Little girls dreamed of dancing beside her, and from the time of her popularity until the present day her small "ballet figure" has become mandatory to succeed in the ballet world. (The Incidence rate of Anorexia in ballet dancers) Balanchine, New York City Ballet's founder, is the other major reason dancers today would literally die for the ultra-skinny body of a professional ballerina. Balanchine is created with creating the concept of the ideal ballet body. He would often tell his dancers that he wanted to "see their bones" and these very same dancers are the ones who now control many professional companies. A "Balanchine body" is one with narrow hips, little or no fat deposits, long, lean legs, a short, slim torso, small breasts, and delicate looking arms(Dance Magazine). Not many people genetically fit that description, which is why the prevalence of eating disorders is so great among ballet dancers. .
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Ballet is a very disciplined art form. Every muscle must be in the right place, every head in the same position at the same time, and every toe pointed and lifted to an exact degree. Many hours of preparation go into every performance which is why professional dancers tend to be bright, hard driven, high achieving, and obsessive compulsive. Dancers like to believe they are disciplined and passionate enough to disregard their need for food. .
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The classic anorexic's motive often comes from low self-esteem and is more about disciplining yourself not to eat than about reaching a certain weight. It is a very different situation for dancers. The simple truth is that if a ballerina is not a certain weight, she will most likely not get a job, there is no such thing as a "fat ballerina"(Dance Magazine). This ultra-thin requirement for dancers is what you learn at a very young age, through comments made by dance teachers, partners, parents, and the dance media. In class, dancers are told to suck in their stomachs, stand up straight, tuck their rear end under, lengthen their necks and point their toes.
