Ella judge

City:

I have noticed a significant lack of confidence in so many very talented and beautiful dancers, I question if this is due to the surrounding we spend most of our lives in; a surrounding that is passed of as ‘normal’ because as a dancer you should respect your teachers believing and agreeing with everything they say. Of course this is not the case in all dance environments but I have first handedly noticed myself and others i know having worryingly low self-worth; and I question if this is due to having extremely demanding coaches, teachers and tutors who at the same time are critical and judgmental.

The dance world is aesthetically beautiful, but this aesthetic comes at a cost. The dance world constantly conditions there dancers to see nothing but their flaws, I myself have gone weeks of classes (bearing in mind I partake in around 5 classes a day, 5 days a week) with nothing but ‘corrections and imperfections’ which can often feel like personal attacks on our weaknesses and ‘goods’ feeling like throw away comments. It is mentally draining to live in an industry with such a weight on negatives. So many comments both I myself and my peers have received have not only focused on technique and personal improvements, but also our physical structures and bodies.

In this image I wanted to demonstrate the constant love and hate relationship I feel i have in dance, the constant feeling of being inadequate, hours spent crying at the ballet barre but at the same time having a deep rooted love and passion for such a beautiful art form. I hope to raise an awareness of that although dance is I wanted to represent the constant contrast.