Just to clarify, cause otherwise it really is beastiality, the swan is actually an enchanted princess who turns back into a human at night. And that’s who the prince fell in love with, not the actual swan. Not trying to be an ass, but as a ballet nerd, I must!
❤❤❤I put both my daughters into ballet, tap and jazz from age 5. They loved it. They "lived" at the studio, and dance was the main staple of their childhood. If they weren't at home they were at the dance school. The eldest is now 45 and still goes to anything related to dance she can find, adult ballet, tap, latin, egyptian and belly. The youngest took ballet all the way to Advanced II, and then she had two years in a musical theatre course. My son did tap and still does it at age 42. It was a commitment involving the whole family. I did all the sewing except the tutus. I made her last tutu and was so proud of myself. Dance is the absolute best thing out for children! It last a lifetime. They learn much more than being able to dance.😊 Their dance school NEVER talked about weight!
You sound like an AMAZING mom. I wish with all my heart that MY parents had taken notice of my talents and appreciated my love of performing. I was "born to be in Broadway" all the members of my family used to say to me. I was always making up little plays and sing songs. Holidays were my time to shine. I made my costumes and would rehearse my "number" so year getting ready for November for my Thanksgiving performance. Mom drank the first half of my life, she barely noticed herself let alone her talented child. This may sound arrogant but I'm not. I just wish things were different. All through highschool I was in dance and theater and choir then Acappella and Madrigals. I was in every musicals all 4 years. I danced from the age of 3 until 18. My parents figured "play time we over" meaning my love of all things theater had to stop. They would not financially support any of my dreams. Dance, acting, singing..Everything I loved and excelled at as a child ended when I turned 18 and became "an adult". I didn't go to college, where I could have continued being around theater. No college money had been saved by my parents so i had to find a job and support myself. I really didn't have any skills to "go to work" with so...Jack in the Box here I come. I wish I had a mother like you❤
@susanmartin3762 Oh thanks. I myself was not sent to ballet school but had wanted to go, so I knew I would send my own children. Funny, you know I might have had something to do with ballet in a past life because there was this affection for it yet nothing in my family could have caused this. Even though it's all over now as the girls are 45 and 36, my husband and I still attend the ballet school annual concerts. A few years ago it was the schools big celebration of 50 years, their teacher had been teaching 50 years. Past students came from afar including my daughters. They danced in a special item of past students of all ages, a Polonaise, lead out by their now 80 year old teacher! Marvellous. I have a wall of photos of them in some of their costumes, all in the same frames.
@@susanmartin3762P.S. Maybe you could find some avenues to perform in as an adult. Amateur, local theatre groups, choral societies, dance classes etc, there are bound to be some.
Just wanted to say Im sorry for tour heartache. Its the worst when children cant even get a real try at their dream because of their parents economy. Perhaps you can try go do something more local or work extra at an amateur theater/dance place, just to still stat close to tour passion. Im sure you could be a great inspiration to other Young people in the same situation.
Very good interview - I have been in the Dance industry all my life from age 7 as a ballet student in Australia through to professional dancer in Ballet Companies and after retirement then as a teacher of ballet with my own non competitive school in the USA for many years. Your descriptions are spot on. Being a gifted young dancer can make a child a Target of fellow students, their mothers and teachers from other schools. The jealousy can be extreme. Character assassinations can be rampant. My daughter, now with her own highly successful Professional performance Company for many years now, had horrendous experiences from the ballet community in Australia as a child. In one Japanese competition she found every single pair of her 10 pairs of Pointe Shoes Snapped in half in her bag leaving her with no pointe shoes for the performance. My experiences over my life and my childrens lives, taught me to understand that there are many mentally unstable mothers and yes, unfortunately Teachers in the competitive arena. Ballet is a beautiful Artform which, when Competitions are removed from the equation, teaches so much about what is beautiful in life, including deep focus and intellectual advancement. The key is to Stay Away from Competitions.
When I was younger dancing ballet I had an instructor that would literally tell us "I can see your lunch" or make us do a weigh-in to see if we gained any weight. She would also sometimes walk around with a stick and if your relevé isn't high enough she would hit your heels with the stick. We were kids at the time so that already was hard on not only our mental health but also our bodies. I ended up developing health issues because of it and had to stop my high school year. I remember my freshman year of high school I barely weighed 90lbs due to strict diet and rigorous training for ballet. I recently decided to step back into the ballet scene at a studio in my hometown. At first I was nervous to even go near a ballet studio but once I got there I saw how they were accepting of all body shapes and sizes and dance experience. I've been there about 4yrs going on 5 and have been in lots of productions there including Nutcracker every year.
@redalertsocahd6795 it's so different now than what it was when I was younger. Being the only black dancer in my class I would get looked over all the time and the other dancers would say ballet isn't meant for black people. It's sad that it took pointe shoe brands this long to make pointe shoes in different skin tones and not every brand has that option. Some brands that do offer it consider it a custom so it takes even longer to get your shoes.
@@mermaidopulence8539 I believe Freed now offer a full range of skin tones, they are amazing ! It saves many a ballerina having to use cosmetic foundation to change up the shade of the shoe.
