CriticalDance Forum

Hi. I'm new here and I think this site is awesome. I wanted to know how some aspects of body type matter to dance directors. Although I believe myself to be very skinny outside of ballet class, in class I cannot help but notice in auditions that even though some dancers may look unhealthily thin, they are the ones who get noticed and accepted. This becomes very frustrating because sometimes it seems like the directors are looking for body type and potential, as opposed to the actual technique of the dancers at the time. Another aspect of body type I want to know about are curves. If a girl has breasts or a waist, is that going to be looked upon as a bad feature or can it be accepted in the ballet world? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to criticaldance, DancingABC. The questions you ask are important ones. I'm going to move this to our Studio forum, where I'm sure you'll get some answers. Click here.

Jeffrey E. Salzberg,
Executive Director
criticaldance Forum

There IS a certain range of physical qualities that a dancer must have in order to make a go of it professionally. however, I'm starting to see that this range is much wider than many nervous students would believe. What I'm also seeing, as the parent of a dancer and as an audience member, is that inner spirit and passion are what make this range wider. Stop looking at other dancers and start paying attention to what you feel when you dance! that's what makes a performance exciting to watch -- when the dancer finds a way to communicate their passion to the audience, and it's not about having the perfect body. I think a lot of young dancers use the "perfect body" standard as an excuse to not cut loose and let it rip. There are many professional dancers who don't "fit the mold" when you really stop and study them.

I agree JaneH. As a dancer myself I know how hard it is to stop comparing yourself to others and about the obsessive scrutiny of your own body and what you may wish it was, but, and I think this also comes easier with age, at some point you have to focus more on your own dancing, how to express your passion, how to develop your own voice.
Because really, having the 'perfect dancers body' will not suddenly make you a great dancer. Only hard work will. And there are plenty of professionals in both the modern and ballet world who have tremendous success while having a body type that is not necessarily the 'ideal' in dance. What we watch on stage is their performance and the illusion of perfection they create. But it's only an illusion.