On Sunday I attended a performance of Swan Lake performed by the Bolshoi Ballet. It was beautiful in every way. Bliss.
There was no parade of fashion at this performance, but buttered popcorn figured prominently.
Broadcast by satellite at the movie theatre, I was able to enjoy striking close-ups and even hear the dancers feet landing on the floor in the quieter musical moments. I loved it.
Here’s what else I noticed – the corps of female dancers were very thin carbon copies of each other. Their long, thin legs didn’t seem to match their massive strength. Apparently talent is not the only requirement to dance at the highest levels. Appearance matters too.
It’s fairly obvious that most women aren’t naturally thin like Bolshoi dancers. And the Bolshoi dancers are not likely naturally thin either. The pressure to fit the mold of a ballerina is so great that eating disorders are apparently common.
Can you see how desperation always involves less than attractive behaviors? Desperate to be in a relationship can have you looking for love in all the wrong places, or settling for second best. Desperate to climb the corporate ladder might have you stepping on others in your path.
Being desperate to lose weight isn’t a good idea either. In the extreme you have eating disorders. And somewhere on the continuum you have varying degrees of restriction and deprivation, which often end badly.
If you are putting pressure on yourself, what reason do you have to be thin, or thinner? Are you considering your health? Even when you’re motivated by health a cooler head will provide a better environment for positive change to occur.
Self-acceptance is an important part of any change process. So is patience. It’s always a good idea to put your weight in perspective with the rest of your life. As I’ve said before, excess weight is something. It’s not everything, unless of course you want to dance with the Bolshoi, in which case you better practice your arabesque.