Height question for classical ballet career

[GTL]

Are male ballet dancers getting taller? Many seem to be smaller than average when compared to the general (male) population. Many men in the UK are at least 5 foot 10 inches tall and yet a lot of the male dancers, at the RB at least, seem to be smaller than that. It's my understanding that dancing on pointe adds 6 inches to a ballerina's height. If a ballerina is 5 foot 7 then she will need a partner at least 6 foot 1 for the partnership to look right (IMO). A lot of the Russian ballerinas look tall to me but that is what the Russian companies seem to like. I feel that the men often struggle to partner the taller ballerinas. Today, at the ROH, one of the taller men in the RB did not look quite right (IMO) partnering a very tall ballerina in the company. OTOH, a taller ballerina can have greater presence on the stage when she is dancing her solos.

 

Aileen, I was at the same performance and had the same thought about two of my favourite dancers, paired up as substitutes due to injury. She is experienced and assured, he is relatively inexperienced but already an excellent partner: however there just wasn't enough height difference for it to look effortless. Moreover, he must have put everything into the pas de deux and I didn't think he did himself full justice in the solo work. It just goes to show how difficult things can be for an Artistic Director.

 

Regarding actual heights mentioned in other posts, from standing next to them as audience members, I reckon McCrea and Kobborg are no more than 5'9”, both appearing very slightly-built in street clothes, Monica Mason about 5'6” nowadays and Beryl Grey perhaps 5'7” (and still amazingly slim and elegant!).

[Thecatsmother]

I think it is important to listen to feedback of the dance schools to which she auditions. I have a number of colleagues who ended up going through vocational schools and into companies at that height. My sense it is worth taking a long sighted view on this as ultimately it's about getting a job the other side of dance school.

 

Shorter dancers are often favoured for smaller companies which tour as the stages are not so big. I have also attended auditions in Paris where they have lined all the dancers in height order and cut the tallest and shortest dancers third of dancers before they even did a plié.

 

I would say that for all dancers it is about building on your strengths as this is ultimately what gets noticed in an audition. I always think that a degree of strategic thinking is important as ultimately it is about getting a job at the end of it. If your daughter consistently gets feedback that height is an issue then this is something which should be taken seriously before going further down the vocational school route as it may be useful to ensure school gives training in a wider range of dance styles to increase employment prospects.

 

All she can do is build on her strengths, keep an open mind and do some research. Best of luck.

[Klaris]

Height is an issue that has always concerned me and my dd, as she has always been very tiny indeed. However, whatever end of the height spectrum you are there is the advantage of always being noticed and standing out from the crowd.

 

Although my dd knew early on she did not have the physical attributes to be a classical ballet dancer in the traditional sense, being so small has not stopped her getting onto both ballet and contemporary associate programmes and being picked for solo roles etc. in national youth companies. 

 

However, I think that if you are not of an average height then you do have to work harder and have an extra something else about you.

 

As far as vocational schools go, my dd applied to 4 for 6th form: she made the finals at all of them, and got offered places at Ballet West and Rambert. I do have a hunch that height may well have been a contributing factor at the other 2 schools but I'm sure they would have been looking at everything else too.

 

We asked about height at Ballet West and the director said it was not a problem at all in her opinion and that there would be plenty of roles available as long as you were good enough for solo work.

 

Rambert were very keen on dancers being as individual as possible, and they seem to take a real variety of height and body shape - their students train in  ballet and contemporary equally.

 

Obviously we don't know about the job market yet but getting yourself known, having a reputation for reliability, hard work and adaptability, must all play a part.

[Guest Autumn days]

Klaris, how tall is your daughter?

[Pasdebourree15]

Wow after reading all this i feel massively tall at 15 and 5.6 going on 5.7! And I seem to be still growing... that shouldn't me a MAJOR problem should it? I don't feel that tall as a dancer but maybe I am compared to the rest of the population? 

[Klaris]

Mum in a spin - she is currently 4 ft 11, but still growing so should hopefully have another inch or two to go!

[Kitschqueen_1]

Hi Klaris, my dd & ur dd would make quite an impact in a line up as my dd is 10" taller!:-)

[aileen]

Klaris, how old is your dd?

[Klaris]

Wow Kitschqueen - that would be quite something! 

 

Aileen, she is 16.

[aileen]

Ah, your dd's very petite, Klaris. Let's hope that she grows a couple more inches. There are of course some very successful petite dancers; Alina Cojacaru and Maria Kotchekova spring to mind. Are you and your dd's father both small?

[Evie]

My dd only grew to 4ft 9ins and gave up all hope of a dancing career, after watching her dancing friends go away to schools in London at 16 and 18! She did however work in Disneyland and Mexico dancing, where her height wasn't an issue! Her slightly older brother is 6ft and her 12 year old db is 6inches taller too!!

[if only!]

Mum in a spin - she is currently 4 ft 11, but still growing so should hopefully have another inch or two to go!

 

Klaris, I hope you don't mind me commenting on a public forum but I'd like to use your dd as an example of how height need not be a barrier to dance, (I'm only talking here from a perspective of being successful at 16 for dance schools)

...the thing is she does n't appear that height but taller because of her "presence". The beautiful way she expresses herself simply creates the effect that she's much taller. She dances in such a way that you don't notice height or difference within the group but you do notice her performance quality, technique etc. She creates a personal space and has a natural presence which is 'big', (meant in the nicest possible way!) You certainly don't notice the fact she's shorter at all, you notice all the good stuff going on. I'm not sure that makes sense, but when she dances she could be the tallest there!

[Guest Autumn days]

Thank you Klaris, that is on the shorter side but it sounds as though it hasn't held her back so far.

 

Do girls generally grow much after they ahve hit puberty? I was always lead to believe that that was when they stopped and hope that that is wrong!

[Tulip]

My daughter stopped growing around about 15 and a half to 5ft 5 and a half. She would actually like to be a little taller but hey ho that's life. I'm 5 ft 3 and a bit and my husband is 6 ft 1.

[2dancersmum]

I think they can and do grow after puberty.  My eldest DD stopped growing at 15 I thought at 5ft 4 and a half and two years later has just added an extra inch since she went back to school after Easter and came home for the half term just gone.  Certainly one of my school friends was only about 5ft 3" until she was 16 and by 18 she was about 5ft 6".

[LinMM]

I stopped growing somewhere between 17 and 18. I reached my full height 5ft 8ins while I was in the second year sixth. Most females have reached full height by 18 but not everybody falls within the norm. I tend to think body proportion is more important than height anyway. If somebody dances beautifully that's what draws you in and you look at that person...though I am aware that some company's have these height parameters.

 

I went to see the Royal Ballet on Saturday (Raven Girl/Symphony in C) and just looking at a couple of the principles that night Zenaida on one end of the stage and little Roberta Marquez on the other! With Marianela and Laura Morera in between...all different heights!!

[JulieW]

I really noticed a big difference in height last night watching the RB do Mayerling, that the "prostitutes" were very varying heights!