Ballet Dancers - Body Type

Ballet Dancers - Body Type

Hey:)
I have a few questions about body type. I was wondering whether you think my body type is ideal for ballet; I have a smallish head, long neck, small chest, small waist and relatively long legs. However, I have quite muscly legs (in my opinion) others have told me they are normal for ballet dancers, is it okay to have muscly legs? Also, I have slightly larger hips because my waist comes in, can I still be a ballet dancer because of this? It's not necessarily fat, I'm not really sure..
Is there any way to reduce bulk of muscles?
I would love to know your opinion X

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Dancers - Body Type

Hello,
Thank you for contacting me it is great to hear from you. You will notice that a ballet dancer’s body does appear to always look very similar with long legs, lean body and small chest. But through my journey as a dancer, I have seen many different types of body in ballet and you don’t always have to look exactly identical to each other to be successful in ballet.

Some dancers naturally have more muscle, or have longer legs, or are broader. Everybody has a very natural and individual structure so within a certain range, it is still possible to become a ballet dancer with different body types.

Your body sounds absolutely fine and the more you train as in ballet, the more your body will adapt into a ballet dancer. A dancer’s body can very depend on their training and the way they work in ballet class. If you feel your muscles are bulky and not lean enough, then make sure you are not tensing or over working your legs when you dance. Even though you are engaging your muscles, you are not gripping or shortening them. Every movement should have a feeling of length and expanse.

Whilst professional ballet dancers seem to have this ideal body type, it certainly has not all been given to them by natural physique. Their bodies have gone through years of training, hard work and practice to achieve what you see today.

Professional ballet dancers actually have extremely strong, lean muscly legs. When you see them on stage at a distance, you can’t always tell because they are so far away and in costume. But when you see the dancers closer, you will notice the strength and muscle definition. Especially in the calves and in thighs, it is lean and long muscle, but still very defined.

Ballet dancers need to have muscle to give them enough power for all the demands of technique, as well as strength to jump and have control.

I hope this helps gather your thoughts and remember I am always happy to help.

Best wishes,
Odette

ps. To become the best dancer you can be, learn the Seven Secrets ..... go to my 'Seven Secrets of Ballet' page