Athlete or artist?

When it comes to ballet dancers there is often a debate about whether they are artists or should they be considered athletes. Recently, ballet dancers have been appearing more frequently in main stream media like television and film. They have been abundantly used in advertising as well. Dance is everywhere. With the emergence of athleisure more and more people no longer see dance and ballet as an elite art form reserved for the wealthy and refined. Ballet has become more relatable and accessible. Part of this accessibility, I think, is having people understand the work behind becoming a ballerina. I think what makes ballet dancers unique is that they are both artists and athletes.

In order to be a successful ballet dancer both artistry and athleticism are needed. The physical work is hard, repetitive, and all of it is done in very unnatural positions.  Ballet dancers always work with turn out (where your toes, knees and hips all face outward instead of straight forward) and the women always work in pointe shoes, dancing on their toes. Ballet requires high jumps, low bends, and fast moving while always maintaining grace. This all requires a fit body, therefore making them athletes. Ballet is also an art form. No two dancers, dance the same because their personality comes through the dancing and that is the artistic side of ballet. The artistic side ties in with the performance factor. Since ballet is a live performance and not a competition, there are no scores or ratings, there is only expression and individuality. I think it is a beautiful thing to see both aspects, athletics and artistry, of ballet come together.