My Experience As A "Fat" Ballet Dancer

INTRO

     I recently read a beautiful and inspiring article on Misty Copeland about her body struggles and how it affected her career as a dancer.  Copeland is an African American ballerina, who has a body figure that is untraditional to the ballet stereotype. This article made me reflect on my life and my body struggles. I would like to share you my experience as a "fat" dancer. 

Misty Copeland, photo by Gregg Delman

MY EXPERIENCE

     I danced mainly in Japan alongside many skinny Asians. I was often referred to as "that fat girl" by my ballet teacher.

     However, I was able to land a lead role in Don-Q's 2nd Act for our recital when I was 15. A year later, I made through the corps de ballet audition for Japan Ballet Organization's production of Swan Lake. I started to eat a normal breakfast, followed by an apple for lunch, and a small portion of food for dinner. I lost weight, but not as much. I wanted to look like the other girls, but I couldn't. 

Myself (2nd row, middle) as a swan, from Swan Lake (2009)

     Swan Lake rehearsals were a nightmare because I was the "fattest" girl out of 50 other dancers… including male dancers.  Being 164cm tall, weighing 55 kg, and having approx 21% body fat, I would normally be considered to have a normal body. During the dress rehearsal, we were given white tutus that were previously worn by a company of skinny women. It took two people to hook it on to my body, and when one of the costume tailor saw how tight it looked on me, she sent me to the head tailor, who simply said, "lose 2 kg by next week."

     I usually took my stress out on food. When I was in Boston for 5 weeks during the Summer Dance Program, I was under so much stress that I binged every morning and night in the dormitory cafeteria. Compared to other girls with female triad and eating disorders, you could say that I had a healthy life. But, I did go through some crazy moments where I would start feeling guilty, and sometimes cry, after drinking a bottle of juice or eating a bag of chips. My brother soon picked up on my behavior and started to finish what I started to eat so that I wouldn't feel bad about myself. 

     After switching to another dance studio and told the teacher that I want to get really serious about dancing, she nicely replied, "I don't think it's possible, but I would love to give you my full support. As a first step, you'd have to stop eating dinner." 
     
     That's when I realized that maybe, ballet is not for me.



THE BODY EXPECTATION IN THE DANCE-WORLD

     Let's look at the requirements to audition for dance companies in 2014: 

• The Saint-Petersburg State Academic Theatre of ballet of Boris Eifman
• Female: minimum 172 cm tall; Males: minimum 182 cm tall
• Aalto Ballet Theatre Essen
• Minimum of 182 cm tall
• The Polish National Ballet
• Female: max 175 cm; Male: min 180 cm
• Cincinnati Ballet
• Females: max 5'7"; Males: min 5'9"
• Moulin Rouge (France)
• Females: min 175 cm (5'9"); Males: min 185 cm (6'1")
• Bollywood female dancer contracting in India
• Min height: 170 cm (5'7"); Min weight: 50 kg (110 lbs)
• Prague Chamber Ballet
• Males: min 170 cm

     With these height requirements, companies would most likely hire female dancers if they weigh around 110-120 lbs. Although this is not always the case, but there are more companies that set height requirements. 

     It is known that ballerinas have significantly lower body mass index than the normal population. In a study of 30 female dancers between the age of 15 to 19, nearly 50% were found to be underweight. Meanwhile, another study showed that ectomorphic (long and thin) body structure with low body fat percentage was linked to injury. Regardless, tall and skinny will remain to be an ideal body shape in ballet.

     Why will it remain like that? Because schools tend to produce and reproduce these ideal bodies of "almost skeletal, hyper-flexible, ephemeral bodies" to fit to the audience's expectations. A 4-year qualitative study on 12 young dancers revealed the process of these adolescents accepting these ideals and strive to achieve the audience's expected bodies. 

     But get this: a study on ideal ballerina body size, results showed that the audience's expectation of ballerinas' body shape is different than that of professional dancers and students. 

