twoother interesting articles:
http://danceinsider.com/chevalier/c052407.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... erformance
This whole "body type" thing is ridiculous to me. I can understand why someone in the 1940's would say such a thing. Frankly back then, I think other issues were more of a concern, such as Blacks dancing in close vicinity to White dancers. I have to hand Mr. B. credit for putting Authur Mitchell in his company.
But body type has nothing to do with ability. Its almost like not allowing White dancers to do jazz or tap because as the stereotype goes "they have no rhythm". Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly has proven that wrong, just as Aesha, Lauren Anderson, and a host of Black female ballet dancers have proven dance critics wrong.
It's more honest to say that Mr. B and his devotees have their
preferences in terms of what they believe a ballerina should look like. As much as I love Balanchines works, I pray more ballet companies & choreographers emerge that don't follow such a rigid visual criteria.