Learning to plié while ignoring your skin color and size.

Ballet is a mesmerizing display of art, but it lacks a few important things. It lacks everything that would change it from looking like there are 50 clones twirling around on stage. It lacks representation of the different races, orientations, and body types. When I think of dancers, names like Natalia Osipova, Daria Klimentova, Leanne Benjamin and Agnes Oaks come to mind. What do they have in common? I'll show you.

Agnes Oaks
Daria Klimentova 
Natalia Osipova
Leanne Benjamin
If you notice, they are all Caucasian and quite slender. By quite slender, I mean they look like they desperately need a cheeseburger. Most Principal dancers fit this mold. This is the problem. Though I would never discount the beauty and talent of these dancers - I would question ballet's ability to portray a different image as the face of the company. 

Though there are not many examples of diversity, one sticks out as a face of inspiration. Misty Copeland is the first African-American Female Principal dancer with the American Ballet. 

Misty Copeland
Like the first of anything, she has opened the door for many to follow in her footsteps. She has given young dancers a face of color to look up to. Believe it or not, Misty is a trailblazers in two categories. Not only is she African-American, but she is also frequently criticized for her body type as being out of the norm. Misty weighs 110 pounds. It's crazy to think that somehow that qualifies her as being overweight in this industry. Misty has overcome her critics by giving incredible performances and demanding attention from her critics doubting her ability to be successful as a Principal dancer. 

My question is, if 110 pounds is overweight, in what universe could someone who weighs 150 pounds be a successful ballet dancer? Being overweight does not always mean incapable of physical activity. There are many body types, all which are beautiful in their own regard. I would like for young dancers that struggle with body dysmorphia to see a dancer without her ribs pertruding from her body. I would like for them to have an example to look up to. 

This can't change unless patrons of this fine art demand the change.







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