33 replies to this topic

[Phaedra392]

Although she might not be perfectly proportioned in the classic sense of the word, I'd have to vote for Suzanne Farrell.  Her small head is so beautiful, her limbs tapered and straight, and her feet perfect.  Her face is exquisite, with those fawn-like large eyes.  When I watch her dance, I think of her as the ideal.  She was the most beautiful dancer ever.

[Andre Yew]

Good stage faces can look goofy in real life since many features are bigger-than-life.

My favorite female proportions belong to Sylvie Guillem, Patricia Barker, Svetlana Zakharova, Polina Semionova, and Darcey Bussell.  I guess I like long, hyperextended ballerinas with amazing feet.

--Andre

[vipa]

Is there a difference between beautifully proportioned body and preferred body type?

[cubanmiamiboy]

vipa, on Sep 2 2007, 07:39 PM, said:

Is there a difference between beautifully proportioned body and preferred body type?

Well, since the "beautiful proportioned" expression doesn't contain any specifications, every single answer to that question is going to be based in a personal set of preferences .

[susibee]

Beautiful proportions?

Oh, that's easy.  

Maria Kowrowski.  Beyond compare.

[vipa]

cubanmiamiboy, on Sep 3 2007, 02:35 AM, said:

vipa, on Sep 2 2007, 07:39 PM, said:

Is there a difference between beautifully proportioned body and preferred body type?

Well, since the "beautiful proportioned" expression doesn't contain any specifications, every single answer to that question is going to be based in personal preferences,so beautiful proportions here will be linked to specific sets of preferences.

Then why is this thread "beautifully proportioned" not "my perferred body type" or "the dancer who has a body that I think best for ballet" or "a body that I think amazing."  Are there body proportions that are beautiful as a classic archtypes?  If so I stand by my vote for Fonteyn and Weese.

[Helene]

cubanmiamiboy, on Sep 2 2007, 11:35 PM, said:

Well, since the "beautiful proportioned" expression doesn't contain any specifications, every single answer to that question is going to be based in personal preferences,so beautiful proportions here will be linked to specific sets of preferences.

There is some critical consensus in almost any period, and judgement made by those who choose young dancers for the top-level ballet academies and Artistic Directors who choose company members, on what body types are needed for different kinds of ballet -- classical, neoclassical, and contemporary. Proportion is included in their assessment of the proper body type needed for a company or a role within a company:  whether the dancer is a Prince/Princess or Jester/White Cat, or whether a dancer is a lead in Rubies vs. Diamonds.

I prefer dancers -- male and female -- with flesh, muscles, and wide shoulders, but that doesn't make them perfectly proportioned in the classical sense.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Helene, on Sep 3 2007, 10:25 PM, said:

I prefer dancers -- male and female -- with flesh, muscles, and wide shoulders.

I do too.  I like the old school body type of well developed thights in female dancers.  Those extremely long skinny legs don't do it for me at all...

[canbelto]

Many female ballerinas have beautiful bodies, but a few that really stand out:

Anna Pavlova (maybe the start of the modern ballerina), Irina Kolpakova, Margot Fonteyn, Alessandra Ferri, Tanny LeClercq, Altynai Asylmuratova, Sylvie Guillem. I think I can stare at Sylvie Guillem's legs and feet for hours.

[niamh]

I think the term "beautifully proportioned" still lends itself to personal interpretation as much as "preferred body type". None of my favorite dancers have what would be considered perfect or even favorable proportions. To the ballet world that is. To me, their proportions fit their style as ballet dancers and that's what makes them great. I think if I were to venture a vote for the most beautifully proportioned according to regular ballet standards, perhaps I would say Carla Fracci. Not too thin, not too big, not too long, not too short, lovely arms and neck and her face is just beautiful in structure (I'm a figure painter as well as needleworker, perhaps I concentrate too much on detail). However, my favorite female dancer is Karin von Aroldingen and yes, it was her unusual proportions that struck me as very beautiful and the way she used them even more stunning. So...conundrum?  

Niamh

[printscess]

The wonderful cover storyarticle in the August issue of Dance Magazine, about dancers who have "made it" in spite of not having a ideal body type. It was a positive article and I am sure gives hope for the "too short, too tall, too whatever or not enough" men and women dancers who are extraordinarily talent.

[SanderO]

Perhaps some dancers could comment on how one's weight distribution body type might actually impact on their "performance".  What problems do tall dancers have.. sort ones etc.  From a purely physics point of view a small and more compact dancers would be able to "spin" faster.  Can someone comment on this?  And do you think that the movement is ballet is designed for a specific body type?

[printscess]

SanderO,
That is a great question. I am not an expert, but have seen enough to know that shorter men usually jump higher than taller men and stay in the air longer. Most  notably are Herman Corjeno, Angel Corella (ABT), Daniel Ulbrich and Joaquin De Luz (NYCB) (that is to name a few). They can do more rotations when the do any combination of turns.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that ballet is designed specific body type, rather than parts in ballets require certain abilities and those abilities come not only with varying degrees of talet but different body types.

So IMHO, although companies tend to graviate toward taller dancers, not everyone can dance Puck in Midsummer Night's Dreamr \,lead the corp in Stars and Stripes or dance The Bluebird Variations. And short men do make wonderful partners as well. It is just a different asthetic.

[SanderO]

Printscess,

Of course when we speak of the "perfect" form or beautifully proportioned dancers, one cannot think of them as statues, but how they move their bods.  What I was trying to get at, is that body form does impact on how a body can move and perform in ballet and that would then underscore the notion of beauty.  If you look at just the arms and the hands, it would seem that form must follow function and that disproportionately short fingers or arms simply couldn't "move" in the most fluid way they should.

Does this make sense?

[printscess]

I was attempting to answer your question/comment about shorter dancers.