125 replies to this topic

[nysusan]

I didn't vote in the poll because none of the categories seemed to fit my view. Fine in contemporary or modern ballet but they'd better be covered up for classical or romantic

[zerbinetta]

I voted CCL as the question was specific: tattoos and piercings on ballet dancers, no mention of during performance.

Onstage, if visible, I find them a distraction. Offstage, the dancer should do as s/he wishes; it ain't my business. But please cover them up onstage.

So maybe I should have voted "Hate 'em"?

Chest hair: I noticed in the Wheeldonfest last week that Tyler Angle had impressive chest hair. No one else did. I found it distracting. I have nothing against (male) chest hair. Rather the opposite; I find it makes a great cushion. But onstage a single dancer with a hairy chest among the hairless stands out for reasons having nothing to do with the ballet being performed. I don't feel this way about dance but that probably has to do with the less "formal" nature of dance as opposed to ballet.

I quite like a beautifully done tattoo. The Japanese have made an art form of it as have certain NBA players. Unfortunately the majority of tattoos just look like body scribble.

[aurora]

I voted CCL as the question was specific: tattoos and piercings on ballet dancers, no mention of during performance.

Onstage, if visible, I find them a distraction. Offstage, the dancer should do as s/he wishes; it ain't my business. But please cover them up onstage.

So maybe I should have voted "Hate 'em"?

I did the same, for the same reason.
I think the poll might have benefited from a few more categories. Given the options, it seemed the most accurate response.

[carbro]

I never saw the Marcovici tear-drop, but will look for it next time. Where is it, please? . . .

Anyway, the answer is no, but I'd like to see Marcovici's anyway.

You can see it faintly here, on his left cheekbone. I've never noticed it from the audience or even on the few occasions I've spotted him in public. But it can probably be pretty well covered by makeup, touching up between entrances, if necessary.

Why not require dancers to have shaved bodies?

At least half of them remove (by shaving, waxing or other methods) leg and underarm hair. Those would be the women, and we just take that for granted.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Odette with chest hair is okay if it's the Trocks.

[Leigh Witchel]

I voted CCL as the question was specific: tattoos and piercings on ballet dancers, no mention of during performance.

Onstage, if visible, I find them a distraction. Offstage, the dancer should do as s/he wishes; it ain't my business. But please cover them up onstage.

So maybe I should have voted "Hate 'em"?

I did the same, for the same reason.
I think the poll might have benefited from a few more categories. Given the options, it seemed the most accurate response.

I opt for simplicity Given that we're asking the question on Ballet Talk, "onstage" is implicit.

Parenthetically I was pretty shocked by Radetsky tonight in Clear. I mean this as a compliment, I think, but he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

[zerbinetta]

I opt for simplicity Given that we're asking the question on Ballet Talk, "onstage" is implicit.

I guess aurora and I opted for clarity. The (your) question posed was " .. body modifications - love 'em or hate 'em?"

[87Sigfried87]

Ballet is like a fairy tale: would you depict a prince as hairy,pierced everywhere with spiky hair and rude ways?That can be Shrek but that's the only case.And what about a dark,tatooed and leather dressed princess chewing gums and driving a motorbike?:-)

[chiapuris]

On tattoos and piercings:

Too much information for the ballet stage.
Distracting from the task at hand.

That's why I voted 'hate 'em'.

Offstage it's a totally private matter.

[cubanmiamiboy]

he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

Wow...

[Helene]

he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

Wow...

There are worse images I could think of

[cubanmiamiboy]

he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

Wow...

There are worse images I could think of

WOW!!

[bart]

Parenthetically I was pretty shocked by Radetsky tonight in Clear. I mean this as a compliment, I think, but he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

Maybe a modelling contract is more what he -- and others who bulk up -- had in mind? Seems like there are an increasing number of print ads for non-dance products and services that use sleek, toned, and seriously air-brushed dancers in scanty dress to catch the eye.

[papeetepatrick]

he's gymmed himself into looking like a porn star.

Wow...

There are worse images I could think of

WOW!!

Well, this will lead to novelties just like the other adornments. A ballet dancer who would want 'pornlook' would seem to be something of an oxymoron, and in one case from the past, a tautology--the best-looking ones have enough of it already, but in graceful form; and add-ons are going to be vulgar, like Carmela Soprano's ostentatious ring. I've only seen a few porn stars that came anywhere near having a look that most ballet dancers would want to emulate (maybe no more than two)--it's often a half-wit, vacant, slack-jawed look which is certainly not going to work very long unless the whole domain sells out and there's an 'everybody can do ballet' phenomenon (oh well, there probably will be that kind of thing.)

[kfw]

A ballet dancer who would want 'pornlook' would seem to be something of an oxymoron

I think of porn as reductive and art as transcendent, and for that reason I think of the two as antithetical. In the same way, while I find "dirty dancing" a turn off, beautifully danced classical steps can be a turn on, precisely because they're also so much more.