SOME THINGS CANNOT BE CHANGED

     About 80% of your height is controlled by genetics. Genetics also controls more than 50% of bone density and lean muscles.  We can all go to the gym and work out as hard as we can, but you can only change yourself to a certain point. 

     So what's my point?

     I believe that it is unhealthy to put yourself into a situation full of people that does not appreciate you. Fitting yourself into an ideal expectation might be necessary in the dance world and other professions, but there are some genetic factors that will prevent you from reaching towards the goal. But, Misty Copeland found a place where she could shine. If you can find a great support system and environment like her, you might be able to accept yourself and move on. 

     For me, I had to step away from ballet, and it worked out great for me because I feel healthier than ever. Other "fat" dancers stuck around, and it turned out great for them. Some majored or minored in ballet in college, or picked up another genre. It's all about your mindset. 

     So what do you think? And what was your struggle like?


REFERENCES

Mihajlović, B., & Mijatov, S. (2003). Body composition analysis in ballet dancers. Medicinski Pregled, 56(11-12), 579.

Pickard, A. (2013). Ballet body belief: Perceptions of an ideal ballet body from young ballet dancers. Research in Dance Education, 14(1), 3-19.

Silventoinen, K. (2003). Determinants of variation in adult body height. Journal of Biosocial Science, 35(2), 263-285. doi:10.1017/S0021932003002633

Seeman, E., Hopper, J. L., Young, N. R., Formica, C., Goss, P., & Tsalamandris, C. (1996). Do genetic factors explain associations between muscle strength, lean mass, and bone density? A twin study. The American Journal of Physiology,270(2), E320-327.

Twitchett, E. (2008). Body composition and ballet injuries: A preliminary study. Medical Problems of Performing Artists,23(3), 93-98.

Young, C. C., Subramanian, R., Niedfeldt, M. W., Guse, C. E., Hoch, A. Z., & Raasch, W. G. (2001). Ballet dancers & audiences: Their perceptions of body image. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(5), S96. doi:10.1097/00005768-200105001-00543

Break A Leg?: An overview of ballet injuries

INTRO

Let's talk about injuries...

Photo by Corbin Smith / thegridto.com

     It may be safe to generalize that high-level athletes and dancers rarely take a break after an injury. Resting can cause you to lose your spot/job; therefore, professionals tend to dance around the injury. From my experience, I realized that dancing with injury was thought to be cool and something to be proud of. It may make them look tough and strong, but the truth is, their body is deteriorating. There are dancers that retire at age 38 -- or younger -- because their body was "worn out" by ballet. 

     That's why, every dancers, directors, and management should know that the proper care for injuries is essential to have a long-lasting career and healthy "employees." Now a days, athletic trainers and physical therapists are pushing harder to persuade companies to hire more professionals to monitor each dancer's injuries.
    


INJURIES IN BALLET
     
     A study on 52 professional dancers in a ballet company recorded all of the injuries over a period of one year. They recorded 355 injuries (mean of 6.8 injuries per dancer) just in one year!! There were: more overuse injuries than traumatic injuries; many lower leg, ankle, and lower back injuries; and most injuries occurred during classes and performances compared to rehearsals. They analyzed that many injuries came from jumping, but since there were more ankle/lower leg injuries in females than males, we can probably assume that pointe shoes play a role in some injuries.

     That study was about adult professionals. Now, let's look at younger dancers. More than a decade of medical records were examined from 476 students in Sweden. 438 injuries were recorded (remember, some injuries can be left unreported), the incidents increased with age, and 76% of the injuries occurred in the lower extremities. The most common traumatic injury was ankle sprains, and tendonitis in the foot was the common overuse injury.

     Ballet injuries in professional dancers were 4.44 per 1000 dance hours. Football injuries was once recorded as 3.5 per 1000 hours played (regardless of its severity). Newer data shows higher numbers in other sports injuries, but my point is, there's a lot of injuries in ballet (and it's not even a contact sport), and it's rarely looked after. 