@@mermaidopulence8539 I can't really relate to it, despite being always, " wrong" or "different". I am sorry . BTW: WT HECK TIME WAS THAT? PLEASE tell me it was 1950.
I always walked on my toes as a little girl, my doctors said I would be a good ballerina. I actually ended up with my calf muscles growing too short. The agony I went through trying to stretch my muscles was terrible and back then, in the 1970's, they didn't listen to kids when the said it was too much, the adults always knew better. I love to dance, from 10 years old my father taught me ballroom dancing and I loved it. Now I am disabled and can not move that way anymore. Dancing is one of the things I have mourned.
So many kids do this and bc it looks cute the parents dont correct it....and those kids end up with a lifetime of leg issues if they do sports or dance smh.
I honestly don't consider that Abby Lee Miller type of school a real ballet school. Sorry/NotSorry. I'm surprised any of them went on to join an actual ballet company and I think from the show only one did. She was the one Abby hated. That place was just a competition school. Fine for some things but for becoming a professional ballet dancer? Not really.
Brings me back …thanks for the reminder that the discipline is invaluable applied to everything else you do in life…makes the backstage crazy all worthwhile. ❤
I don't not think that the black swan movie is an example at all to talk about the struggles of ballet - or ballet at all. That's just a movie to sell tickets, it is not the real world of ballet. it is inspired by. And how does a super fast training TO LOOK LIKE a ballerina has anything to do with real ballet training? And do not forget that, obviously, Natalie Portman did not do everything, it was SARAH LANE who played the black swan dancing sequences. Has Natalie ever admitted it? Stop using this stupid movie to get to know and take conclusions about ballet, couldn't be more wrong.
I agree. Natalie waved her arms about manically & it reduced the sheer artistry, athleticism and grace of ballet to a pretentious & indulgent prancing.
I briefly trained as a ballet dancer from the age of 11 (full-time). I remember being weighed and the competition (which didn't bring out the best in people.) I left in the end because I got too homesick.
@wearethelarosas6395 not the Kirov, but I did train with Legat, which, to my knowledge, was the only boarding school that taught Russian ballet in the UK. It's still going in some form or another. I learnt ages ago when it was run by Madame Bartell. We were based in a huge building near Tunbridge Wells.
@@Lanamink - I give you credit for enduring as long as you did at such a young age. Can’t argue with the Russian result but the methods and competition can be brutal! I put my daughter in Kirov Academy (DC🇺🇸) for a summer and it was rough but a great learning experience and perfect way to gain total perspective. Your experience will always serve you! Merdé and take care.
I guess im old. The only competition back then was the very foreign prix de Lusanne. The weight stuff was definitely there! This tall muscularly built dancer with " bad" feet did what was needed to fit in...and as a professional, found that being technically strong, musical, and artistic count more than bones.
This turned up in my notifications right when I needed a good distraction. What a wonderfully insightful video presented by two absolutely stunning women. As a lifelong dancer myself (I mean, do we ever really stop dancing?) I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was discussed here but I'm in the United States, didn't focus primarily on ballet, and am probably about 20 years older than these beautiful ladies. So my experience may be quite different from Bella's. This was, however, a lovely trip down memory lane and I learned a few things as well. Also, INSTANT SUB just based on that outro!!! 😂
Nutcracker is popular (in Russia and USA) mainly during the end of the year and Christmas, but in Opéra de Paris for exemple, it is not so popular. I think that Giselle, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty are more popular here in Western Europe.
True! For some reason Giselle was the one everyone was fawning on when I was training. I’ve always preferred Swan Lake. Too much theatricals in Giselle for me.
I danced in the 60s and 70's Balanchine was brilliant but his prefered body type was a twig. So unfair for dancing atheletes. It caused eating disorders to the extreme. I hope it is changing for dancers coming into the proffession.
What the hell?! Dance moms is not a representation of ballet. First of all it’s more on the side of commercial dance. And second there is a hierarchy of ballet schools: ABT, SAB, Paris Opera, Kirov, Bolshi Royal Ballet and etc.. they have a standard look to them. If you are talking about some average ballet school everyone can get in then it’s not the same as the elite schools. I don’t think she coming from someone who has studied at these schools.
