Tango Dancer

Yes I think so. Professional ballet burns a lot of calories and leads to a certain type of physique although obviously proportions, height etc may vary. I mean since I started doing ballet 3x per week I've definitely noticed my muscle formation changing and I've lost half a stone in weight and that's just a general level amateur class which I do badly but with enthusiasm. Professionals doing exponentially more ballet will be thinner. If you look at other dance forms you may see different body sizes and shapes. I do bellydance for example and there is a lot wider range of sized and shaped dancers on the pro-am scene and certain muscles (for example the abdominal ones) are much more developed as a result of the type of isolations you do.

Definitely, if they look too thin I find it very offputting personally. I prefer to see dancers who look healthy and ideally like adults not children. Dancers are often small built and delicately framed but there's a difference between slender and healthy and under nourished and if you're in the stalls it's not difficult to see the difference. That said I agree with Peony about body shaming, so I would not comment on social media on the body types or physiques of individual dancers. I stick to praising their abilities.

Mine too, I love the lightness of the part and Ashton's beautiful choreography. It's such a beautiful role. I hope they do it again.

I don't know if this is any help but one of my teachers, Laurie McSherry-Gray and his brother posted a video of a discussion with a dance psychotherapist about mental health in dancers. There are some resources identified as well. I don't know much about the subject myself but thought it worth sharing in case it's helpful.

I wouldn't pay £45 for one either. I somewhat know what you mean about not wanting to make masks a fashion item. On the other hand part of me says if I have to wear them, I want to look as good as possible while doing so. I have a ballet themed one from redbubble.com. It's got a silhouette of a barre and a dancer and the caption "Barre Wars Return of the Jete." It amuses me no end to wear it. I bought another couple from a friend who has launched a small business making them as I like her fabrics and want to support her. None of mine cost very much.

I'm fairly full figured and can relate to the difficulties in finding clothes. I've given up on anything that has integrated bust support for my D cups. I just wear a bra with the leotard and don't care if it's visible. Starlite does have a range of leotards etc in larger sizes up to xxl although I don't find theirs as comfortable as some others. There are a few in Capezio which I find good quality but smaller cut. There are a few on Amazon. I've found a pink XL by a make called Bezioner on Amazon which is really pretty and a cream one by a make called Inlzdz with a lace top. It takes a lot of looking around but it's possible. @balletgremlin made me a lovely long wrap skirt with beautiful pink ribbons and will customise things.

I agree I loved Stina's piece. She's an amazing choreographer. I thought all the dancers were excellent although I'm not sure what William Yamada did or who he offended to have to suffer that indignity of a costume. I thought it was a really lovely evening.

Definitely. Not wild about the moustache personally but he's an amazing dancer and I'm so glad he's recovering as I would love to see him perform again. Glad he's speaking out about body shaming.

@LinMM that's really interesting to know what's happening in your studio and the precautions. Neither of my teachers are going back to studios yet so I'm still on zoom. I must say I'm a bit apprehensive about going back myself although I do miss doing proper centre work. I've learnt a lot from taking zoom classes though so I'm so glad to have had this option.

Yes definitely. There's something about doing saute in second position followed by changements that makes me want the loo. I don't have it with anything else in class especially not grand allegro when I'm usually focusing on not falling over my feet and not colliding with anyone else.

It's really funny you mention that, I always need the loo after saute exercise I thought it was just me. There's just something about it.

Equity definitely represents dancers in the UK in most of the companies and they have negotiated agreements with most of the dance companies governing pay and rations for dancers. I've a couple of professional dancer friends who are members and find the benefits (insurance, pension etc) very helpful. I'm not in Equity but as a union member in my own profession and the daughter of a shop steward, I'd definitely recommend union membership as being worthwhile.

Yes I don't like Balanchine because of how he treated the women he worked with so I have real issues with watching his work. I don't think anyone learns better by having someone be horrible to them. I can still hear in my head the voice of my school sports teachers telling me how crap I was at running and hockey and resulting in me being bullied and being the last one picked for teams. It made me think that I couldn't do sport and hated exercise. Then when I started dancing I discovered that I didn't hate sport, I just hated things that involved me being yelled at. I have been really lucky that all the adult ballet classes I've attended have had lovely supportive and encouraging teachers who give praise and kind correction.

Definitely. I think it's important for us, as consumers of dance, to raise concerns if we think the performers look unhealthy or unhappy. As I stated previously I saw a Russian ballet company and the female dancers were uncomfortably thin to my way of thinking. I came away feeling uneasy because of it. If I am watching Swan Lake I want Odette to look like a woman not a child and I prefer not to see quite so many bones. I went home and decided I wouldn't go to see that company again. What I should have done, and will do next time is to contact the company and raise my concerns about how under nourished the dancers look and make it clear what I prefer to see. In contrast when I see dancers from RB they all look slender but perfectly healthy with good muscles, shiny hair and skin and they seem to think more about nutrition as part of health. It's interesting that in my other activity of bellydance there's a lot less concern about weight and appearance and a lot more emphasis on being healthy and toning up what you've got. This is not to say that bellydance is perfect. Racism is a problem with black dancers struggling to get restaurant work and bookings and some commercial companies are very particular about the look they want (pale skin, slim and no tattoos) but as a whole the scene is a lot more inclusive (at least in terms of what the teachers say and how they act). I think a lot of the problem comes from the fact that ballet and gymnastics and professional sport are all things people start as children when they are more subject to pressure from coaches and professional bodies and don't always feel able to argue back.

