'Tis the season for Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and George Balanchine's Nutcracker at New York City Ballet is causing a bit of a scandal, after the New York Times dance reviewer criticized one of the dancers for her weight. Alastair Macaulay said ballerina Jenifer Ringer, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, "looked as if she'd eaten one sugar plum too many."
The fact that Jennifer Ringer has been public about her history of eating disorders started a lively discussion about ballet and body image.
Here's a link to the brouhaha, including a Today Show television interview with the ballerina - and critic Alastair Macaulay's excellent, nuanced response.
The whole incident brings to mind the Royal Opera's firing of soprano Deborah Voigt when she couldn't fit into the cocktail dress.
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