I believe the step invented by Louis 14th was the battu royale , the simplest of beaten steps, His title " The Sun King " refers to his enacting the role of the rising sun at the very end of " The ballet of the Night " an extremely lengthy work. There exists portraits of him in brilliant costume with a golden disc of the sun with radiating lighf. His ballet master Pierre Beauchamp fixed the basic 5 positions of the feet and arms we see today
Scary to look back at my days as a dancer. It was 50 years ago and the scars are still there. To this day I start shaking and cannot watch Swan Lake or hear the music
There is another career where gaining weight is a HUGE NEGATIVE. Jockeys go through the exact same horror as ballet dancers go through. What's REALLY MESSED UP is women binge and purge secretly and they feel ashamed about it, they think we don't know about it. For Jockeys, there is a room created specifically to vomit in. Their weight is as scrutinized just as much if not more than ballet dancers. The "emesis bowl" is part and parcel to their racing culture where jockeys are able to vomit in command in the "weighing room". I was horrified watching that documentary. If jockey is even 1 pound over weight, that could cost him the chance to ride "his horse" in the race. That's when they go into that "weight room" and lose that weight! This is soooo wrong and yet it happens every day. Dancers as well as jockeys are forced to almost kill themselves, ruin their teeth, destroy their body's ability to absorb calcium to keep their bones and teeth from breaking... ALL OF THIS IS DONE so they can perform for us. Whether we sit in expensive seats at the Ballet Theater or if we are standing down near the track cheering on the horse we bet on...these people perform for us. This has been going on for as long as these professions have been around. Are we hard wired to think a person's weight is more important than what's in their minds and hearts? I really wonder. Yet in the 1800s women accentuated their curves with bustles for an ample behind. Layers of fabric up top to make the girls look fuller. Corsetts to snatch in their waists. In the Roaring 20s being flat chested was the look girls went for. Their long string of beads had to lay flat on their chest. If each side their beads were perfectly paralleled, they needed to tighten their binding. If a girl was too...curvy, the beads followed the curves of their breasts and they were NOT considered attractive. They would bind themselves to flatten the "girls upstairs". In the Roman and Grecian times, women wore sheer, billowing yards of silk barely covering anything, so they could give the illusion of being a Goddess. Many years ago in China, Wealthy women were cononsidered, "Too rich to walk on their own 2 feet and must be carried". They were forced to bind their feet so tightly that they smashed down and broke all of their toes so they could wear a shoe made for a baby doll. That's true, "Google it"😅...(we used tho have to look things like this in our encyclopedias...remember ?😊) Here's the most ironic piece that connects all of these fashion trends. NONE of these ideas and designs were created by women... not a single one. The people responsible for women almost killing themselves to look good for their men.....WERE THEIR MEN!
Girls..." Pretty IS as Pretty DOES". Words to live by! It is heartbreaking to watch such physical beauty, become instantly UGLY due to a foul, cursing mouth. Using the nasty "F_Bomb" so much is NOT pretty. For words like these to come out of such pretty mouths is disgraceful. Don't just portray beauty...become it. Every time you use the "F" word, check yourself. Ask yourself if your words are pretty enough to come out of a beautiful ballerina? You ARE BEING WATCHED by hundreds of people, and would you want a 3-year-old dreaming of being a ballerina to hear that word come out of your mouth? Watch your video and listen to yourselves speaking...then think before you speak.
I thought exactly that...I compare her to someone truly classy and stylish like Darcey Bussell....its a shame..but I dont' feel I am a representative of the general viewer who doesn't seem to notice the swearing - pretty gratuitously - as well!!
What an interesting discussion. In all fairness, Abby is a brilliant choreographer and teacher. However, due to reality TV, there had to be “drama” before the production team would “cut”. Unfortunately the dancers were part of THE collateral damage of reality TV. THAT IS WHAT IS IS SAD. 😢 Well done to both of you ❤
Don't think one should blame boys for not wanting to lift "bigger" girls....It's boys' health concern too. Is there legal limit they should lift at all ?
@@esmeatedahooddIt depends on the height. Isabella from BWI has talked about this, she is 1,76 m and at Vaganova she was told that she should weigh not more than 50 kg. But when she actually got her weight down to 50 kg, her teacher was shocked how awful and skinny and sick she looked
I'm commenting about Dance Moms and the Abbey Lee Academy. I am from that area, Plum and Penn Hills area. Her mother Marion wasn't anything great as a dance teacher and Abbey eventually took over the company. Abbey's only dance education is from what her mother taught her. There were some really great dance schools in the area, namely the Osteen school of dance who was the real deal, a professional pair of dancers with a huge dance school. I think a lot of Abbey's attitude is that she knows her dance school was a joke and she was determined to make herself into something she's not. And that's why she crashed and burned.
Very enjoyable video. Good to hear a ballerina talk about her experience; sobering to hear the downsides. Quarter ballet should read, “corps de ballet”.
I trained from the early 1960s through to the mid 1970s. I trained in a school attached to a ballet company, which was part of the Russian ballet federation . By my last 2 years i was doing my classes with the company. Our patron wasthe former prima ballerina of the Diaghelev company, the Ballet Russes, she would come and supervise classes on a regular basis, then give individual feedback. Her feedback ended my prospects for a ballet career..." Darlink, you vould be a beoootiful dancer if you verrrn't such a dumplink" ( she had a very thick Russian accent). That was it. No more ballet.
We are in Pittsburgh, and my daughter was studying and competing in Scottish Highland dance at the time of "Dance Moms." We highland dance moms would talk about Abby Lee and we were appalled. Also, in highland dance, it is competitive, but the dancers for the most part are very supportive of each other.
I have always loved reading the back stories of ballet.."Dancing On My Grave" .."Holding Onto The Air". I have to say there were no new revelations during this interview. I do want to point out something that needs to be said regarding your language...no amount of beauty, poise, or talent can overcome such crase speech and it reveals a very narrow ability to communicate thought and sentiment. This isn't to denigrate you, my hope is that you would consider this objection.
