Essay on Body Image and Eating Disorders Among Young Ballerinas

At one point, Ryan asserts that thin bodies are the standard for classical ballet, therefore a ballet school choosing not accept applicants with a different body type is not discriminatory. Ryan goes on to express that she is troubled by the age at which children begin training for adult careers, another common practice in ballet. It is duplicitous of Ryan to cherry pick a certain standard of ballet in an effort bolster one part of her argument, and then critique another standard of ballet that isn’t in line with

Several cheerleading competitions involve media of any type: television (ESPN), websites (Varsity, USASF), photographers (Action Shots), radio stations (Cheer1FM), magazines (“American Cheerleader” or “Inside Cheerleading”), etc. Dealing with the media as a cheerleader you receive judgement by society on a visual aspect, which includes thinness. Media puts pressure on cheerleaders to feel like if they are not thin enough their photos will be photo-shopped and no one wants their body to be considered to need “touch ups”. A cheerleader not only wants to be appealing to media types, but the crowd as well. Cheerleaders are in the spotlight whether they are on the mats or off the mats. A cheerleader usually does not want the description of being the “fat cheerleader” or “not good enough” due to their body size. A cheerleader is judged by their body type on and off the mats which puts a great amount of stress on them to become the “perfect size”

Another issue in this community would be the competition for the fame. Many dancers who aspire to improve, dream of holding the centerstage in the spotlight. The race to become the best is certainly something that every dancer is willing to achieve. The deadlines for dance gigs, making choreography, and the efforts to improvement are extremely strenuous. It is a good feeling when an individual knows he or she is best at something, but when the individual is constantly doing it like a chore and thinking it as a job to get done, there is no fun in what he or she loves to do anymore. In an article, “Trending Now: #Competition by Candice Thompson”, a dancer Ida Saki states she “remembers feeling somewhat look down upon as a trickster with no artistry

Injuries also have a great impact on the ending of dancers' careers. Also, 22% of former dancers and 41% of current dancers said that their careers ended because they got to the age where their bodies could not handle dance anymore (1). Dancers put their bodies through multiple painful obstacles and placements that most people would not even dream of doing. One example of painful things dancers do is dance in pointe shoes, a shoe that is made out of layers of fabric with a wooden box on the end of the shoe that a dancer stands on top of on her toe (“The Ballet Blog” 1). Not knowing when their careers will end, dancers should spend all the time they can within the 15 years to find a job and focusing on their dancing without having to worry about school work or getting a college degree that is not going to benefit their career. Dancers can make money and find a job without going to college, but they need time to do so.

Dancers need to be fuelled for classes to have energy in class, they need enough calories during heavy trainings dancers need 45-50 calories per kilogram of their body weight for females and males they require 50-55 calories per kilogram of their body weight, if further assistance is needed they should consult a dietician. A balanced diet also consists of eating the three main meals of the day which are breakfast, lunch and dinner, many people eat large amounts but generally what is best eating small portions of food and if the dancer feels eager then a snack like a cereal bar can be eaten in between meals and dance

Ballet is an art form that can be your best friend but also your worst enemy. A dancer strives for perfection every day and has to put complete passion into every step to see even the slightest improvement. This is a difficult task, but also an addictive routine. A professional ballet dancer sacrifices a normal childhood into adulthood to become one with the art. Professional dancers pour their heart

Although every ballet dancer dreams of and works extremely hard to become a principal dancer, almost every dancers does not make it to principal because the principal must be the best out of all of the rest of the dancers. This creates jealousy and envy that cannot be seen on the stage. Injuries can even effect a dancer’s mental state. Performing with an injury or the thought of getting an injury can put a dancer under extreme stress and