MANAGE? OR PREVENT?

     I've been stressing that injuries have to be taken care of. But we can't forget that we need to prevent injuries. In one company, 309 injuries in 3 seasons cost $398,396 from worker's compensation insurance (an average cost per injury was $1289). Apparently, this number is similar to that of an athletic team, but remember that ballet companies do not get a lot of funding… 400,000 dollars is a lot of burden. 

     So how do we prevent it?
     There was an interesting study that looked at the difference between Tae-Kwon-Do and ballet. The reason behind this is that ballet and tae-kwon-do uses similar powerful motion and muscle mechanisms. Since there is less injury reporting in Tae-Kwon-Do, they believed that if they compared the two forms of activity, they might be able to find a way to prevent overuse injuries in ballet. Turns out, Tae-Kwon-Do athletes have higher risk of injury when they looked at kicks. 
     From more analyses, they predicted that we could possibly reduce injuries by: reducing the frequency and duration of repetitive movements, allowing enough repair time for recovery (rest!), and incorporate targeted strength training on small muscles involved (take barre exercises seriously!). 

     Other studies points out the different types of floor laid out on the stage and studios. If they're not used to the floor, rehearsing in different venues might raise the risk of injury. 



END NOTE

     There are many ideas about risks and prevention, but I realized that it's really hard to pin-point what causes injury in ballet. On top of that, different types of injuries have different causes and mechanisms of injury. But let me assure you that researchers are looking for answers. There are people working for you so that you won't get hurt. As for now, when you get injured, go to a health professional, and actually listen and do what they tell you to do because to everything they say, they have reasons to back it up. I am looking into focusing on injuries for prevention and management, so stay tuned for that if you're interested.



REFERENCES

Allen, N., Nevill, A., Brooks, J., Koutedakis, Y., & Wyon, M. (2012). Ballet injuries: Injury incidence and severity over 1 year.The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy,42(9), 781.

Garrick, J. G., & Requa, R. K. (1993). Ballet injuries. an analysis of epidemiology and financial outcome. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 21(4), 586.

Leanderson, C., Leanderson, J., Wykman, A., Strender, L., Johansson, S., Sundquist, K., . . . Medicin. (2011). Musculoskeletal injuries in young ballet dancers. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 19(9), 1531-1535. doi:10.1007/s00167-011-1445-9

Shan, G. (2005). Comparison of repetitive movements between ballet dancers and martial artists: Risk assessment of muscle overuse injuries and prevention strategies. Research in Sports Medicine (Print), 13(1), 63-76. doi:10.1080/15438620590922103

Stableforth, P. G. (1990). Sports injuries. Injury, 21(5), 311-313. doi:10.1016/0020-1383(90)90049-Z

Wainwright, S. P., & Turner, B.S. 'Just crumbling to bits'? an exploration of the body, ageing, injury and career in classical ballet dancers. (2006). Sociology,40(2), 237-255. doi:10.1177/0038038506062031

Why do ballet dancers smoke?

INTRO

Since my dance specialty was ballet, I will be talking about ballerinas and ballet dancers, but I am sure that dancers of other dance genre smoke, too.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lk4flltyxw1qb11dro1_400.jpg

I have seen many dancers smoke during their breaks. When I ask them why they smoke, the popular responses were: 
     "Because I'm stressed" and "I'm trying to lose weight"

One of my dancer friend from a prestige ballet school in Japan also smoked. As he complained about the price of cigarettes in the States, he explained, "my teacher is very strict and borderline abusive. In my studio, kids start smoking at age 14 to deal with the stress." 

Let's look at their reasons and break it down…

• "Because I'm stressed"

     There has been studies that explained that smokers are more stressed than nonsmokers. However, these findings were challenged since smokers could have started smoking because they were stressed. BUT, there are sources that suggest that smokers are stressed because they are experiencing withdrawal to nicotine, and smoking relieves the stress because they intake nicotine again, suppressing the withdrawal. 
     So, if you think about it, it's better for you not to start smoking… ever! You will be adding stress to your system.