Love the informal and special relationship you two have with each other. The dog, is he allright? That breed is very energetic, hope he wasn't drugged for the show. lol. First hand history always best. Keep going Luce
I have been enjoying Ballet for years and only recently I have learned the differences of styles of Ballet such as Vaganova And The difference between French And English and American Ballet.
I can attest that at least some of the described sabotage happens in other venues.... I ran into it in the flute section of the college concert band. Some of my colleagues were "normal" people and we got along well but there were also saboteurs who would do anything to get ahead of the players between them and the much-coveted First Chair....
What drew me more to the Beauty of Ballet was the story of The Story of Hoffman on the Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky',s take on Hoffman's Nutcracker story and at first Tchaikovsky' was not too inspired on the production of The Nutcracker but when his favorite sister died he transformed the Nutcracker suite we know today.
Ballet sounds absolutely brutal. It sounds like to be in the top 1%, and not have an eating disorder, you have to be itty bitty naturally, as well as innately athletic, with a crazy obsessive work ethic.
My mother always made mine well I took dance and they were absolutely stunning. Late 60s early 70s and mothers made the costumes. Thankfully, my mother was a superb seamstress and tailer. she also designed and made all of my clothing for showing horses.
Does Bella have a last name. Not to be confused with Isabella Boylston. Also , too bad you’re using bad language and I cannot share this interview with some of my ballet students .
Dancers literally say merde instead of good luck, it means shit. You also clearly don't know the history of thus beautiful art form if you think the f bomb is such a heinous act.
36:xx If you PRESS DOWN on a 5 y.o. in the splits, who alteady has an angle of 200 - 230 degrees, between the floor and one leg on a chair and is silently crying from pain, knowing whimpering will make the teacher push her down harder .....that's CA in my opinion. And the mother stsnding bext to them, smiling.
at 11:18 Jean-Georges Noverre has a vest with lapels in panther ! what a dandy ! I didn't thought that it was "à la mode" at the time .... Thanks for this interesting video, ladies ! about the crafting of the tutus, I think that this is not ordinary commercial plain white tutus, but special ones made for the leading roles in prestigious companies with embroideries, it is almost haute couture ....
Royal is the step. He meant to do an entrechat quatre but it didn’t happen so that became the step. This in response to the step Louis the XIV was name after.
Yep! It's a new one for me too. People should do their research before they post content. Very shabby. We don't need the presenter's cleavage to play the starring role either!
I fell in love with the English French Actress Stacy Martin in the 2019 film Casanova Last Love...by the way My favorite French Balerina is Sylvie Guillem.
Just to clarify, cause otherwise it really is beastiality, the swan is actually an enchanted princess who turns back into a human at night. And that’s who the prince fell in love with, not the actual swan. Not trying to be an ass, but as a ballet nerd, I must!
It’s true, She speaks So confidentally about everything but she knows so little.
@@roastedpepper I actually thought everybody knew this. So funny that they don't.
@@denisemoore6134 I had no idea. But I have never seen it.
❤❤❤I put both my daughters into ballet, tap and jazz from age 5. They loved it. They "lived" at the studio, and dance was the main staple of their childhood. If they weren't at home they were at the dance school. The eldest is now 45 and still goes to anything related to dance she can find, adult ballet, tap, latin, egyptian and belly. The youngest took ballet all the way to Advanced II, and then she had two years in a musical theatre course. My son did tap and still does it at age 42. It was a commitment involving the whole family. I did all the sewing except the tutus. I made her last tutu and was so proud of myself. Dance is the absolute best thing out for children! It last a lifetime. They learn much more than being able to dance.😊 Their dance school NEVER talked about weight!
You sound like an AMAZING mom. I wish with all my heart that MY parents had taken notice of my talents and appreciated my love of performing. I was "born to be in Broadway" all the members of my family used to say to me. I was always making up little plays and sing songs. Holidays were my time to shine. I made my costumes and would rehearse my "number" so year getting ready for November for my Thanksgiving performance. Mom drank the first half of my life, she barely noticed herself let alone her talented child. This may sound arrogant but I'm not. I just wish things were different. All through highschool I was in dance and theater and choir then Acappella and Madrigals. I was in every musicals all 4 years. I danced from the age of 3 until 18. My parents figured "play time we over" meaning my love of all things theater had to stop. They would not financially support any of my dreams. Dance, acting, singing..Everything I loved and excelled at as a child ended when I turned 18 and became "an adult". I didn't go to college, where I could have continued being around theater. No college money had been saved by my parents so i had to find a job and support myself. I really didn't have any skills to "go to work" with so...Jack in the Box here I come. I wish I had a mother like you❤
@susanmartin3762 Oh thanks. I myself was not sent to ballet school but had wanted to go, so I knew I would send my own children. Funny, you know I might have had something to do with ballet in a past life because there was this affection for it yet nothing in my family could have caused this.
Even though it's all over now as the girls are 45 and 36, my husband and I still attend the ballet school annual concerts. A few years ago it was the schools big celebration of 50 years, their teacher had been teaching 50 years. Past students came from afar including my daughters. They danced in a special item of past students of all ages, a Polonaise, lead out by their now 80 year old teacher! Marvellous. I have a wall of photos of them in some of their costumes, all in the same frames.
