The Cost of Beauty in Ballet

What is Perfectionism?

Perfectionism is best described as repetitive self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that are created with the goal of reaching extremely unrealistic standards. It causes one to push themselves to the edge in order to reach the impossibly high goals set for themselves. Modern society tends to praise this mental disorder, but a deeper look shows its severe negative impacts on one's mental and physical well-being.

Causes of Perfectionism in Ballet

The best way to understand the prevalence of toxic perfectionism in dance is to grasp the art fully. Ballet was initially started in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century. It started as an amateur activity but soon became a respected art form. The basis behind ballet fell to perfect lines and effortless skills that required immense amounts of hard work that was rarely seen. The main goal was and still is to appear perfect and at ease, even through exhaustion and ache. Ballet is a sport that prides itself on its beauty, but underneath it proves horrid for the mental health of dancers.

Anxiety

Perfectionism can appear in dance as anxiety and performance anxiety. Constant criticism in competitive environments is the recipe for disaster, and in many cases can lead to self-doubt and fear of failure. The desire to constantly improve can create unrealistic standards for dancers and presents itself as anxiety. Performance anxiety and the desire to appear perfect on stage can cause pre-show stressors. Dancers feel pressured by company directors and themselves to be flawless.

Eating Disorders

In the 19th century, George Balanchine was the co-founder and artistic director of the New York City Ballet. In this position, he fostered the toxic image of the long-legged, tall, and thin ballet dancer. Dancers who checked these boxes were worth more in his eyes, as many of the ballets he choreographed were specifically for that body type. Most people with a healthy lifestyle do not fit this body type. As a result, it created the perfect environment for eating disorders to breed. The perfectionist tendencies of unrealistic goals encouraged dancers to lose weight in order to fit Balanchine's toxic fantasy for the female body. Dancers would push themselves to the edge to try and fit into this body that Balanchine deemed as perfect, and in doing so harm themselves mentally and physically. There is no such thing as a ballet body, and by forcing this unrealistic standard, dancers make the unrealistic goal that this is what their body should look like, which in turn leads to eating disorders.

What Can We Do to Fix this?

These issues generally stem from the dance studios, and by fostering a positive environment, instructors can prevent these issues from happening. Language, for example, can be a positive tool in preventing these issues. By shifting the wording of corrections, teachers can avoid negative body comments and teach in a more constructive manner. Workshops with dancers can help educate the importance of fueling your body and warning signs of unhealthy thinking. The overall mentality of a studio can also help with anxiety. Hyper-competitive studios can foster an environment of extreme stress that creates a negative experience for dancers. Reminding students that the end goal is to have fun and enjoy themselves may help lessen the pressure and allow dancers to enjoy the art form to its fullest.

Sources

• “Brown University.” Perfectionism | Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/counseling-and-psychological-services/perfectionism.

• “Coping with Performance Anxiety in Ballet: Central Pa Youth Ballet.” CPYB, 10 Feb. 2022, https://cpyb.org/dance-performance-anxiety/.

• “The Eating Disorder Trap: How Dancers' Perfectionism Can Make Things Dangerously Worse.” Pointe Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021, https://pointemagazine.com/eating-disorders-ballet/.

• “Is Anxiety Holding You Back? What's Normal, What's Not and When to Seek Help.” Pointe Magazine, 24 Nov. 2021, https://pointemagazine.com/anxiety-dancers/.

• One Dance UK Eating Disorders Guidance. https://www.onedanceuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/One-Dance-UK-Eating-Disorders-Guidance-1.pdf.

• “Unpopular Opinion: Balanchine Ruined Ballet.” BALLET WITH BECCA, https://balletwithbecca.weebly.com/home/unpopular-opinion-balanchine-ruined-ballet.