Wow! I can’t believe I only found your channel now. SUBSCRIBED!!! I have so much to say regarding what I’ll call “the ballet ‘company’ that could check all the points in the BITE model”. I’m a professional ballerina trained in Moscow who works in the former Soviet Republics and Eastern Bloc countries as well as in the West for companies associated with the Bolshoi. I was bullied relentlessly for actually being too thin and lanky (all arms and legs) in my native country (I have multiple citizenships): the land of the slim thiccc Kardashian aesthetic. My parents recognized that and coupled with abnormally flexible body and endless energy (I was climbing the furniture, the walls, the trees), they thought to put me in pre ballet/gymnastics classes and of course I loved it. When I was old enough I went to Russia for Ballet Academy. I realized that my body was exactly what was desired and, as it happens there, a former prima ballerina took me under her wing and became my педагог. She made me the ballerina and human I am today. I even lived with her. I’m really grateful for my ongoing happy ending. However, I did witness some stuff: the other girls’ food was controlled but, and I quote, Белочка (my Russian nickname), can eat whatever she wants (that kind of isolated me), later as a professional I saw a wonderful dancer have her costume taken away from her on premiere day because of her weight - it was given to the understudy and we had an hour to rehearse (we were performing the three nymphs in Walpurgis Night), one of my friends was actually taking weight loss pills (I was so innocent and didn’t know how to handle that) and dr*gs - she face planted the stage during Peasant Pas… and finally one day I was tired and a more senior ballerina offered me a “vitamin”, I took it (again I was pretty sheltered living with Yelena and just breathed ballet) and I don’t know what it was (never experienced with that stuff or even alcohol!) but my heart was beating so fast and I was ready for grand allegro when we were still doing pliés! Ballet is a contact sport and football is a collision sport. I was told that while working in Philadelphia for a Russian company and members of the Philadelphia Eagles 🦅 would come to take classes with the company to improve their footwork. Anyway, I’m horrified by the concussion story and all the other ones too. Obrigada, mulțumesc,спасибо большое и дякую! 🇵🇹🇧🇷🇷🇴🇷🇺🇺🇦🩰🫶🏻 30:48
Aw thanks for subscribing! 🥰 The journeys of ballet sure can be wild, but it's definitely never an excuse for company-wide mistreatment. I've never heard of one place with so many extremely negative experiences brought forward by dancers. You should listen to the podcast too! It was really interesting. open.spotify.com/episode/2NuqeSwgWi24Atv0ZkFxHo?si=D818ylhHQvi98bPJpNi0JQ
looks like I am early, you look classy and cheery with the long solid color shirt flowers very summery, well happy forith and good luck with the bun in the oven and getting back to it when you get time to get back to performing, Of course I am sure you are still keeping at it.
@@jeanettekakareka It's a lot worse than being an idiot because it's incredibly cruel. I heard it second hand from a mother of a teenager, but it sounds like something some school cruel directors would say. That said, a youtube podcast on Dancing with Isabella had a Vaganova student say she never had period at Vaganova. I don't know how common this is but from what I understand this happens at below 11% to 13% bodyfat. I've seen studies where a very thin professional ballerina was 15% so it seems unnecessary to drop below 13% and disrupt the cycle.
@@GeorgeOu yeah I said an idiot because I don't personally *know* of any professional ballet dancer who doesn't get her period. I also just had my baby and I have quite obviously never been fat. I'm absolutely sure there are unhealthy women at my work place--extreme body image issues are definitely a problem in ballet--but it's not *common* to not have a period. And I know many pro dancers all over the world in elite companies like myself. So to say "only fat girls get their period" is just flat-out an idiotic statement and entirely baseless. But like I said, very damaging to say to young people who might believe he's right! And no job or passion on this earth is worth sacrificing your health and the one body we're given. So, it makes me very sad when I hear that anyone thinks they should follow such terrible and damaging "advice". I hope this director has since been fired!
I mean, I can't imagine doing absolutely NOTHING to them (just because I've been using pointe shoes for about 20 years now and it hurts to imagine haha), but I definitely wouldn't suggest doing anything extreme or very personal to a beginner's shoes 🙈
Hello everyone--do you agree or disagree with my AITA deliberations? Let me know in the comments below 😊
Wow! I can’t believe I only found your channel now. SUBSCRIBED!!!
