By "thin," do you mean lean or slender? Or both? As for me, I think graceful dancers appear more graceful.

I'm ok with djb, what is your meaning of 'thin'?
But I totally disagree with Matthew, do you think a dancer that just have skin and bones but does 'fouettes' with difficulties and awful 'grand jetee' is more graceful than a dancer not so lean who can do all this perfectly?

I was just posing a question, not making a value judgement. ( Personally, by the way, I prefer dancers to look strong and controlled vs thin and feathery - but, from my observation of audience members and from conversations with dancers, a lot of people think that a slender physique just plain looks better on stage. I know that this is not politically correct, but I think that is just reality.) What do you think would happen if over summer break next season all of the dancers SFB or The Royal ballet came back weighing 10- 15 lbs more? Although I suspect that this may be a healthier weight for them in the long run, I suspect that the critics and audience would go ballisitic.

I'd probably like it. As much as I enjoyed Muriel Maffre's dancing in "Monotones," I couldn't help remembering, fondly, Vyvyan Lorraine's (of the Royal Ballet) more showgirlish figure.

I totally agree with your reflexion Matthew, the critics would really go ballistics, but for hte audience I don't think so. The audience want a good show, and good dancers (but not overweight of course).
Sometimes, when I read some critics, they don't even talk about the performance, but just about that a dancer is not enough slender... I really don't understand this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this point of view (to have really thin female dancer) came up like 20 years ago,appearance of Sylvie Guillem (who is a really good dancer). So now, everybody wants Sylvie Guillem look-a-like.

More like 30 years + in the 70's and Gelsey Kirkland was the ballerina that I most remember.

i am 13 years old and i am just starting to take ballet and i am scared that i am terrible because everyone in my class is so good and they are all older than me(17) and i just dont think i should be doing ballet for a couple of reasons 1. i weigh 145 pounds I look really bad in a leotard and when i put it on sometimes i try to suck in my stomach and it looks like i am a man and i just dont like how i look.
2.i dont know if i am good. i cant tell for myself becuase i dont know much about turn out and other things like that. i just dont feel like i belong and i dont talk to anyoone els becuase i am scared they will think i am weired becuase again they are much older than me and the are super good.........if anyone can help me just build my confidence i would really appriciate that..........!

Hello Dance and welcome to CD. Am I correct that you are only 13 and have just begun to study ballet? Everyone starts somewhere. Of course you will not be as advanced as the 17 year olds who have been dancing for longer. As for your body I always say " it can change". The more you dance the more it will change shape.

My advice to you would be to just love the movement, music and learning to dance. Who cares what other people (except your teacher) thinks anyway. Dance because you love it.

Dear "dance", you are a 13-year old among the 17- year olds? Well, I'm a 17 year old girl among 11-14 year olds Trust me, I'm not in a better situation than you are. I felt uncomfortable at first, because, for one thing, I'm older than everyone in the class, and I do weigh more than I should at my height. However, after reading this forum, I realized that it doesn't matter what I look like or how much I weigh. I love dancing, dancing is my life, and I don't know what I would do without it.

I started dancing when I was 13 (which is REALLY late), so I'm not even thinking about a professional career in dancing, but I can simply dance, right? I dance for myself. I don't look at the other girls in my class, I simply look at myself, trying hard to correct every mistake and give it my best.

I admit that I'm not a natural dancer. I have to work hard to perfect my turns and my arabesque, but it is so worth it!!! Absolutely nothing in this world can compare to getting up on pointe. Nothing!! Although it requires a lot of strength, pain, blisters, and patience(!!), it is the best feeling I have ever experienced.

So honey, dance for your soul! Don't let anyone steal your dreams! And the most important thing is, stop comparing yourself to others!!! You are the way God has created you. You are your own human being, not the 17-year old "super good" dancer standing next to you by the barre.

I hope I helped you just a little

I think that thin ballerina's don't look better . They lose all their features in some cases and look anorexic. sometimes it can look ok but i would rather be a fantastic dancer then a thin dancer! Its not what you look like that matters i know people who are teachers of ballet and they are not thin and they are still fantastic dancers so don't worry.

I think that a slender dancer is better than a thin dancer. I think that muscely and toned looks better than thin.

I am 19, 5 feet tall and weigh just over 40kg (don't know what that is in lbs) I am not as advanced as my fellow dancers due to the fact that I've never done ballet but I work really hard to perform as well as them and achieve good extension etc.
I'm not the best dancer although people seem to think I have the perfect body for it.

My dance teacher tells us that "dance comes from the heart" and I believe that.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't think a thin dancer is a better dancer.
I don't know how much sense that all makes.

At first glance, I thought you were 19 and a half feet tall.

<small>[ 15 October 2004, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: salzberg ]</small>

i agree with u i am dancing with friends and two of them are extremly thin. Although they look great for ballet they are not. one of my best friends is strong and muscular she has very strong legs and a great extension it is better to be slim wiht good technique than thin with none. Keep working hard and u will prove that u have the perfect body.

And it seems to be all too true that those who have a "perfect body" are often the ones who don't stick with it. You learn to make the most of what you have and to develop your potentials, not comparing yourself too much with other people.

yeh i worry all the time that if i do try to become a prefessional dancer, no company will want me because of my size. im not fat or anything but im not a stick either its ironic because some people at school call me anorexic, and then at the studio all i can think about is the mirrors and how i could never be a pro. im 5'6 112 pounds which is considered "underweight" but i guess our perception of "thin" isn't the same as people outside of the ballet world. There are some dancers that aren't stick thin like the star of the movie center stage, amanda schull who is by no means an amaciated ballerina.