Has the Panorama ballet documentary created a storm in a teacup?

The BBC Panorama investigation on the effects of two ballet schools, based in the UK, have brought to light a lot of negativity that many have, quite rightly, voiced needs acting upon so it is stopped. This isn’t brand new information though, is it?

From back in the day of working backstage, I was fortunate enough to work with a professional ballet company based in Yorkshire. A lot of their tours were national and their wardrobe department toured with them as, inevitably, costumes got rips and tears as the dancers performed every single night. What surprised me, though, was that when costumes were being measured for performers the measurement that was most prominent, because the seamstress team seemed to base all of their measurements from this particular one, was the hips. I remember standing in an arena watching an individual take a measurement for a t-shirt, of all things! The first place she held the fabric was the hips and the second was the bust and this was because this is where the body naturally adds the curves! As far as I saw nothing else was ever implied other than checking the curviest parts of the female human body.

I grew up doing the hobby of Gymnastics and I remember my Coach poking my bottom and telling me to tense the muscles for a better physique… That wasn’t because she was picking on my size – far from it – it was what was expected at competition level and we were being trained to win so you stood to show your muscles at their best. Typing that makes it sound really quite seedy, but I assure you it wasn’t – you were being trained to be the best and, sadly on reflection, that appears to have included a type of image I’ve never picked up on until now.

This isn’t new, in our society, though and I think the media is finding something to glorify in order to create a storm. I don’t disagree with the storm creating however this issue has been around for many, many years and – at times – has been right under our noses. For example, if you were ever lucky enough to see the theatre tour of FAME in the early noughties you will have been introduced to the character of Mabel – her opening line, in her solo was “oh lord give me a sign” before her going on to ask for a chance with the line “Give me a call on your heavenly line”. What was the story line before her solo – putting on two pounds. Now, when I saw this – on a school trip – back around 2002 the actress in the role of Mabel was, I reckon, a size 16 and she always had a McDonalds cup to slurp from. Now, there are two things you can take from this casting:

·       The first is that this, professional, performer – which could have been classed as a larger size – had clearly gone through some sort of performing arts degree to be able to do what she did meaning that she had attending an establishment that accepted her as a talented individual (and she really was talented!) and not just a slim, stereotypical, poster girl

·       The second is that this solo song – titled “Mabel’s Prayer” was written back in the 1980’s meaning that somebody, somewhere, was aware that image dictated roles for performers. Interestingly, a quick Google shows me that it was still around in 2020 when the “show must go on” campaign was rife due to the corona virus pandemic. The YouTube clip shows the performer in the role is around a size 10/12, at most, costumed in oversize clothes, and doesn’t “look” any different in size to the other performers around her

Now then, does the 2020 casting mean that fuller bodied ladies are no longer graduating from performing arts or does it mean that our society had changed its perception of physically smaller ladies being, well, larger?

Either way, the Panorama documentary has certainly highlighted some harrowing experiences that the dance schools in question need to reflect on and act so that it stops happening however I do think, also, that our society needs to be aware that this has been under our noses for many, many years and the fact that it’s being consciously acknowledged should be seen by society as a positive thing, swiftly followed by a drive for change for a better future, both in performing arts and across our culture, as a whole. Personally, where do I think we should start? Social media – but that’s a conversation for another day. #uckthefilter