Paper Dolls
As a dancer, it is hard not to wonder if being thinner would result in being more successful. It is very common in the dance industry to see thin dancers — dancers who are seen as beautiful and elegant because they are, well, thin.
The debate on how this industry participates in anti-fatness has been a well-discussed, documented, common topic. There are those who can confidently say that a large change has been made within the industry and this change continues to progress in the right direction, but then there is the other side that will say that the industry is still far from change and that no real difference has been made towards accepting dancers of all body types. This is especially true in the world of ballet.
“Anti-fatness” and “fatphobia” are social stigmas of obesity that suggest discriminatory behaviors towards bigger individuals. When looking at the word “Fat”, it is important to recognize that this is a normalized term, not a bad word. It is important to reclaim the word as something that is not negative and used to put people down. The “body positivity movement” can be seen within more industries besides just the dance industry such as in advertising and media industries. The “body positive movement” is a movement which refers to the idea that all body types should have a positive connotation. Everyone wants to seem inclusive and supportive of all sized bodies, but is this new, positive outlook genuine or is this merely just a trend that will pass?
In the ballet world, the body positivity movement is a lie. For the industry to become inclusive, the idea of a thin ballerina needs to be dropped and the fat-shaming needs to stop as it is damaging to a dancer both mentally and physically.
“Lengthen’ [does not] mean get longer, it means get thinner”
Although the ballet world has stopped being so open about their fat phobia, they have now just become more subtle and discreet about it. For instance, nutritionist and former ballerina Emily Harrison is explaining to journalist and author Chloe Angyal the new phrasing teachers use when instructing dancers and what it really means; “Lengthen’ [does not] mean get longer, it means get thinner”.
The evidence here illustrates that although people of the industry have stopped telling dancers upfront to lose weight or that they need to be thin, they will still say something else that suggests the same thing.
Through this example we can see that they may want to appear to have changed their ideals that a dancer must be thin but instead now they say “long” or “fit” which misleads many to believe that the dance industry is abandoning the concept of a thin ballerina when they are not. For example, fit can mean something different for different body types, genders, races; but what the people in the dance industry really want is thin dancers which can be seen because we can still see the same paper thin ballerina in all the roles.
Another example where one sees this is in casting calls looking for dancers. I recently came across a casting call posted by a Canadian choreographer, casting director where the requirements included, “Must have a fit, dancers’ physique” suggesting a stereotypical ballet body.
My conclusion is that this is very common to see and although it is not appropriate to put weight requirements on casting calls anymore because of the body positive movement and the disagreement the casting director, choreographer, etc. would face from society, they can still suggest that one be thin without flat out saying it and receiving the backlash.
The ideals of the perfect dancer’s body still have not changed even if it appears as though they have. Additionally, looking at next, it appears to be true that social media is making progress in the body positivity movement, but nothing is really changing surrounding the foundation of ballet.
In an interview between author Willa Bennett and Lizzy Howell, Bennett introduces Howell’s success in the industry; Lizzy Howell is known as a plus-sized dancer: she is recognized when she goes out, is asked to dance in commercials, advertisements, performs alongside popular music artists, is in events and shows. Howell has experienced a lot of success in her career; however,
this is the exception, not the rule.
Following her viral video she posted on social media, Howell’s following on social media began to increase resulting in her having these opportunities. This example reveals that Howell, a plus-sized dancer, can make it in this industry. This gives hope to young dancers, which is very significant, but Howell was lucky. This does not happen for everyone that the ballet world has rejected and broken. Not everyone is going to go viral and blow up.
Similarly, we look at Big Ballet, a documentary series which showcases plus-sized ballet dancers that put together a ballet. Just like Howell’s rise to fame, this is not the rule but a singular ballet that was broadcast on television for entertainment purposes. In reality the common ballerina we see who receives all the roles are reasonably tall paper-thin dancers weighing considerably less than the average women’s BMI.
In short, the ballet world has become more subtle and discreet about their fat phobia but that does not mean that it is not still very much present.
“one study found that those who had experienced weight discrimination were 2.7 times more likely to become depressed”
In addition to abandoning the thin body stereotype, the world of ballet must also stop fat-shaming if it wants to become truly body positive.
Fat-shaming can be highly damaging both psychologically and physically. Kris Gunnars, part of Healthline’s nutrition team, shares his findings about the harmful effects that fat-shaming can have. It causes increased risk of depression, eating disorders, reduced self-esteem, and other chronic diseases; “one study found that those who had experienced weight discrimination were 2.7 times more likely to become depressed” and depression is one of the top reasons for increased risk of suicide.
In this example, it can be seen that being criticized for your weight be extremely damaging to one’s mental state. These comments being made can impact how you look at your own body and how you feel. This could result in changing your habits or really beating yourself up and falling into a harmful depression which raises risk of suicide.
Another example that reinforces this point is the countless YouTube videos and articles of ballerinas sharing their experiences with eating disorders, which appears to be alarmingly common in the ballet culture from a very young age. One of which happens to be former Dance Moms star Chloé Lukasiak who shares light on her experiences with eating disorders as a dancer.
Although the information linking fat-shaming is mostly documented when looking at individuals who are obese, telling a dancer who is already thin that they are not skinny enough can be even more harmful. Furthermore, we look at the harmful effects fat-shaming can cause physically.
Authors Edita Stokić, Biljana Srdić, and Otto Barak refer to an experiment involving thirty non-athletic girls and thirty ballet dancers. The study was conducted in 2005. Evidence is clearly shown in this study; “amenorrhea was present in 20% and oligomenorrhea in 10% of ballet dancers, while the same disorders were not found in the control group” .
Amenorrhea means “the absence of menstruation”. Oligomenorrhea is “the medical term for infrequent menstrual periods”.
Forcing the body to be small is not healthy and the absence of or infrequent menstruation is proof of this. A related example is an article where Kathryn Morgan tells Gia Koulas how when acting upon the criticism about her body “[h]er hair [then begins] to fall out”. Again, this is the body screaming for help trying to say that something is not right. This is not being healthy, yet it is ironic that company directors and teachers will tell you that this dangerous weight is “being in shape” and furthermore by keeping this weight will reward them with more roles.
Ultimately, what is at stake here is a young dancer’s well-being. The effects of fat-shaming on a person’s health, even if there are good intentions, is not healthy or safe. Fat-shaming is extremely damaging to a dancer psychologically and physically.
In the ballet world, the “body positivity movement” does not exist. The idea of a thin ballerina needs to be dropped and the fat-shaming needs to stop because it is damaging to a dancer mentally and physically.
Changing the way you phrase something does not mean you are not still putting dancers down. Fat-shaming takes a toll on a dancer’s mental and physical state. Their art is something they will do anything for, and fat-shaming pushes them to self-harm. It does not matter if a dancer is 5’7” and 200 pounds or 5’7” and 100 pounds, fat-shaming can have very negative effects. This stereotype in the ballet world is destroying dancers.
I hope that one day we can be at a place where I do not need to see every bone in a dancer’s body for her to be a real ballerina.
