Pointe: As a ballet student, I distinctively remember being told that to survive ballet as a profession, one must be exceptionally thick-skinned and resilient. I always assumed it was because of the physically demanding nature of ballet: long rehearsal hours, challenging and stressful performances, and physical pain.
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From an outside perspective, Ballet is incredibly tough. There is some degree of awareness towards the diet demands and eating disorders, but I have rarely heard of attention being given to other mental health related concerns. I do not understand the motivation behind these bullying behaviors. I cannot comprehend why people would want to bring each other down, competition is one thing to a certain extent, but at what cost? Ballet is a beautiful art; it should not have to be cultivated in a hostile environment. Many performers enter Ballet when they are quite young and impressionable, which makes their mental state particularly susceptible to harm. Each person should still be treated as a valued individual, regardless of their company and agency associations. One can exist as a human being and still remain part of an ensemble. The point the article makes about how certain people in the industry continue toxic behaviors under the assumption that it is “how it is”. How it has been is not an argument for what it should be, and it is time for it to change.
My girlfriend is a former ballet dancer and I have many other friends who are former or current ballet dancers. The impact of this artform is intense and extreme. The way people's bodies are treated and the expectations that are put on them from such a young age are so incredibly toxic and harmful. I think that ballet is a beautiful art form, however, it needs serious systematic reform, or else so many young people will fall victim to its standards and harm. I have heard so many upsetting stories about ballet teachers as well as fellow ballet students and it is clear that it needs serious change. The impact it has on one's self-perception and mental health is frankly quite dangerous. Years after quitting ballet it can still have a major impact on one's sense of self. If you are yelled at that you are not good enough or too fat or any related things by teachers, fellow students, and even parents of other students from a young age onward and you have class multiple times a week it can seriously be so harmful. I think the art form of ballet has so much potential it just needs global systematic change which will not come easily.
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