Today I thought I would jump on the band wagon and say my piece about the Free People Ballet video…
I put on my first pair of pointe shoes when I was about 14 years old. I had been dancing ballet since I was 4 and had been training for hours almost everyday to reach that first moment where I could awkwardly roll up en pointe. And I was doing it all while being supervised by one of the most talented (and strict) ballet teachers in our city. Before we could even dream of doing a class en pointe, we had to strengthen our feet and ankles, and learn proper technique. I can’t tell you how many tendus, releves, and rises I did! And when we did start to train in those wonderfully, horrible shoes, we progressed slowly. No chaines or pirouettes right off the bat, let me tell you!
I can say from experience and from being in the dance world for my entire life, that ballet, let alone ballet en pointe, is far from easy. It necessitates years of training, a certain level of technique and of course, an understanding of the risk factors. I have always admired professional ballet dancers like Karen Kain, Maya Plisetskaya, Polina Semionova, and even Misty Copeland who you may have seen starring in the recent Under Armour ads. These women are the very definition of strength, dedication and grace.
Now, to me, dance is not just about technique or being a “pro.” Dance can simply be the love of movement, the love of a beautiful art form. I would never tell people to dance because they need to be the best or because they have to have perfect technique. I tell people to dance because they need to. Martha Graham said “Great Dancers are Great because of their Passion” and I completely agree. But let’s get one thing straight. This Free People ad does not highlight the simple love of dance…they are trying to pass off a beautiful model as a ballerina who has “been dancing since [she] was 3” when anyone with a shred of ballet knowledge, knows this to be a complete misrepresentation. From her broken lines to her complete lack of alignment, I was totally horrified when I watched the video. And not to mention, it looked like she was two seconds away from rolling her ankle. Not cool Free People, not cool. And I love this brand of clothing, so I was even more disappointed to see this! 
They could have easily employed a real dancer for this ad. I mean look at the ballerina project for instance…you have a wealth of beautiful dancers with unique “looks” to choose from…perfect for the brand. Or they could have walked in to any professional ballet company and grabbed an apprentice. Or better yet, a student from say the School of American Ballet.
Feet of a TRAINED dancer from the Ballerina Project
This Free People ad is offensive to the dance community, it’s true. But hopefully, with so much outrage expressed, it will further instil the message that professional dancers are athletes in every sense of the word.