• "I'm trying to lose weight"

     Many ballerinas believe that smoking kills appetite. Since body shape can determine if you get to keep your job as a dancer or not, it is understandable for them to cling on to anything they believe would help them lose weight and keep them skinny or well-defined. 

    One study published in 2005 monitored weight loss and appetite on mice after smoking cigarettes. On the first day, the mice ate less. On the second day, the weight loss became evident. Smoking also decreased plasma leptin (hormone that tells you you're full) by 34%. So… I guess it works?

BUT WAIT!!!!

Is it actually worth it?

WHY DANCERS SHOULDN'T SMOKE

Now, I'm not going to bore you with a bunch of facts your high school teachers or D.A.R.E. told you in health class. But I will give you reasons why you shouldn't based on what you actually need to be able to be a healthy dancer. 

• You need to breathe to dance, right?

     At least in ballet, breathing is essential not only to stay alive, but also to send signals to other dancers. The movement of the chest is big enough to be able be detected from meters away or even in the corner of their eyes. Why does corps ballet look synchronized? Why can partners move together in pas de deux? It's because they breathe.

     Now, as you may know, smoking can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This affects the way you breathe because then, you will be coughing more and you would have to work your muscles just to breathe during exercise. COPD can also make you feel tired. 

     So what kind of graceful dancer wheezes, coughs, and gets tired? 

• Your body won't be able to use Vitamin C

     One of many side effects of smoking is the change in the Vitamin C composition. Nicotine will manipulate Vitamin C so that the body will not be able to absorb, store, or use Vitamin C. You ate grapefruits for breakfast? That's nice. But if you smoke, you might as well just sniff it instead. 

     So why should you care about Vitamin C? People rarely get scurvy these days. 

     Vitamin C helps cells produce collagen and other protein fibers that promote elasticity and strength. Since skin has many fibers, this could explain the reason why smokers look old and wrinkly than nonsmokers. Why would any directors cast you when you look 10 years older for a character who's supposed to be 15, like Romeo and Juliet?  How your skin looks might not be your main concern since you can cake your face with makeup. But fibers make up many tissues in your body such as bones, cartilages, and ligaments. That means if you get injured, and you want to recover ASAP, you're relying on cells to lay fibers down on the injured site to repair damages. 

     No Vitamin C --> less fibers --> longer recovery. That can't be good for your career. 

SUMMARY

     The reasons I listed are not even the full list. There are many, many things that can go wrong. So next time, instead of smoking, or thinking of start smoking, remember that it's really not worth it. If you want a high-quality dancing career, I'd stay away from it. There are many things you cannot control, but what you put in your body is probably one of the few things you have control over. 

REFERENCE

Chen, H., Vlahos, R., Bozinovski, S., Jones, J., Anderson, G. P., & Morris, M. J. (2005). Effect of short-term cigarette smoke exposure on body weight, appetite and brain neuropeptide Y in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 30(4), 713-719. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300597

McCann, N., & Lester, D. (1996). Smoking and stress: Cigarettes and marihuana. Psychological Reports, 79(2), 366-366. doi:10.2466/pr0.1996.79.2.366

Parrott, A. (1994). Does cigarette smoking increase stress?Addiction (Abingdon, England), 89(2), 142-144. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1994.tb00870.x

Parrott, A. C. (1999). Does cigarette smoking cause stress?American Psychologist, 54(10), 817-820. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.10.817

Parrott, A. C. (2000). Cigarette smoking does cause stress. The American Psychologist, 55(10), 1159. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.10.1159

PELLETIER, O. (1970). Cigarette smoking and vitamin C.Nutrition Today, 5(3), 12-15. doi:10.1097/00017285-197000530-00002