@@susanmartin3762P.S. Maybe you could find some avenues to perform in as an adult. Amateur, local theatre groups, choral societies, dance classes etc, there are bound to be some.
Just wanted to say Im sorry for tour heartache.
Its the worst when children cant even get a real try at their dream because of their parents economy.
Perhaps you can try go do something more local or work extra at an amateur theater/dance place, just to still stat close to tour passion. Im sure you could be a great inspiration to other Young people in the same situation.
to me, it's the most beautiful and expressive Art Form, and difficult because you learn discipline and commitment. And of course a great exercise !!
Very good interview - I have been in the Dance industry all my life from age 7 as a ballet student in Australia through to professional dancer in Ballet Companies and after retirement then as a teacher of ballet with my own non competitive school in the USA for many years.
Your descriptions are spot on.
Being a gifted young dancer can make a child a Target of fellow students, their mothers and teachers from other schools. The jealousy can be extreme. Character assassinations can be rampant. My daughter, now with her own highly successful Professional performance Company for many years now, had horrendous experiences from the ballet community in Australia as a child. In one Japanese competition she found every single pair of her 10 pairs of Pointe Shoes Snapped in half in her bag leaving her with no pointe shoes for the performance. My experiences over my life and my childrens lives, taught me to understand that there are many mentally unstable mothers and yes, unfortunately Teachers in the competitive arena.
Ballet is a beautiful Artform which, when Competitions are removed from the equation, teaches so much about what is beautiful in life, including deep focus and intellectual advancement. The key is to Stay Away from Competitions.
i wonder if it's the same with the male ballet dancers ...
It is not "quarter", it is "corps de ballet", meaning "body" in french.
I was looking to see if anyone else mentioned this
When I was younger dancing ballet I had an instructor that would literally tell us "I can see your lunch" or make us do a weigh-in to see if we gained any weight. She would also sometimes walk around with a stick and if your relevé isn't high enough she would hit your heels with the stick. We were kids at the time so that already was hard on not only our mental health but also our bodies. I ended up developing health issues because of it and had to stop my high school year. I remember my freshman year of high school I barely weighed 90lbs due to strict diet and rigorous training for ballet. I recently decided to step back into the ballet scene at a studio in my hometown. At first I was nervous to even go near a ballet studio but once I got there I saw how they were accepting of all body shapes and sizes and dance experience. I've been there about 4yrs going on 5 and have been in lots of productions there including Nutcracker every year.
Wow happy you made it out of that conundrum. Good for you 🧜♀️ 😊
@redalertsocahd6795 it's so different now than what it was when I was younger. Being the only black dancer in my class I would get looked over all the time and the other dancers would say ballet isn't meant for black people. It's sad that it took pointe shoe brands this long to make pointe shoes in different skin tones and not every brand has that option. Some brands that do offer it consider it a custom so it takes even longer to get your shoes.
@@mermaidopulence8539
I believe Freed now offer a full range of skin tones, they are amazing ! It saves many a ballerina having to use cosmetic foundation to change up the shade of the shoe.
GOOD FOR YOU ! 💓
@@mermaidopulence8539 I can't really relate to it, despite being always,
" wrong" or "different".
I am sorry .
BTW: WT HECK TIME WAS THAT? PLEASE tell me it was 1950.
Fascinating Luce, i can see you're loving doing this as much as we are watching them
so fascinating! i am enjoying learning my tings hehe
I always walked on my toes as a little girl, my doctors said I would be a good ballerina. I actually ended up with my calf muscles growing too short. The agony I went through trying to stretch my muscles was terrible and back then, in the 1970's, they didn't listen to kids when the said it was too much, the adults always knew better. I love to dance, from 10 years old my father taught me ballroom dancing and I loved it. Now I am disabled and can not move that way anymore. Dancing is one of the things I have mourned.
So many kids do this and bc it looks cute the parents dont correct it....and those kids end up with a lifetime of leg issues if they do sports or dance smh.
I honestly don't consider that Abby Lee Miller type of school a real ballet school. Sorry/NotSorry. I'm surprised any of them went on to join an actual ballet company and I think from the show only one did. She was the one Abby hated. That place was just a competition school. Fine for some things but for becoming a professional ballet dancer? Not really.
Maybe you get to it-haven’t finished watching- but let’s acknowledge Sarah Lane who did all the higher level dance moves for Natalie Portman.
I wish she would let her guest..the actual ballerina speak more...she wants to show off what she knows rather than learn from her guest...
Brings me back …thanks for the reminder that the discipline is invaluable applied to everything else you do in life…makes the backstage crazy all worthwhile. ❤
I don't not think that the black swan movie is an example at all to talk about the struggles of ballet - or ballet at all. That's just a movie to sell tickets, it is not the real world of ballet. it is inspired by. And how does a super fast training TO LOOK LIKE a ballerina has anything to do with real ballet training? And do not forget that, obviously, Natalie Portman did not do everything, it was SARAH LANE who played the black swan dancing sequences. Has Natalie ever admitted it? Stop using this stupid movie to get to know and take conclusions about ballet, couldn't be more wrong.
