Ballet Dancers - Ideal Body Type Troubles

Ballet Dancers - Ideal Body Type Troubles

Hello! I had a question about the ideal body of a dancer because this is the number one thing that bothers me the most about myself! I don't have the perfect body type of a dancer. It's really sad because I'm pretty much the opposite 😦. I'm short, I have a long torso, I have small legs, I have awful turnout, and bad feet! I absolutely hate it because it brings my confidence down 😤😓 And it feels like these things get in my way sometimes. It worries me a lot because I don't know if i can ever get into a good company one day because of the way my body is. Do you have any advice for me? ☺️😔

============================================
Reply by Odette
To: - Ballet Dancers - Ideal Body Type Troubles

Hello,
Thank you for contacting me and sharing your thoughts, I hope I can help you in someway and be here as a friend/ mentor for you! Believe it or not, most ballet dancers have many insecurities on their body even if you think they have the most perfect body type. Dancer's can be very critical on themselves, both to perfect their technique and create this 'ideal' body type.

However, what I want to say to you is not every dancer has the perfect body type. There are many professionals who could easily be seen as too short, small, muscular.... but ultimately it comes down to how you dance. You might not have the best turnout, but not every dancer has. Even with very beautiful arches, it can be extremely hard to gain strength and articulate this type of foot.

Every dancer will have their struggles and get knocked on their weaknesses. It is up to you to have the determination to push through and keep working hard, despite your flaws.

The main way to improve your body and weaknesses is to increase your training. Don't forget, the ballet dancers you see train mostly everyday to create the body you see.

You have to be realistic and intelligent - if you honestly think your body will hold you back in classical ballet, then perhaps you can look at a more contemporary or musical theatre route?

You can see my personally written eBook "7 Virtues of a Professional Ballet Dancer", which will give you the key steps in how you can become a dancer with all my experiences & guidance. For you, I recommend "Virtue 3 - Physicality" which will open up your eyes and see how you don't always need the perfect body to succeed, as well as techniques to lengthen your body for ballet.

Best wishes,
Odette