# Ask the Ballerina **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332 "2004-12-11T18:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/21 "2004-12-12T05:35:07Z")
I’ve heard that ballet dancers have serious problems with arthritic joints later in life. Is there any truth to this and how does it compare (%-wise) to other atheltic endeavors? ---
**Author:** ![ridealong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@ridealong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ridealong)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/22 "2004-12-12T08:01:39Z")
Related to the previous question about smoking to reduce appetite, do you feel general pressure to hold your weight below what would be normal for someone of your age and body type? One of the most chilling passages in Gelsey Kirkland’s autobiography is where she says that for a while she was so desperate to keep “Mr. B” happy that each morning she cut one apple into four pieces, and they were her entire breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snack. Could you ever see that happening to you, or to girls you know? Would you get out of ballet if it started to hurt your health? Come to think of it, have you read her book? If you have, what do you think? ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/23 "2004-12-12T12:45:32Z")
Always wanted to know this…what are male ballet dancers called? ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/24 "2004-12-12T12:57:26Z")
> [@bigdfrombigd](#): > > Always wanted to know this…what are male ballet dancers called? [The Powers That Be addressed this question!](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmalebal.html) Sorry to horn in, **flamingbananas**. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/25 "2004-12-12T14:35:43Z")
This thread is better suited for [**Cafe Society**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=13). I’ll move it for you. **Cajun Man** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/26 "2004-12-12T16:44:38Z")
What are your favorite ballet movies? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/27 "2004-12-12T18:39:43Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > I’ve heard that ballet dancers have serious problems with arthritic joints later in life. Is there any truth to this and how does it compare (%-wise) to other atheltic endeavors? I can only answer for my sister, who started dancing as a small child and was on crutches in her twenties–fortunately, through good medical care and physical therapy, her knees and ankles are just a bit stiff now (she’s 51). But yes, by her late teens she had to give up dancing because of leg problems. I think she told me her dancing school had _concrete floors_, which is akin to hiring Tonya Harding to kneecap you. ---
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/28 "2004-12-12T19:03:15Z")
Sorry! I thought I answered this all earlier this morning, but it turns out it didn’t load before AOL booted me off line for a couple of hours. > [@](#): > > Heh. I must have been in a weird school, then. Every girl who wasn’t showing real promise was pushed to leave around 11 or 12. Before that, everyone was in the spring ballet, but in groups for background parts. I seriously think they made some of the roles up, especially for the 4-year-olds. the older girls on pointe and the instrustors got starring roles. > > And we never once did Nutcracker. The competing school had a lock on it. Did you go to a very professional and serious school? Most studios now a days won’t try and make girls leave who aren’t star material. > [@](#): > > I have a niece who got reasonably serious about ballet, but then gave it up. One reason she cited was the pressure that all the girls she knew felt to get & stay extremely thin, and the fact that nearly all of them felt you had to smoke in order to achieve this (she was/is rather thin, but not “as a rail” and she definitely didn’t want to start smoking). > > So - was her experience unusual, or is this sort of thing common? Weight wise it’s normal for girls to be pushed to be thin, but pushing them to smoke is unusual. Did this happen recently? I can’t imagine teachers pushing their students to smoke just so they would stay thin when everyone now knows how terrible smoking is for you. > [@](#): > > I’ve heard that ballet dancers have serious problems with arthritic joints later in life. Is there any truth to this and how does it compare (%-wise) to other atheltic endeavors? As soon as my computer lets me do a search I’ll find an article that compares arthritic joints in ballet as to other sports. But yes, dancers are known to get arthritic feet because of all the pressure and useage their feet handle. > [@](#): > > Related to the previous question about smoking to reduce appetite, do you feel general pressure to hold your weight below what would be normal for someone of your age and body type? One of the most chilling passages in Gelsey Kirkland’s autobiography is where she says that for a while she was so desperate to keep “Mr. B” happy that each morning she cut one apple into four pieces, and they were her entire breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snack. Could you ever see that happening to you, or to girls you know? Would you get out of ballet if it started to hurt your health? > > Come to think of it, have you read her book? If you have, what do you think? No, I haven’t read her book but it