Perfectionist mindset in the world of ballet has serious consequences
Ballet is a traditional form of art, where dancers contort their bodies to illustrate a story. Ballerinas strive for perfection, straight lines, pointed toes, and exquisite form while turning. The issue begins to rise when the perfectionist mindset extends past the technique and moves to the dancer’s body. Dancers are told to shrink; tall, thin and beautiful is the mold, anyone who stands out is cut without a second thought.
The technique used in dancing is strenuous on the body. These women bend in unnatural ways, place all their weight on just the tips of their toes, and extend their legs far beyond what most people are capable of. This being said the mental pressure can be just as intense. There is no room for mistakes: in dancing, in choreography, and in physique. With such demanding requirements, many dancers fall into the deadly habit of reducing their food intake, leading to eating disorders. When perfection trumps health, the dancer is in trouble.
Instructors impact
It is not uncommon to meet a dancer who has anorexia, orthorexia, or some other type of eating disorder. These women are told to appear smaller. They are told that a smaller body would “better fit the part,” leaving dancers desperate to relinquish weight. In “The Cult of Thin” Deirdre Kelly writes:
Dance instructors argue that they never call their dancers fat or ask them to forfeit weight, instead they use words like ‘soft’ or say their lack muscle tone. In translation, they are strategic and body shame through riddles.
Internal pressure
Though instructors have a big influence on their dancers, the internal pressure is just as strong. In order to be a serious ballerina, you must be a perfectionist, it is the nature of the sport. These women train countless hours, mastering skills, all in hopes to appear flawless on the stage. However, as training intensity increases the perfectionist mindset reaches beyond the technique and creeps into body image. In “A ballet of ‘living hell’: Ex-dancer recounts her battle with anorexia,” Anais Garcia says “No one in her family ever ridiculed her for her size….attributing her eating disorder to the competitive nature of ballet itself.”
This raises the question of who is to blame? Can you blame the entire industry for one dancer’s toxic mindset? When the issue goes beyond just one dancer and reaches an entire profession the question gets resolved. The industry promoting the toxic mindset is at fault, not the victims.
When competition surpasses talent
As the level of dance increases, the battle for better roles becomes competitive. Some seek personal trainers, private lessons, or even the ideal body type for the part. Former dancer Anais Garcia says she once lost 15 pounds in order to prepare for an audition. After getting the role Garcia said, “she felt that reinforced the idea that “being skinnier was better.” She began using laxatives, purging, skipping meals and overexercising, to disregard still more weight.”
Instructors everywhere will argue this. It is easy to brush away the argument and say the ‘smaller’ dancer just had the better technique, or their body better embodied the role. However, when technique is equal, they still lean toward the thinner dancer, time, and time again.
Final Recap
Whether the pressure to be thin comes from external or internal motivations, it reaches dangerous levels nevertheless. Ballerinas everywhere retire early in order to seek the lifesaving rehab they need. Young girls having just experienced puberty learn to undernourish their new body in hopes to please instructors. “…Ballet’s obsession with extreme thinness persists.”
Ella Kooy is a senior this year at Jenison. She is involved in Student Council, Peer to Peer club, Younglife, National Honor Society, Peer Educators, Multicultural...
