Giving more weight to the ballerina

Material agency in the world of pointe shoes

Bibliographic Data

ID12602121
AuthorsMaartje Hoogsteyns (0000-0001-8694-1490, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, THE NETHERLANDS, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume16
Issue2
Pages119-133
Publication date2012-08-22
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Cultural Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1367-8779 • E-ISSN: 1460-356X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1367877912452482
OpenAlexW2079109401
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited14

A ballerina’s life is generally considered to be hard. She works long hours, for poor pay in a highly disciplined and hierarchical system in which her interests are seldom at the forefront. Pain, eating disorders and exhaustion are considered to be the ‘unavoidable risks’ of the profession. However, when asked, most ballerinas talk with a lot of pride and fulfilment about their profession; they feel empowered and privileged. To social scientists, this poses the question of how to understand the concept of agency in the world of ballet. This article aims to contribute to the discussion using contemporary materiality theories. Dualistic thinking prevails in the world of ballet; the mind is supposed to have total control over the body. The article examines this thinking in relation to daily ballet practice, in particular the ballerina’s use of pointe shoes. The findings shed an unexpected light on agency while illustrating the potential of materiality theories in this research area

Aesthetics · Agency (philosophy · Art · Ballet · Dance · Materiality (auditing · Political science · Pride · Relation (database · Social science · Sociology · Visual arts · Diversity and Impact of Dance · Law · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

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