Janet that's fascinating. I had no idea who it was and as a Yorkshire person I'm so glad it was someone from NB. I do really like the album and enjoy the music quite a lot although I also like the more traditional ballet music for centre time.

Definitely. I don't like seeing dancers that look too emaciated. I understand most dancers won't carry excess weight because they burn it off so quickly, but it puts me off if the female dancers in particular look too thin and bony as I want to take them home and feed them roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. I saw Nutcracker done by one of the Russian companies for example and the women looked so undeveloped that it made me feel uncomfortable watching the pas de deux. I've not been back to that company due to Covid but if they come again I will definitely now consider communicating my concerns. I think most of the dancers in the RB and BRB look more healthy. I mean they're slender and light but they generally look nourished and cared for.

I've had 2 different teachers appear to use an album entitled "Pop Hits for Ballet vol 2" by Nate Fifield which I quite like as it amuses me to try and work out what the tune is supposed to be. My third teacher uses something involving more show tunes and I can recognise those more easily. I have only done a class with a live pianist once (a workshop at ENB) and I loved the addition of live music to the experience.

Teach her that she has the right to control her own body and her own autonomy and show her that she has a right to say no to things that make her uncomfortable and a voice that should be heard. Surround her with strong women to show her what she can become and give her a good example to learn from and give her male role models who can show her how decent men behave. Check the schools she's going to and ensure they have good policies for raising issues of concern, and good safeguarding, anti bullying and anti discrimination policies which are enforced. Watch how the teachers interact with the students and how the students behave. Establish a rapport with other parents of students so you can check in with each other about things that concern you. Check in with her and ensure she's still comfortable raising her concerns with you and give her a good sounding board as she grows. I don't think you can do anything to stop people behaving inappropriately but all you can do is give her the tools to deal with it and ensure the school is aware that you're a concerned, engaged parent.

This is a great thing to do and it looks like you're empowering your daughter and showing her by your example that it's good to speak up when things aren't right and that she has a right to be heard. I think it must be incredibly difficult for these young children in both dance and gymnastics who want to please their teachers and depend on them for exposure and career support and worry if they can't. It can lead to excessive pressure on them and leave them open to exploitation both in terms of their weight but also other forms of abuse. I am a middle aged amateur dancer who has no aspirations to any form of professional career and on the one occasion I felt a Latin dance teacher was being inappropriate I told him to piss off and never went back. Young dance students don't have the same luxury and it can lead to a very unhealthy dynamic. I've at least one friend whose daughter gave up ballet because the teachers wanted to control too many aspects of their lives.

Oh dear, how dreadfully inadequate as a description. I don't think Vadim has ever shimmied in his life although he'd be probably very good at it (and I say that as a long time bellydancer) Also as attractive as I find him, it wasn't what I'd call sensuous. It was moving and plaintive and exquisitely danced but sensuous, definitely not. What a completely inadequate and incorrect description.

I think I'd agree with this review in its entirety. This is quite rare for me so I'm pleased.

I know, I wish they had got someone with more ballet / musical knowledge to present. I'd have loved Monica Mason or Kevin O'Hare or the conductor of the orchestra perhaps (whose name I should know but have momentarily forgotten). I'm sure Anita Rani is a great broadcaster and journalist but it did sound like she was reading from a card without any feeling for what was being covered.

Vadim is beautiful and I entirely agree it was worth it just to see him moving with so much grace and elegance. Das Lied was amazing and I love Sarah Connolly in it. She has the loveliest tone in my opinion and so much stage presence. The last song was so moving.

Brilliant. The independent ballet shop in my parents' town (where I go when I can because the customer service is great) spray painted their pointe shoes to resemble a rainbow for Pride week last year and has them in the window. I think they look fantastic and it always makes me smile when I go past.

Definitely. There are many of the Royal Ballet dancers I enjoy watching but I find Vadim in a different league. There's just something about the way he moves and jumps that captivates me and the way that whether he's partnering someone or doing a solo, he looks like he's exactly where he needs to be. When I'm looking for ballet tickets the first thing I check is which nights he's performing and the second thing is I check if Gary Avis or Bennet Gartside are in the character roles. Interestingly unlike @zxDaveM I really like watching the men in a ballet rather than the women as I love seeing the grand allegro and the larger jumps. I have huge admiration and respect for the female dancers at RB, ENB and BRB who are remarkably talented, but my eyes are always drawn to the men on any stage.