10 myths about ballet propagated by cinema that many people believe

Popular culture has given rise to many legends about the backstage lives of ballet professionals. For example, that ballerinas are exhausted due to highly restrictive diets. Another example is the plot of the film Swan Negro, entirely built on the relentless rivalry between two ballerinas. However, many of these stories are nothing more than fiction.

We, from awesome.club, we decided to demystify stories about the backstage of ballet that are far from true. Check out!

Ballerinas have a slender physique. For this reason, many people think that they starve. However, if that were true, they couldn’t be as resilient, maintain muscle mass and have the energy to dance. Therefore, a dancer’s diet is balanced and includes all three main components of a diet: fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Thus, the diet is based on complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits), lean proteins (turkey breast, fish) and good fats (olive oil, nuts). And dancers can eat all day.

Breakfast usually contains a lot of protein (eggs or a protein shake, for example) to give you energy and get you through the day. Lunch can include a mix of vegetables or salads, fish and even chicken breast, and for dinner they eat something to restore their muscles (fresh fruit, for example).

Beginner classes are not only offered to young children, but also to teenagers and even adults. The only issue is that children’s bodies are much more flexible, as between the ages of two and six, muscles are still developing. Therefore, the learned movements will remain in muscle memory much longer.

However, this just means that it is a little harder for adults to learn than for children. There have already been cases of famous dancers who started practicing at an advanced age. For example, Misty Copeland started learning at age 13 and Dwight Rhoden at 17.

A dancer’s curriculum is extremely specific and focused. However, this does not mean that they are uneducated. Such world ballet stars as Maya Plisetskaya, Rudolf Nureyev and others had higher education.

In addition to physical training, dancers also engage in academic disciplines related to their profession. For example, the History of Dance, Fundamentals of Dance and so on.

Some higher education institutions offer academic training that includes dance courses. Students study the arts and, at the end of their studies, receive a Bachelor or Master of Arts degree.

Ballet can be considered as a sport, to some extent. And, as with any sport, there really is competition. However, the dancers themselves say that there are no acts of cruelty or sabotage among themselves.

Dancer Hugo Marchand said they are much calmer in reality, as opposed to how they are portrayed on the big screen. They guarantee that they always sympathize with their stage colleagues. Otherwise, it would be impossible to maintain communication with the same people for years, undergoing exhausting training side by side.

Rehearsal at the Bolshoi Theater.

The dancers’ working day is practically the same as most people’s: it starts at 10am and ends at 6pm, with breaks between rehearsals. On show days, practice can start later, but 3-4 hours are always set aside for rehearsal.

This routine is followed six days a week. In addition to a day off, dancers also have vacations, which usually last about two weeks a year.

Dancing on tiptoes does not translate well to the true essence of dance techniques. Yes, the dancer’s foot should be fully extended, but the shoe has a kind of “box” at the ends that helps the dancer to stand on the tip of the foot.

In addition, classical ballet is characterized by constant up and down movements, so ballerinas rarely stand on their toes for a long time. Some dancers wear flat-soled shoes or even heels. Moreover, nowadays it is possible to choose not to wear pointe shoes.

Modern ballet goes far beyond just performing classic fairy tales, such as The Nutcracker or Swan Lake, staged with classical music and the traditional tulle skirt. Producers are always trying to appeal to a wider audience.

The choice of stories for the productions is very rich, and the mixing of different dance styles and the use of modern technologies, such as background projections, have already become common practices. Even the costumes changed: dancers began to wear clothes close to street style more often, such as overalls and leggings.

In addition, musical genres also go beyond classical. For example, you can now watch a rock ballet. One such production (pictured above right) is dedicated to David Bowie and uses the compositions of this popular musician.

Nowadays, ballet is no longer just a pastime for high-society crowds. It is not even necessary to have a dress code to attend a show, as used to be the case. Ballet companies are trying to expand their repertoire to appeal to people of different ages, cultures and social backgrounds.

One of the UK’s biggest ballet companies, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, even creates productions for people with disabilities.

Most performers do their own stage makeup. Therefore, they must know all the techniques to make the makeup vivid so that even the distant audience can see it.

For example, New York City Ballet dancers arrive an hour or two before their performance. Although they have hair and makeup helpers, they handle everything from contouring your face to putting on false eyelashes.

Research has revealed that male dancers constantly face prejudice due to their profession. They are considered weak and effeminate and these stereotypes persist to this day.

However, the male dance technique is completely different from the female one. It is much more athletic and focuses more on jumping. In addition, dancers need to make more masculine and strong movements. Lightness and delicacy are not desirable.

Some famous people known for their manly roles in action films have done ballet. Like, for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Have you ever watched a ballet show? What myths have you heard about and believed to be true? Tell us in the comments section!