The Australian Ballet has hit back at a scathing review of its latest show Études and Circle Electric, after a critic commented that dancers seemed ‘unusually thin’.
The cheeky review was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 5 and saw dance critic Chantal Nguyen award the Sydney Opera House performance just 1.5 out of five stars.
In one passage, Nguyen wrote, “The dancers are fantastic, although – and perhaps this was the lighting – they seem unusually thin this season.”
Australian Ballet artistic director David Hallberg has since hit back, saying comments about dancers’ bodies will not be tolerated.
“Comments about body image are not acceptable and I am forced to address this,” Hallberg, who is also an acclaimed ballet dancer, said in a statement.
The Australian Ballet has hit back at a scathing review of its latest show Études and Circle Electric, after a critic commented that dancers seemed ‘unusually thin’. (Image: David Hallberg, Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet)
“Comments about weight, shape and body comparisons can have a serious negative impact on a person’s self-esteem and body image and can be harmful to individuals’ mental and physical health,” he continued.
Noting that professional ballet dancers are at “high risk” of developing “body image issues, eating disorders and eating disorders,” Hallberg said these types of comments “must be eradicated from our art form, from sporting codes and from society.”
He then highlighted the Australian Ballet’s commitment to maintaining a positive environment for dancers by working with the National Eating Disorders Collaboration.
“Comments about weight, shape and body comparisons can have a serious negative impact on a person’s self-esteem and body image and can be harmful to individuals’ mental and physical health,” Hallberg said in a statement. (Photo: Australian Ballet dancers)
Together, the organizations have created a set of “Body Image and Disordered Eating Guidelines” to help dancers adopt healthy habits while preventing and managing eating disorders.
“We believe that by taking the steps outlined in this plan, we can create a safe and supportive environment in which our dancers can thrive both on and off stage, build long and fulfilling careers, and excel in their lives after dancing,’ Hallberg said.
Speaking to the ABCHallberg said while the Australian Ballet ‘welcomes criticism of the art form’, it does not welcome criticism of the bodies, shapes and sizes of ‘dancers’.
He claimed the Australian Ballet asked the Sydney Morning Herald to remove the line, but the publication refused.
“They said they thought it was, quite frankly, ridiculous that any discussion of body image couldn’t be discussed in a review,” Hallberg claimed.
Noting that professional ballet dancers are at “high risk” of developing “body image issues, eating disorders and eating disorders,” Hallberg said these types of comments “must be eradicated from our art form, from sporting codes and from society.” (Image: a dancer from the Australian Ballet)
