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Professional Dancers Advocating for Body Inclusivity
Shondaland
2/17/2021
Valentina Valentini
© Colleen Werner
Classic dance has always marginalized big bodies, but these barre-blazers are creating their own space.
Two Christmases ago, at a
Nutcracker performance in western Massachusetts, a ballerina stepped onto the stage in preparation for her solo. She had all the makings of a company ballet dancer tutu, hair in a bun, confidence, gorgeous technique, and fierce stage presence. What she didn’t have was a skinny body, long legs, or tiny chest. This is what a ballerina is supposed to look like, so we’ve been told for centuries through imagery and, more often, through the words of our very own teachers and peers. ....

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