I have so much to say regarding what I’ll call “the ballet ‘company’ that could check all the points in the BITE model”. I’m a professional ballerina trained in Moscow who works in the former Soviet Republics and Eastern Bloc countries as well as in the West for companies associated with the Bolshoi. I was bullied relentlessly for actually being too thin and lanky (all arms and legs) in my native country (I have multiple citizenships): the land of the slim thiccc Kardashian aesthetic. My parents recognized that and coupled with abnormally flexible body and endless energy (I was climbing the furniture, the walls, the trees), they thought to put me in pre ballet/gymnastics classes and of course I loved it. When I was old enough I went to Russia for Ballet Academy. I realized that my body was exactly what was desired and, as it happens there, a former prima ballerina took me under her wing and became my педагог. She made me the ballerina and human I am today. I even lived with her. I’m really grateful for my ongoing happy ending. However, I did witness some stuff: the other girls’ food was controlled but, and I quote, Белочка (my Russian nickname), can eat whatever she wants (that kind of isolated me), later as a professional I saw a wonderful dancer have her costume taken away from her on premiere day because of her weight - it was given to the understudy and we had an hour to rehearse (we were performing the three nymphs in Walpurgis Night), one of my friends was actually taking weight loss pills (I was so innocent and didn’t know how to handle that) and dr*gs - she face planted the stage during Peasant Pas… and finally one day I was tired and a more senior ballerina offered me a “vitamin”, I took it (again I was pretty sheltered living with Yelena and just breathed ballet) and I don’t know what it was (never experienced with that stuff or even alcohol!) but my heart was beating so fast and I was ready for grand allegro when we were still doing pliés!
Ballet is a contact sport and football is a collision sport. I was told that while working in Philadelphia for a Russian company and members of the Philadelphia Eagles 🦅 would come to take classes with the company to improve their footwork. Anyway, I’m horrified by the concussion story and all the other ones too.
Obrigada, mulțumesc,спасибо большое и дякую!
🇵🇹🇧🇷🇷🇴🇷🇺🇺🇦🩰🫶🏻 30:48
Aw thanks for subscribing! 🥰 The journeys of ballet sure can be wild, but it's definitely never an excuse for company-wide mistreatment. I've never heard of one place with so many extremely negative experiences brought forward by dancers. You should listen to the podcast too! It was really interesting. open.spotify.com/episode/2NuqeSwgWi24Atv0ZkFxHo?si=D818ylhHQvi98bPJpNi0JQ
Oh wow I’m away down the rabbit hole on Ballet 5:8 off the back of this!
Yeahhhh it was honestly exhausting to hear all about this... 😔
looks like I am early, you look classy and cheery with the long solid color shirt flowers very summery, well happy forith and good luck with the bun in the oven and getting back to it when you get time to get back to performing, Of course I am sure you are still keeping at it.
Thanks for the well wishes for baby!
I knew you got your hair cut !! It’s looks great :) also yay third trimester !!! And goodness ballet 5:8 💀
Hehe yes I did, thanks ☺ and yeah.... 😶
The menstruate story is nuts.
I've heard of one nightmare male director who said "only f@t girls menstruate"
That male director is a literal idiot 🤣 what's not funny is how many young dancers thought that's at all true...??
@@jeanettekakareka It's a lot worse than being an idiot because it's incredibly cruel. I heard it second hand from a mother of a teenager, but it sounds like something some school cruel directors would say.
That said, a youtube podcast on Dancing with Isabella had a Vaganova student say she never had period at Vaganova. I don't know how common this is but from what I understand this happens at below 11% to 13% bodyfat. I've seen studies where a very thin professional ballerina was 15% so it seems unnecessary to drop below 13% and disrupt the cycle.
@@GeorgeOu yeah I said an idiot because I don't personally *know* of any professional ballet dancer who doesn't get her period. I also just had my baby and I have quite obviously never been fat. I'm absolutely sure there are unhealthy women at my work place--extreme body image issues are definitely a problem in ballet--but it's not *common* to not have a period. And I know many pro dancers all over the world in elite companies like myself. So to say "only fat girls get their period" is just flat-out an idiotic statement and entirely baseless.
But like I said, very damaging to say to young people who might believe he's right!
And no job or passion on this earth is worth sacrificing your health and the one body we're given. So, it makes me very sad when I hear that anyone thinks they should follow such terrible and damaging "advice". I hope this director has since been fired!
@@jeanettekakareka yeah he's both an idiot and very cruel by putting out very harmful information.
Youre not even supposed to break in your first pair of pointe shoes. Thats part of the process of findijg out how you like them.
I mean, I can't imagine doing absolutely NOTHING to them (just because I've been using pointe shoes for about 20 years now and it hurts to imagine haha), but I definitely wouldn't suggest doing anything extreme or very personal to a beginner's shoes 🙈
like you said, you need to let them decide what they like!