15 Sad Realities of Being A Professional Ballet Dancer

What does it take to be a Professional Ballerina? These stories will reveal the sad truth about being a Ballet Dancer.
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Being a ballet dancer may look glamorous, but the reality is often anything but. There are some dark secrets professional ballerinas do their best to keep hidden and there are some strict rules they’re expected to follow if they want to make it to the top. Everyone knows these performers need special shoes, but you might be surprised how much they cost and how many of them they go through. It’s a huge time commitment so some dancers opt for private boarding schools. It’s an expensive art, made worse by a gender pay gap and a meager average salary. To make matters worse, most are forced into an early retirement because of foot problems or other serious issues regarding their physical and mental health. Many performers suffer from eating disorders at surprisingly young ages and an emphasis on perfection can lead to severe depression. Inside the life of a pro ballet dancer is incredibly challenging, but many can’t imagine living any other way because they’re so passionate about their profession. Most have been involved in the lifestyle since they were children and the art is all they know.

What do you think about the trials and tribulations these talented performers face over the course of their careers? Do you think they’re necessary to master this incredible artform or do they go way too far? Let us know what you think in the comment section below and don’t forget to like this video and hit the subscribe button for more great content from The Talko.

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[avaharker]

Being a dancer is seriously so hard. I’m only 16, but I’ve been dancing for 13 years and I’m currently attending a ballet boarding school in hopes that I will become a professional one day. Just at my age alone, I’ve already suffered a few major injuries, including a hip flexor surgery. It’s seriously so incredibly difficult, but pop culture acts as though we are all soft. The truth is, we are the most athletic and undermined. We make it look so easy because of how hard it actually is.

[defnegursel]

Although there are a lot of sad realities, people tend to skip over the good parts of ballet.

[cynthiaesquibel]

It is not for the money, never about the money..dance is an all consuming passion, it is all worth it. Every bit of the pain is worth it..you feel so beautiful, so powerful, when performing, all the mental pain disappears on the stage, then you are truly alive.

[bellak]

My dance instructor doesn't encourage us to lose weight she just tells us to eat healthy

[potato]

Finally, people recognize how hard a ballerina's day is. People judged me for being too "atached" to ballet🙄

[cindycigoli]

Very good to talk about the negative sides to being a ballet dancer. Being an ex-ballet dancer myself, I know all about these things. When I was in NY, and trained with the ABT, I got to know Wendy Weelan personally. A lovely dancer and very kind person. That's rare. She even gave me some of her point shoes, as we had similar sizes and point demands. This helped me, during my stay there.
Unless one is extreemly gifted, passionate about ballet, has lots of stamina, will power and works very hard, and especially has good contacts within the field, one shouldn't do this very stranious job. There is a lot of mental manipulation too, be it from teachers, directors or oneself... Later in life one usually regrets to have given one's all to such an ephermery and very tough job/passion. Eventhough, I still looove ballet, and the family we have within the field. Nothing like it elsewhere! But, it's only for the rare few...
Good luck to all!

[ameliamedina]

dancers are way too underpaid for the amount of work they put into it

[hatstephla]

What these people didn’t mention that in most professional companies, the pointe shoes are given out. The companies provide the shoes for all the dancers.

[justinchristoph]

I worked with a young woman whose aunt had once been a professional ballet dancer. The aunt's whole life for over a decade was consumed by ballet. She didn't date, have any friends outside of ballet and considered having to attend school on non-ballet subjects as something that got in her way of her dancing. To say she was obsessed was an understatement. She was apprenticed to a regional ballet company at 17. When she was 18, she was in a car accident and just like that, her career in dance was over. It took her a long time to adjust because she didn't plan or make room for anything else in her life before the accident. Eventually, she went to college, got a degree, married and divorced. She went out of her way to avoid anything to do with ballet. The woman said one time when her aunt was in her 40s, her aunt accidentally saw a ballet performance on public television and watched it all the way through instead of turning it off like she usually did. She got really, really sad afterwards and stayed in bed for the rest of the weekend. The woman's father, who was the aunt's brother, said it was almost like she was a war veteran with PTSD.

[savannahwright]

video: about ballet
editor: uses rhythmic gymnastics videos

[mimimi]

That animated background dancer was offensive lol

[olgaaleman]

I really enjoyed my life as a dancer / I enjoyed each class making each movement better than the day before. Feeling that I improved putting the maximum energy and enjoying the piano music in the class. The presentation was always an extra gift. Living and feeling the dance every day is the happiness of a dancer's soul.

[alisade]

It’s the passion that keeps them going but they really should be compensated better. I’m shocked at how little they make.

[chloe-ffmu]

as much as this sounds scary, the people on dance or ballet stay on because they love it. the passion for dance sticks with you, and i can't imagine what will happen if i stop dancing.

[corpsemelon]

I started training at 4 years old for ballet, currently I'm 10, It's seriously so hard, we have to train while being on our menstruation. I have anxiety performing on stage can be bad, I saw a girls from older classes being rushed to the hospital be cause they had malnutrition, my instructor only told us to eat healthy and not to put pressure on ourselves. my advice is to be healthy and don't pressure yourself. love to all ballerinas out there

[elizabethjeffersonespinoza]

I feel like I’m seeing much healthier looking bodies on ballerinas these days compared to the 90s.

[imo]

seeing these comments makes me feel appreciated for being a dancer when usually im being told its easy and not a sport. its more than a sport its an art form.

[isabellaissosoboring]

The people that made this vid doesn’t know that if your a professional working with a company, they will pay for your pointe shoes lmao

[chayener]

“A dancer dies twice” couldn’t describe it better. I was a professional dancer but then had to stop dancing completely because of an knee injury. It literally felt and after 2 years still feels like I died that moment.
Now It feels more like existing that actually living.

[adaliia]

I’m a dancer myself and yes it does hurt but it’s FUN