How to Spot the Ideal Body Shape for Ballet
Ballet has expanded in recent years, with some companies moving out of the purely classical form. As a result, body type has become less of a concern for skilled dancers. However, even with ballet's new attitude, there are some general characteristics that create the ideal body shape for the dance.
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Instructions
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See the person's overall proportions. Ballet's elegance and focus on height lead to a preference for a dancer with long and lean limbs, with a relatively short torso to help emphasize leg and arm movements.
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Asses his height and weight. The ideal for men is around 6 foot, with a few inches leeway. A woman should be between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-8 to have the ideal body type for ballet. Men and women should both be on the light side, with some women of the ideal type weighing as little as 90 lbs.
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Consider her curves if she's a woman. Ideally, a ballet dancer should have a small bust and posterior, with a somewhat masculine but elegant build.
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Examine the shoulder-to-hip ratio. Both male and female dancers should have larger shoulders than hips. The ideal look for a female dancer is slightly sloping shoulders, while males shouldn't have bulky shoulder muscles.
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Look at her neck. The ideal dancer, whether male or female, has a somewhat long neck held upright to help convey the elegance of the dance.
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Notice his legs and natural foot position. Ballet movements require turn out in the legs, and a bowlegged dancer has a better natural ability to perform the movements. Ideally, his feet are naturally turned out as well.
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Watch when she stands with straight legs. For balance and visual aesthetics, the ideal ballet dancer's knees have slight hyperextension when they aren't bent.
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Check his posture. Though you can correct posture, someone without posture problems has an easier time developing ballet skill.
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