TTC ballet ads face unfair and misguided criticism
I’ve seen a lot of backlash directed at the TTC ads featuring dancers from the National Ballet of Canada and as a trained dancer for the past 35 years, a professional marketer and sufferer of body-dysmorphic disorder, I don’t think the criticism is fair.
There is reaction that the ads promote unhealthy ideals; that they don’t represent the majority of Torontonians and are as such, discriminatory. I do not agree with this.
Potentially unpopular news flash: the models in the ads are members of the National Ballet of Canada, a very exclusive organization that takes years of training to even be remotely qualified for. Those bodies are the result of a lifetime of work and dedication.
Are there issues within the ballet world when it comes to unrealistic body size expectations? Yes.
Is that the fault of these dancers? Undoubtably not.
Should their artistry and accomplishments be censored because they aren’t representative of the average citizen? No.
I didn’t see anyone crying foul when our subway stations were plastered with fullsize depictions of Olympic athletes. They, too, have worked for years to achieve such high status. So then why is an image of a golden trampoline star considered inspirational, but a ballerina considered toxic? Why is one deemed good for kids to see but the other harmful?
Many sports have weight restrictions that are achieved by some rather poten- tially harmful techniques if attempted by the average unsupervised person, yet we can still safely celebrate these bodies. Why can’t achievement of all types be celebrated; whether it be in sport, dance, art, academia or otherwise? Now that would be truly representational of all citizens.
I had some really disordered eating as a teenager. I starved myself. I exercised to unhealthy extremes. I lost a lot of weight very quickly. I did it to fit in and to open doors within my prized dance world that were otherwise closed to me at the time. It wasn’t healthy.
I still suffer the physical and emotional consequences to this day and am in treatment. But you know what still triggers these thoughts? Not posters on a subway wall, but rather the real-life woman standing next to me. I know rationally that imagery in advertisements looks as gorgeous as it does in part thanks to the whole crew of folks involved. Any one of us can (and do!) look that amazing when we have talented photographers, lighting techs, touch-up artists and creative directors at our disposal.
But that woman standing next to me? Now she’s intimidating. She’s the real embodiment of my dysfunctional ideals. She’s just standing there minding her own business, trying to get home from work and unaware of my turmoil next to her.
It’s not her fault for merely existing. It’s not those dancers’ fault. So no, I don’t blame the posters on the wall. I don’t fault those professional ballet dancers for looking as incredible as they do.
I don’t know them personally, I don’t know the details of their struggles and insecurities.
I just know that they are on a beautiful poster drawing attention to an art form I’ve loved my whole life. And for that, I’m thankful.
I’m also thankful for my current dance world and its acceptance of all body types, sizes, genders, races, health statuses and political leanings. It’s not perfect, but it’s shifting. The dance world is shifting.
Beautiful dancers come in all shapes and sizes. This I love. This I’d love to see in more advertising, on more stages, on more programs. But this fact doesn’t diminish the beauty of these National Ballet dancers.
I love this campaign and happily stare at it during my travels. I appreciate the strength in these dancers; the lines they’ve created; the positioning against the stark TTC backdrops.
These ads are art; and I love seeing art during my commute. Thank you for reading this far. Now go dance, whoever you are!
This past summer, I didn’t see anyone crying foul when our subway stations were plastered with full-size depictions of Olympic athletes
Kristin Light is a founding member of internationally renowned swing dance troupe That Swing! and a principal dance instructor at Toronto’s Bees’ Knees Dance studio.