sounds intresting so I’ll look for it next time I’m at a book store. Different ballet schools and studios all have a different technique and standards then the next, and while some schools are very strict about their dancer’s weight, other schools are more laid back about it. My studio is more of a laid back school so girls that dance there would never be pushed so hard to loose weight that they only eat a single apple a day. I doubt any girls at my studio would go to this extreme, but people do drastic things when under pressure. > [@](#): > > The Powers That Be addressed this question! > > Sorry to horn in, flamingbananas. No worries! I didn’t even know Cecil wrote on that subject! He really does cover all! W > [@](#): > > hat are your favorite ballet movies? Firebird and, of course, The Nutcracker. > [@Eve](#): > > I can only answer for my sister, who started dancing as a small child and was on crutches in her twenties–fortunately, through good medical care and physical therapy, her knees and ankles are just a bit stiff now (she’s 51). But yes, by her late teens she had to give up dancing because of leg problems. > I think she told me her dancing school had concrete floors, which is akin to hiring Tonya Harding to kneecap you. Concret floors? That must have been so hard to dance on. We have this flexible wood floor which is much easier to dance on then concrete. I’m sorry for what happened to your sister, dance can sometimes seriously mess up your body. At least she had a good physical trainer. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/29 "2004-12-12T21:36:33Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > _What are your favorite ballet movies?_ > > Firebird and, of course, The Nutcracker. OK, so which Nutcracker? And is it available on DVD? I have a video we taped from TV that is OK, but the only DVDs I’ve been able to find star either Barbie or Macaulay Culkin, and there is no way I’m getting that dreck. If you know of one available that is good, please tell me! Sorry that I’m kind of harping on the Nutcracker here. I don’t mean to. I’d like to see _Swan Lake_, too. And I spent most of highschool with a crush on a dancer boy–he’s a professional in New York now. And yes, he’s gay, but I didn’t figure that out till we were 18 or so. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/30 "2004-12-12T23:23:52Z")
Have you seen **The Turning Poiny**? ---
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/31 "2004-12-13T00:38:35Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > OK, so which Nutcracker? And is it available on DVD? I have a video we taped from TV that is OK, but the only DVDs I’ve been able to find star either Barbie or Macaulay Culkin, and there is no way I’m getting that dreck. If you know of one available that is good, please tell me! > > Sorry that I’m kind of harping on the Nutcracker here. I don’t mean to. I’d like to see _Swan Lake_, too. And I spent most of highschool with a crush on a dancer boy–he’s a professional in New York now. And yes, he’s gay, but I didn’t figure that out till we were 18 or so. Sigh. Macaulay Culkin or not, that version is pretty good. We have that at the studio. I’ve watched quite a few versions and though nothing is better then seeing it live, I think that’s the best one. > [@](#): > > Have you seen **The Turning Poiny**? I must say, I’ve never seen **The Turning Poiny**. :wally ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/32 "2004-12-13T03:12:22Z")
what about **The Company**? Brian ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/33 "2004-12-13T03:23:26Z")
If one were to go from first position to fourth, do you just snap to the new position, or is there an intermediate step? ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/34 "2004-12-13T05:48:08Z")
> [@flamingbananas](#): > > I must say, I’ve never seen **The Turning Poiny**. > :wally Kiss my fat (non-ballerina) ass! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/35 "2004-12-13T20:52:18Z")
Hey, hey, hey now this isn’t the Pit. The only asses we should be discussing are one’s sveltly slipped into black leotards, m’kay? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/36 "2004-12-13T23:58:09Z")
Ever seen the “Dance Of The Hours” sequence from “Fantasia”? Funniest ballet parody ever. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/37 "2004-12-14T00:18:59Z")
How much does an average adult female ballerina weigh? 110? 120? 130? 140? On the one hand, they’re pretty muscular. On the other hand, they want to be light and svelte. Also, is height good or bad? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332/38 "2004-12-14T00:47:45Z")
A few years ago I took a Contemporary Dance course at univeristy (hey - you gotta have options!), and as a requirement we had to write a paper - I chose to interview a prominant dancer here in town who does CD. She’s 5’11" and started out in ballet. She danced for the Royal Ballet in winnipeg, and was a prima ballarina for a while, but she was forced to leave because: 1. she was taller than her male leads 2. she could only do solos because she stood out in groups 3. keeping her weight below 130 at 5’11" was really difficult for her. I guess 130 was the Winnipeg Ballet’s max, because if you’re going to leap into someone’s arms, it doesn’t look good if you crush them. Anyhoo - that’s what she said in regard to weight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-ballerina/279332.md?page=1)