
+Val Morlock Thank you! I got it on Ebay and it's made by Lululemon 😊
Lovely TY.
I’m 11 and I’m a dancer but I’m 5’ 4”
A lot of dancers are home schooled, because they have more time on their hands to dance.
I’m 5’7 and I’m 12 I have 4 more years of growing :(
aw don’t worry abt it! when i was 12 i was 5’7 too & i thought i’d grow to be super tall but now three years later i still am 5’7” ! i used to always be one of the tallest people until fairly recently & now i belong to the rather short ones :’)
Same, i stopped growing at 13. I did have my period at 11 so that's a factor
*throne
+Flower Crown OMG that is what happens when I edit late at night 😹 thank you
i want to be a ballet dancer but i am afraid to be un virgin is it true ?
The eating disorder thing is hard to take seriously when SO many of the dancers I see are painfully thin. Wendy Whelan is a beautiful dancer but she is also unbelieveably thin. A lot of the top Russian dancers look anorexic. Ditto the French.
sadly im 5'8 hahaha rip :')
Lol at the stereotype I man that dance ballet