Ballet

1) Are body ideals absolute truths? If not, how are body ideals and beauty standards formed? Can they change over time? If so, provide an example of how dance body ideals and dance beauty standards have changed over the course of history. 4-6 sentences

• They are not absolute truths, but more constructed specifications that constantly change from lineage, culture, and eras. The idea of what standards one should hold can come from individuals, parents, and the media. And the thing about standards and ideals of beauty is that they are always changing. An example of beauty standards is from the first half of the 20th century, when ballerina ‘standards’ were built on being more athletic than being thin. Which then changed, with a huge influence from the coming of George Balanchine's company, when the image of a ballet dancer became very thin, dainty, and pure. 

2) Who were Anastasia Volochkova and Heidi Guenther? What were the similarities and differences between their life stories in relation to their professional ballet dance careers? 6-8 sentences.

• Anastasia Volochkova was a media star and a Bolshoi Ballet dancer who was fired in 2003 because she was "too tall and too heavy." Heidi Guenther was a popular Boston Ballet corps de ballet dancer who died from a heart attack in 1997 because of her eating disorder. In similar instances, these women were subjected to extreme pressure from their superiors to lose weight in order to meet professional requirements. In both instances, promotion and job security in ballet are also related to thinness. Yet, they differ in some areas. Volochkova was criticized in relation to her "diva-like" personality, whereas Guenther’s battle with her weight was a tragic one, which led her to her death at the tender age of 22 years and a weight of only 93 pounds. Volochkova also battled her termination in the media, claiming her fitness, whereas Guenther tried her best to lose weight in accordance with her superiors' requirements.

3) The following terms were defined and discussed in relation to dance (in the article or in class discussions) - choose two from the following list of terms to define and explain, then provide a real-life example (either from the article or your own observations). 

c) Self-objectification - Self-objectification refers to the internalization of the observer’s perspective on one’s own body, with people perceiving themselves as objects to be judged based on their appearance rather than their competence. An example of this could be Heidi Guenther. Although her issues stemmed from external factors, they caused her to hyperfixate on self-objectification and the idea of never being thin enough. 

e) Docile bodies - Bodies of those whose energy and movement are in a constant environment of regulation, modification, and the idea of ‘improvement’. An example of this could be Anastasia Volochkova. With her presence in the media and dance world, she had constant external forces watching her every move.

4) What is “the ballet look”? How could it possibly be a metaphor for contrasting hypermasculine and hyperfeminine societal expectations, as well as a metaphor for consumer culture? 5-7 sentences

• The "ballet look," which is all about extreme thinness, elegance, grace, and flexibility, not only serves as a standard in terms of aesthetics, but it also reflects the culture's pressure regarding gender roles as well. Hyperfemininity among women in ballet is characterized by frailty and delicateness, while hypermasculinity among men in ballet is represented by strength and control. The concept of the ballet look is further extended by consumerism, since the marketing of certain body forms results in the production of goods that claim to help people attain such body forms, thus turning ballet into a commodity.

5) What can teachers, directors, audiences, peers, and others do in order to transform the “ballet look” in order to help prevent eating disorders in ballet dancers and for the experience of learning ballet to be more empowering? 4-6 sentences

• To transform the ‘ballet look’, teachers and directors need to start empowering the students through the appearance of technical form and dance creativity, rather than solely on their physical appearance, and telling them rude remarks that cause issues with their eating. Audiences, peers, and others with involvement around this industry should use their power as a way to express love for all types of bodies and not just the Russian styles and Eurocentric ideal. They should not feed the eating disorder culture and body standards of how many think the ballet world should be, because it causes harm mentally and physically. 

6) The author of the article, Wendy Oliver, shares a riveting question posed by Julie Sandler: “How can a woman be an active subject when so many messages have indicated that she ought to aspire above all to be a beautiful object?” (45) After some reflection, answer this question, in your own words - drawing on your own experience as a woman or if you are not a woman, then based on what you have witnessed women going through.

• Many measure the beauty of a woman based on physical appearance and society's standards. But to shift this focus, we have to eliminate how our standards are measured — focus on the technical, athletic, and physical power of women instead. The dedication to building yourself mentally and physically to perform at your best should always come before societal standards that are not the creation of who you are and who you want to be. As a woman, the need feels constant and draining. And yet it does not show an ounce of who I am.