ballet body issues - BONGDATV

This paper explores what is perceived and believed to be an ideal ballet body by young ballet dancers. Such bodily belief becomes, in Pierre Bourdieu's terms, a core part of a ballet dancer's habitus.

But thanks to the advent of social media and a greater societal awareness of body image in recent years, all that has changed—and ballet has quietly become a huge cultural influence. In 2015, Misty Copeland broke barriers when she became the first black woman to garner a coveted position of a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.

Four main themes emerged: (a) ballet culture—"it's not all tutus and tiaras"; (b) professional ballet dancers' identity—"it is a part of me"; (c) mental health experiences—"you have to compartmentalize"; and (d) counseling and advocacy—"the dance population is unique."

Misty Copeland was living her dream as a ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre. Then her body issues threatened to derail her career.