From tragic incidents to gruesome injuries, this is what happens when ballet goes wrong:
Number 8 Emma Livry Emma Livry was a gifted 19th century ballerina,
who suffered a tragic death.
On November 15, 1862, the 20-year-old was rehearsing for a show in which she played
the title role.
During her second-act entrance, Livry shook out her skirts, which caught fire on a gaslight.
She burst into flames, clasping the burning material to her torso, out of modesty.
Livry ran across the stage three times before other dancers and firemen extinguished the
flames that had engulfed her body.
The doctors in attendance examined her and found that pieces of her costume had melted
into her flesh.
Whatever remained of her costume can still be viewed at the Opera Museum, in Paris.
Livry had severe burns on her waist, back, thighs, shoulders and arms.
The incident could have reportedly been avoided as they were fire-materials at the time.
Yet, even after suffering for months because of her burns, Livry still claimed ‘should
I ever return to the stage, I would never think of wearing them-they are so ugly’.
She died in 1863, after her wounds opened up and she developed septicemia.
Number 7 Anna Pavlova Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova is one of the
best-known figures in ballet history.
The ‘Dying Swan’ role, created alongside choreographer Mikhail Fokine, has inspired
ballerinas for decades.
Pavlova danced with the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes before she formed her
own ballet company.
She became the first ballerina to take ballet around the world, touring in the United States,
India, Australia and South America.
Pavlova developed pneumonia while touring the Netherlands and her doctors told her that
she would need surgery.
They also told her the operation meant she would never dance again.
To this Pavlova reportedly answered ‘If I can’t dance then I’d rather be dead.’
Her determination to keep dancing eventually led to her death.
She succumbed to pleurisy in 1931, a few weeks before her 50th birthday.
Number 6 Alexander Money-Kyrle In 1998, Alexander Money-Kyrle died during
rehearsal for a production of Romeo and Juliet with the Dutch National Ballet, in Amsterdam.
The 35-year-old had tried to rescue the production’s director, who’d fallen off stage after mistaking
the dark safety netting for part of it.
The director landed in the orchestra pit and Money-Kyrle rushed to his aid, falling head
first from several feet.
He died from his injuries in the hospital, two days later.
An inquiry revealed that there wasn’t sufficient lighting on the stage.
Additionally, the orchestra pit, which was normally raised to stage level, had been lowered
that day to allow access for electricians.
His death was ruled accidental.
Number 5 Ageism and Sexism The career of a ballet dancer is quite short.
Most of them begin dancing professionally when they’re 19 and transition to a different
career by their mid-30s.
There have been complaints of ageism in ballet as most of the choreography is often created
in such a way that it can only be executed by a dancer that’s relatively young.
The way ballet is commonly structured has often drawn criticism for not respecting women.
These critiques are often focused on a male director or choreographer, who uses women’s
bodies as the medium for his artistic vision, but who often objectifies, ignores or silences
the women involved in the process.
Number 4 Stress Training in ballet comes with a great degree
of perfectionism.
Ballet dancers are under constant expectations to conform to highly exigent standards.
Competition in their trade is fierce and the positions in prestigious companies are limited.
Those selected for the principal role in a production know that many others would consider
themselves very fortunate to be in that same position.
It isn’t uncommon for them to fear that they’re going to be replaced.
That’s why many perform even if their health is in jeopardy.
They weather through the grueling pain caused by their injuries, without ever showing it.
There’s also the fear that, if they contact a doctor they’ll be given the crushing news
that they should give up dancing.
The stress of being replaced, the pressure of performing and the fear of failure can
often lead to serious mental issues.
Recent studies have found that dancers tend to have a higher ‘psychological inflexibility’-a
state of mind connected to anxiety and depression in teenagers.
It involves an excessive involvement in internal events, such as memories, emotions and thoughts,
which can ultimately prove detrimental to mental health.
Number 3 Eating Disorders For ballerinas, body image issues start early.
Many ballet schools hold regular weigh-ins, which ballet dancers must take part in from
a young age.
Many dancers starve themselves in the days leading up to the weigh-ins and, even so,
they’re often told they need to lose more weight.
Because ballet is a visual expression and the dancers wear skin-tight clothes, they
become extremely self-conscious about the way they look.
In some circles, the body of the ballerina is viewed as the ideal body type but, in order
to obtain it, dancers often push themselves to unhealthy limits.
Some choose to follow drastic diets as well as smoke cigarettes and drink coffee to keep
their weight down.
The problem with this is that their bodies become frail, even though their craft requires
a high level of strength and flexibility.
A study revealed that ballet dancers are three times more likely to develop an eating disorder
while another indicates that one in five dancers typically suffers from such a condition.
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are statistically high among
ballet dancers.
Common effects of eating disorders include extreme slenderness, hair loss, infertility
or anemia due to iron deficiency.
If they’re not getting enough calcium, it can lead to bone deterioration.
Also, due to the lack of proper nourishment, the muscles begin to consume themselves.
This is can be a life-threatening issue if the muscular deterioration ends up affecting
the heart.
Yet, there are dancers who seem to be defying the ideal ballerina stereotype.
Misty Copeland, a soloist for American Ballet Theater, was considered a ‘prodigy’ in
her youth, but her bones were becoming brittle.
She was given birth control pills to trigger the hormones that would strengthen her bones.
However, her body began to change and she started to gain weight, with which she initially
struggled.
However, Copeland would eventually become the staple of the ‘strong’ ballerina,
in contrast with the traditional ‘frail’ body type.
Number 2 Other Health Issues Research suggests that ballet dancers suffer
injuries to such an extent that their profession is comparable to that of athletes in contact
sports.
The wear and tear on their bodies is among the reasons why their careers are so short.
Arthritis, an inflammation of the joints, is one of the most common ailments they experience.
It’s characterized by pain and stiffness in their ankles and knees.
Their hips are affected by the imbalance of the amount of turn out and turn in during
the routines.
In some cases, ballerinas undergo hip replacements once their career is over.
Aside from that, the lower back is subjected to repetitive shocks and they can suffer knee
injuries in the form of meniscal or cartilage tears.
Out of all these medical issues, one rises above the rest as the most notorious injury
associated with ballet.
Number 1 Ballerina Feet The feet are perhaps the most commonly injured
part of a ballerina’s body.
This is because a lot of the movements they perform have to be executed ‘en pointe’.
What this means is that their entire body weight is supported by the tips of their feet.
Ballerinas wear special lightweight shoes, which offer little in the way of protection.
The shoes and the demanding moves that have to be performed over and over again, eventually
wreak havoc on the feet.
Cuts, bruises, blisters and calluses are frequent occurrences.
Nails break, grow inward or even fall off and the trauma can sometimes result in infections.
It’s why some ballerinas opt to have their nails removed entirely.
Ballerinas have to arch their feet to create certain lines and this causes pain and swelling
in the plantar fascia, a strip of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot.
Sprains and stress fractures aren’t uncommon nor is the fact that a dancer will often choose
to power through them, which results in more serious damage.
Male ballet dancers have to experience the toll their profession takes on their feet
as well.
The movements they perform frequently involve jumps, turns or lifts, which often result
in broken toes, sprained ankles or Achilles tendon injuries.
From afar, the performances that ballet dancers put on may look graceful, flowing and effortless.
However, few of those who admire the shows are aware of the physical and psychological
anguish that dancers sometimes have to go through.
Thanks for watching!
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