I watched this recently and disliked it intensely. I thought it was a very poor film
I agree. Natalie waved her arms about manically & it reduced the sheer artistry, athleticism and grace of ballet to a pretentious & indulgent prancing.
very bad film I totally agree
Why is the host doing all the talking? I wanted to hear from the actual ballerina.
I briefly trained as a ballet dancer from the age of 11 (full-time). I remember being weighed and the competition (which didn't bring out the best in people.) I left in the end because I got too homesick.
Sounds like Kirov…with the scale?
@wearethelarosas6395 not the Kirov, but I did train with Legat, which, to my knowledge, was the only boarding school that taught Russian ballet in the UK. It's still going in some form or another. I learnt ages ago when it was run by Madame Bartell. We were based in a huge building near Tunbridge Wells.
@@Lanamink - I give you credit for enduring as long as you did at such a young age. Can’t argue with the Russian result but the methods and competition can be brutal! I put my daughter in Kirov Academy (DC🇺🇸) for a summer and it was rough but a great learning experience and perfect way to gain total perspective. Your experience will always serve you! Merdé and take care.
I guess im old. The only competition back then was the very foreign prix de Lusanne. The weight stuff was definitely there! This tall muscularly built dancer with " bad" feet did what was needed to fit in...and as a professional, found that being technically strong, musical, and artistic count more than bones.
This turned up in my notifications right when I needed a good distraction. What a wonderfully insightful video presented by two absolutely stunning women. As a lifelong dancer myself (I mean, do we ever really stop dancing?) I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was discussed here but I'm in the United States, didn't focus primarily on ballet, and am probably about 20 years older than these beautiful ladies. So my experience may be quite different from Bella's. This was, however, a lovely trip down memory lane and I learned a few things as well.
Also, INSTANT SUB just based on that outro!!! 😂
Nutcracker is popular (in Russia and USA) mainly during the end of the year and Christmas, but in Opéra de Paris for exemple, it is not so popular. I think that Giselle, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty are more popular here in Western Europe.
True! For some reason Giselle was the one everyone was fawning on when I was training. I’ve always preferred Swan Lake. Too much theatricals in Giselle for me.
I danced in the 60s and 70's Balanchine was brilliant but his prefered body type was a twig. So unfair for dancing atheletes. It caused eating disorders to the extreme. I hope it is changing for dancers coming into the proffession.
What the hell?! Dance moms is not a representation of ballet. First of all it’s more on the side of commercial dance. And second there is a hierarchy of ballet schools: ABT, SAB, Paris Opera, Kirov, Bolshi Royal Ballet and etc.. they have a standard look to them. If you are talking about some average ballet school everyone can get in then it’s not the same as the elite schools. I don’t think she coming from someone who has studied at these schools.
I believe the step invented by Louis 14th was the battu royale , the simplest of beaten steps, His title " The Sun King " refers to his enacting the role of the rising sun at the very end of " The ballet of the Night " an extremely lengthy work. There exists portraits of him in brilliant costume with a golden disc of the sun with radiating lighf. His ballet master Pierre Beauchamp fixed the basic 5 positions of the feet and arms we see today
this was so interesting! I've always wondered about the shoe thing!
Scary to look back at my days as a dancer. It was 50 years ago and the scars are still there. To this day I start shaking and cannot watch Swan Lake or hear the music
The foul language is jarring, and completely unnecessary.
GROW UP. YOU'RE SPEAKING TO GROWNUPS, NOT TO BARROOM TOUGHS!
Enjoyed this talk very much given my passion for ballet. Full marks!
There is another career where gaining weight is a HUGE NEGATIVE. Jockeys go through the exact same horror as ballet dancers go through. What's REALLY MESSED UP is women binge and purge secretly and they feel ashamed about it, they think we don't know about it. For Jockeys, there is a room created specifically to vomit in. Their weight is as scrutinized just as much if not more than ballet dancers. The "emesis bowl" is part and parcel to their racing culture where jockeys are able to vomit in command in the "weighing room". I was horrified watching that documentary. If jockey is even 1 pound over weight, that could cost him the chance to ride "his horse" in the race. That's when they go into that "weight room" and lose that weight! This is soooo wrong and yet it happens every day. Dancers as well as jockeys are forced to almost kill themselves, ruin their teeth, destroy their body's ability to absorb calcium to keep their bones and teeth from breaking... ALL OF THIS IS DONE so they can perform for us. Whether we sit in expensive seats at the Ballet Theater or if we are standing down near the track cheering on the horse we bet on...these people perform for us. This has been going on for as long as these professions have been around. Are we hard wired to think a person's weight is more important than what's in their minds and hearts? I really wonder. Yet in the 1800s women accentuated their curves with bustles for an ample behind. Layers of fabric up top to make the girls look fuller. Corsetts to snatch in their waists. In the Roaring 20s being flat chested was the look girls went for. Their long string of beads had to lay flat on their chest. If each side their beads were perfectly paralleled, they needed to tighten their binding. If a girl was too...curvy, the beads followed the curves of their breasts and they were NOT considered attractive. They would bind themselves to flatten the "girls upstairs". In the Roman and Grecian times, women wore sheer, billowing yards of silk barely covering anything, so they could give the illusion of being a Goddess. Many years ago in China,
Wealthy women were cononsidered, "Too rich to walk on their own 2 feet and must be carried". They were forced to bind their feet so tightly that they smashed down and broke all of their toes so they could wear a shoe made for a baby doll. That's true, "Google it"😅...(we used tho have to look things like this in our encyclopedias...remember ?😊) Here's the most ironic piece that connects all of these fashion trends. NONE of these ideas and designs were created by women... not a single one. The people responsible for women almost killing themselves to look good for their men.....WERE THEIR MEN!
