Classical Ballet: Physical Limitations

In the art of Classical Ballet, there are needs that need to be met. There are physical attributes that are highly coveted in the world of Ballet, many of them natural things that you cannot change like height and the length of a limb. There are also technical skills which can be natural to a point, but people work on years to develop. Though physical attributes may decide a lot for a ballerina's career, there are however exceptions. In my past experiences with Ballet, I have never been the top of my class, but I have never been at the bottom of my class, I manage to scrape by with my physical limitations, still trying to develop of course. Many of these said physical traits are needed solely for the purpose of partnering, which is a huge part of Ballet, but I have never needed to do anything with a partner (Pas de Deux, Pas de Trois, etc.) I've always known I don't have ideal body for a male ballerina, but I never knew exactly why or what qualities I did or didn't possess. However, after taking a look at the wonderful and detailed book, Classical Ballet Technique, it gave me a lot of insight, as well as help executing certain movements, and ways to improve.

In the third chapter of part one, it begins on the ideal body of a dancer for both male and female. For male dancers the ideal height range is anywhere between "5 feet 9 inches - 6 feet 2 inches" (Warren 68) and the ideal weight of a male dancer is within the range "135 - 165 pounds" (Warren 68) my own body being 5'8" and 108 pounds, just below the height minimum and well under the desired weight. But, if we backpedal just a couple pages we look at the ideal female dancer's body with the height range of "5 feet 2 inches - 5 feet 8 inches" (Warren 66) and the weight span being "85 - 115 pounds" (Warren 66) which oddly enough, my body meets on the larger end. Of course these body types are mainly due to the large part that male dancers whenever dancing with a female are there to make the female appear beautiful and her movements effortless as he lifts her over his head with one hand.



Moving forward a bit, we begin to look at the variations in feet. A good foot has a medium arch and is demonstrated in the book, and I had never really looked at my point that in depth to see such a lack of an arch in my foot. The book also shows an overly arched foot calling it "beautiful, but can be weak en pointe and prone to rolling." (Warren 70) I have a straight foot which it says "lacks desired arch, but is acceptable if used well." (Warren 70) and that last part really got me thinking, how it says if used well it is acceptable. This relates not only to Ballet but to everyday life, where if you use whatever you have well it is acceptable. It also was a bit of encouragement for my lack of the ideal physique, but if I use my body well enough and with enough precision it is acceptable, not phenomenal and coveted, but acceptable. At the very least I don't have what the book calls an "Unacceptable foot; ankle is unable to stretch fully." (Warren 70)

I am very pleased with what I have gotten out of Classical Ballet Technique as it has helped me understand my body in the art, as well as helping me understand that I can overcome these limitations. Have you ever overcame a physical limitation in a sport/art? Have you ever given up due to a physical limitation? Please let me know! I would love to hear about your experiences, and I am of course certainly open to tips and pointers! Please let me know in the comments.