Ballet and Diet ?
Ballet and physical fitness are a rather risky and controversial theme. Nevertheless, by constantly receiving questions about my weight and my eating habits from non-dancers, it seemed interesting to open this subject here on this open platform.
Today I want to share my subjective vision on this subject. I am aware that I am not a dietician, so I will refrain from sharing any kind of advice. However, having attended conferences on dietetics and following my own research, I established eating habits that met my needs while meeting my requirements.
It is important to note that a healthy body is a constant search for balance. Finding this balance in a demanding environment like ballet is not always so simple, and it would be a lie not to admit that many dancers encounter difficulties with body weight.
In a world that promotes body positivity, what about ballet weight?
Why do dancers have this pressure to hold a low weight?
Like any high-level sport, to achieve the most efficient results, it is necessary not to have extra pounds. Imagine the difference and the efforts needed to add in order to jump if you add 1kg of weight to each leg. These few kilos in the short term may not bother you, but with physical effort such as cardio, they will.
In most ballets, there are duets, which means a woman dancing with a masculine partner; this includes, of course, lifts. Lifts are more or less complex. I consider it a responsibility to keep a lighter weight in order not to break your partner's back and facilitate the technical aspects.
Ballet is quite similar to sculpture. We cultivate lines, seek harmony, and shape the body. Consequently, the lines are visible only at a certain weight
Ballet is a competitive environment, especially for women. If you want to dance more, you need to have the best shape, and not only.
Ballet is a visual art; it is supposed to inspire and make people dream. Our body is our instrument, and it can't be just common; it must be unreal, beautiful, fascinating, and not earthly. This is what will create the magic. So body positivity in this case is too far from the ethereal essence of Ballet.
There is a high level of criticism in ballet, from your colleagues to the public. It naturally encourages you to pay attention to every detail, and that starts with your appearance.
How can low weight be dangerous, and what can you do to prevent this danger ?
In the long term, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Our body needs resources to regenerate; otherwise, it can break, which leads to more or less serious injuries.
Even if you eat very little, you need to keep in mind that you need vitamins, proteins and sugar to function. I try to add fresh juice and a lot of protein to my diet because I know my muscles need it.
There is no ideal weight; it's very personal. For each woman, there is a minimum weight not to be exceeded in order not to disrupt the menstrual cycle. To know it, you have to experience it; seek this limit to know what you can and can't.
How is it possible to be skinny like a ballerina ?
If you spend hours training, naturally, the body melts. There is no other miracle than an endless workout.
As a ballerina, we work from 11 in the morning to sometimes 23 in the evening, and this is six days a week, at least in Russia. Sometimes, my day off jumps, and I work ten days non-stop. So I can admit that working is more a habit than resting.
When you train physically all along the day, you may want to eat something to get energy back, but you rarely want to eat something heavy. Many dancers eat small portions or snack on something small between rehearsals, not because they are afraid to gain weight, but rather because it will be physically uncomfortable to eat more. You just can't eat more.
I often skip a real dinner. In general, lunch is rather late, and when coming home after the show, you are often too lazy to have a real dinner.
Sometimes you can be so tired that you don't even want to eat, you just need to sleep.
When you love what you do, you can get lost in the process and only then realize that you still haven't eaten.
Drink water more often, especially when you are hungry, and avoid eating junk food after 6 p.m.
It's important to understand what weight you want to reach, and the reasons why you want to feel and look that way. This helps you find the motivation you need to change your habits.
I share my opinion on this aspect, but in no way am I trying to convince you of the veracity of this vision or of this way of life.
If you like a ballerina's body, know that this is possible not in a day but over years of work that requires unreal dedication. A dancer's body is the result of hours of education, of cultivation of lines, and of research for harmony in one's body.
If, on the contrary, you don't like it, please don't judge.