Girls..." Pretty IS as Pretty DOES". Words to live by! It is heartbreaking to watch such physical beauty, become instantly UGLY due to a foul, cursing mouth. Using the nasty "F_Bomb" so much is NOT pretty. For words like these to come out of such pretty mouths is disgraceful. Don't just portray beauty...become it. Every time you use the "F" word, check yourself. Ask yourself if your words are pretty enough to come out of a beautiful ballerina? You ARE BEING WATCHED by hundreds of people, and would you want a 3-year-old dreaming of being a ballerina to hear that word come out of your mouth? Watch your video and listen to yourselves speaking...then think before you speak.
I thought exactly that...I compare her to someone truly classy and stylish like Darcey Bussell....its a shame..but I dont' feel I am a representative of the general viewer who doesn't seem to notice the swearing - pretty gratuitously - as well!!
Entrechat is the step she was thinking of. I loved doing this when I danced. I didn't know the history behind it though.
What an interesting discussion. In all fairness, Abby is a brilliant choreographer and teacher. However, due to reality TV, there had to be “drama” before the production team would “cut”. Unfortunately the dancers were part of THE collateral damage of reality TV. THAT IS WHAT IS IS SAD. 😢 Well done to both of you ❤
I learned a lot about the history of ballet, that was so interesting!! Thank you so much from Germany 🇩🇪 😘🙋🏻♀️👏
Don't think one should blame boys for not wanting to lift "bigger" girls....It's boys' health concern too. Is there legal limit they should lift at all ?
50kg is not a lot, wtf with your comment about a “legal limit” it is not ok, this is the kind of comment that trigger eating disorders
I guess soldiers and fire fighters have to be able to carry much more. Even female lifters lift more than 50 kg.
50kg for a grown ballet dancer is not a lot but definitely not skinny
@@esmeatedahooddIt depends on the height. Isabella from BWI has talked about this, she is 1,76 m and at Vaganova she was told that she should weigh not more than 50 kg. But when she actually got her weight down to 50 kg, her teacher was shocked how awful and skinny and sick she looked
I'm commenting about Dance Moms and the Abbey Lee Academy. I am from that area, Plum and Penn Hills area. Her mother Marion wasn't anything great as a dance teacher and Abbey eventually took over the company. Abbey's only dance education is from what her mother taught her. There were some really great dance schools in the area, namely the Osteen school of dance who was the real deal, a professional pair of dancers with a huge dance school. I think a lot of Abbey's attitude is that she knows her dance school was a joke and she was determined to make herself into something she's not. And that's why she crashed and burned.
Very enjoyable video. Good to hear a ballerina talk about her experience; sobering to hear the downsides. Quarter ballet should read, “corps de ballet”.
Kelly’s kids were Brooke and Paige. Chloe’s mom was Christi
I trained from the early 1960s through to the mid 1970s. I trained in a school attached to a ballet company, which was part of the Russian ballet federation . By my last 2 years i was doing my classes with the company. Our patron wasthe former prima ballerina of the Diaghelev company, the Ballet Russes, she would come and supervise classes on a regular basis, then give individual feedback. Her feedback ended my prospects for a ballet career..." Darlink, you vould be a beoootiful dancer if you verrrn't such a dumplink" ( she had a very thick Russian accent). That was it. No more ballet.
We are in Pittsburgh, and my daughter was studying and competing in Scottish Highland dance at the time of "Dance Moms." We highland dance moms would talk about Abby Lee and we were appalled. Also, in highland dance, it is competitive, but the dancers for the most part are very supportive of each other.
I have always loved reading the back stories of ballet.."Dancing On My Grave" .."Holding Onto The Air". I have to say there were no new revelations during this interview. I do want to point out something that needs to be said regarding your language...no amount of beauty, poise, or talent can overcome such crase speech and it reveals a very narrow ability to communicate thought and sentiment. This isn't to denigrate you, my hope is that you would consider this objection.
I can't imagine the discipline, the strength and grace this profession would require.❤🎉
I love the chat, sometimes cringe.. I'd love to know, what was your parents' thoughts about the Brussels thing???🧐
Love the informal and special relationship you two have with each other. The dog, is he allright? That breed is very energetic, hope he wasn't drugged for the show. lol. First hand history always best. Keep going Luce
Kelly Hylands daughters were Brooke and Paige. Chloe’s mom was Christi.