In the essay, “Behind the Curtain: The Body, Control, and Ballet” Kelso exposes how many individuals in society, specifically women, are pressured by society to physically look a certain way; society has to recognize that as a result, there are unintended consequences that follow. To address this issue, Kelso claims, “They live with the same pressures as the rest of society, however, they also have to deal with the risk of unemployment if they gain any amount of weight or their bodies do not look a certain way” (Kelso 3). In this case, dancers are all extremely pressured to being classified into this specific category of weight. Whether if one was to recognize that it is an inappropriate classification, they’re unable to take action upon it

as my understanding of a ballerina changed a little. in the video, Darcey Bussell states "People don't realize

As an art form, ballet has a lengthy list of credentials. Born in the peak of the Renaissance era, it has withstood the test of time and has never been merely a passing fad. Aside from being simply an “art form”, ballet stretches the body both mentally and physically. In order to meet the requirements of a classical dancer, one must be physically fit, which means having strength, flexibility, and endurance. It is true that other sports (football, basketball, soccer) require these three elements, it is necessary for ballet dancers to memorize the given choreography and combinations for both classes and performances. This art form “has the capacity [to]...enlarge the scope of human awareness” (Sanderson). Ballet widens this scope by giving people a larger palate of experiences to select.

Strong correlation of influence of peers and authority figures on dancers’ body image was also present in the interview data. Family members may not realise the extent of the influence they have on their children when it comes to body image. Attention to weight can emphasize the influence that the media has so carefully manipulated into our society. Social influence can be a case of a harmless chat amongst peers, or created in the act of comparison from one’s body to the next (Heiland 2008). Being involved in such a competitive field, parents may feel their child needs to be pushed and guided in the right direction but sometimes this could be proven too much for them to handle. A prime example of this was in the popular TV series ‘Pushy & Proud’,

When we are younger, our imaginations have no limits, especially when it comes to dreaming about what we want to be “when we are older.” Children fantasize about being athletes, singers, astronauts, princesses, superheroes, racecar drivers, and countless other professions, but the most common one among all, is most likely to become a ballerina. I was one of those young girls who was determined to work hard and one day, become a professional ballerina. At the time, I did not know what it took to be a ballerina; I only went to lessons once a week, nevertheless, my parents encouraged my dream and every Saturday morning, dragged me to dance lesson. After a year at the friendliest studio with the sweetest dance teacher, Madame Cate, my parents announced that we were moving to Bangladesh. This move was not only hard because I had to leave all my friends, but was also hard because finding a dance facility there was nearly impossible. After three years of ballet, I made the tough decision to move on due to my lack of interest in the art: thank you to all the dance instructors that made

The video began with discussing the life of ballerinas and how they thrive to be skinny. Ballerinas are often times 15% below the ideal weight for their height. One dancer spoke about how she dropped more weight in two weeks than in her entire life. She discussed about how she starved herself for almost a year. Throughout starving herself her chest bones began to protrude. She later developed anorexia nervosa which is the deadliest psychological disorder. The video also discussed a famous dancer who died at the age of 22 due to her heart giving up. The believe her heart gave up due to malnutrition because of anorexia nervosa.

The birth and evolution of ballet is indeed a fascinating study. Since its early origins in fifteenth century Italian court, ballet has undergone a succession of changes and been influenced by gifted artists and choreographers alike, whose unique styles and innovative techniques left their indelible mark on the classic art form. Beginning with the Renaissance and continuing through the Romantic Era, ballet evolved as each political and social movement ushered in changes that impacted and shaped the dance, over time transforming it into the cherished art that it is today. Costumes, gender roles, themes, styles, audiences, and content are among the many features of ballet that were impacted throughout this time period, the end result being costumes, shoes and choreography that closely resemble those of contemporary ballet.

In my opinion, the best way to get around this phenomenon is to get the dancer’s face out there by having them compete at as many competitions and championships as they can. They should also attend workshops so potential judges get to see what they are capable of as a dancer with other elite level dancers in a non-competitive setting prior to actually judging them on the platform. The more the judges get to see you, especially against other elite dancers, the more familiar they will be with seeing you compete and the more likely they will be to place you where you really belong in the prize list.