Everything has a bright and dark side
Thank you.
I have been enjoying Ballet for years and only recently I have learned the differences of styles of Ballet such as Vaganova And The difference between French And English and American Ballet.
I can attest that at least some of the described sabotage happens in other venues.... I ran into it in the flute section of the college concert band. Some of my colleagues were "normal" people and we got along well but there were also saboteurs who would do anything to get ahead of the players between them and the much-coveted First Chair....
Witnessed it in skating (young girls competing)
What drew me more to the Beauty of Ballet was the story of The Story of Hoffman on the Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky',s take on Hoffman's Nutcracker story and at first Tchaikovsky' was not too inspired on the production of The Nutcracker but when his favorite sister died he transformed the Nutcracker suite we know today.
What is the name of this movie?
Ballet sounds absolutely brutal. It sounds like to be in the top 1%, and not have an eating disorder, you have to be itty bitty naturally, as well as innately athletic, with a crazy obsessive work ethic.
My mother always made mine well I took dance and they were absolutely stunning. Late 60s early 70s and mothers made the costumes. Thankfully, my mother was a superb seamstress and tailer. she also designed and made all of my clothing for showing horses.
Does Bella have a last name. Not to be confused with Isabella Boylston. Also , too bad you’re using bad language and I cannot share this interview with some of my ballet students .
Isabella Cipolla
@@h.b16ballet busker
Mmm…was it good that Maddie moved on to being taken advantage of by Cia after Abby though? Jo Jo and her mom is a whole order train wreck imo.
A lot of F-bombs dropped whilst ironically discussing a beautiful art form
Dancers literally say merde instead of good luck, it means shit. You also clearly don't know the history of thus beautiful art form if you think the f bomb is such a heinous act.
I love the way you say an extraordinary long time when you look as though you’re not a day over 25🤣
Any parent that would subject their kids to Abby shouldn't be a parent. Insane. Protect your child.
5 stars!!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
No need for cursing 🤬
I will search out for the film Black Swan starring Natalie Portman.
Black Swan was nominated for best picture but King's Speech won that category
Vacuous, and often crude
Swan Lake was always my favorite ballet ❤
Look at the doggie fast asleep on Bella’s lap!
36:xx If you PRESS DOWN on a 5 y.o. in the splits, who alteady has an angle of 200 - 230 degrees, between the floor and one leg on a chair and is silently crying from pain, knowing whimpering will make the teacher push her down harder .....that's CA in my opinion.
And the mother stsnding bext to them, smiling.
Y'all: It's corps de ballet.
Omg! It’s corps de ballet
It's corps de ballet
Minus the language; this was extremely informative!
The screen is just black. The audio is fine
I'm 65 kgs!
at 11:18 Jean-Georges Noverre has a vest with lapels in panther ! what a dandy ! I didn't thought that it was "à la mode" at the time ....
Thanks for this interesting video, ladies ! about the crafting of the tutus, I think that this is not ordinary commercial plain white tutus, but special ones made for the leading roles in prestigious companies with embroideries, it is almost haute couture ....
Corps de ballet not quarter ballet.
Love the surprise puppy lol
Corps de ballet not quarter ballet
Royal is the step. He meant to do an entrechat quatre but it didn’t happen so that became the step. This in response to the step Louis the XIV was name after.
Quarter Ballet!!! What!?
Yep! It's a new one for me too. People should do their research before they post content. Very shabby. We don't need the presenter's cleavage to play the starring role either!
If I were to call her by another name similar to her own, it would be Belle. You know, a French name. I wouldn't be adverse to calling her Bella
A stage mother is the worse thing for a student dancer .
Host, cut back on doing all the talking. Let the guest talk more. Jus sayin
Interesting but you both say the word “like” so many times…can you stop?
It’s disgusting what they do to women about weight and healthy weight at that and has lead to many eating issues for many
"Winona Ryder is in there?" Girl.... 😂
This is such a bs clickbait title.
SAY NO TO _____AT 3:48
Is she petting herself or an animal?
Is this a serious question?
Well, it certainly sounds like there are a lot of adults abusing little girls through ballet.
Interviewer talks too much. Let Bella tell the story. Poor journalism
And you would think the ballet dancer would have explained to her the term "corp de ballet".
como mé gustaria ser el perro a si cariciado dalé y bnelvé
Love ballet hate body shaming
😂😂😂 It is impossible to be fat ballerina , as you can’t be blind pilot Not body shaiming , but selfawarness about obesity
Surprising language
And Black Swan was a terrible movie
Black Swan movie was RUBBISH
They got so many facts dead wrong
I fell in love with the English French Actress Stacy Martin in the 2019 film Casanova Last Love...by the way My favorite French Balerina is Sylvie Guillem.
If you know everything, why are you keep asking question. Let Bella talk please. Very annoying
lol the Jojo Siwa support did not age well…
Lol quarter ballet! Amazing
Came to the comments for just this faux pas 🤪
Sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Ha, that is so witchy!
Don't like thd expletives sorry.
What does the appalling language add to this?
If you know everything, why are you keep asking question. Let Bella talk please. Very annoying