The Royal Ballet School’s new artistic director has declared that plus-sized dancers are the future after a former student alleged that teachers had “body-shamed” pupils.
Iain Mackay, who was installed in his post at the school last year, also said that same-sex dance partnerships should be normalised.
His remarks came months after the historic London institution was sued by former pupil Ellen Elphick, 31, over a lack of care.
Ms Elphick said she developed an eating disorder after being criticised by tutors for her weight while studying at the Royal Ballet between 2009 and 2012.
Her lawyers claim she continues to have body dysmorphia and was unable to pursue a career in dance after the treatment she received by training.
Ms Elphick recalled one alleged incident where she was forced to stand in front of a mirror while a trainer pointed out the parts of her body she was disgusted by.
She was also poked in the buttocks and thighs without Ms Elphick giving her teacher permission.
The Royal Ballet, which enrolls more than 200 students, reached a settlement with Ms Elphick in January without admitting liability.
In an interview with The Times, Mr Mackay said that “audiences want dancers they can relate to” which has resulted in studios distancing themselves from the norm of “slim” performers.
Mr Mackay said of bigger ballerinas: “They have been required to be more physical than ever before.
“Dancers that can tell a story, but dancers that are incredibly capable technically.”
Asked about allegations of body-shaming, Mr Mackay responded: “It saddens me so much when I hear about people having a poor experience or an unhappy experience with either our school or the wider art form.”
Mr Mackay went on to emphasise the importance of same-sex dance partnerships as a way to “create new audiences”.
He said: “The classics are beautiful; you ask a lot of our young dancers and a lot of them would say: ‘I would love to do the lead in Swan Lake’.
“But there are all these new works being created and we have to prepare our dancers to go into organisations around the world.”
Born in Scotland, Mr Mackay trained in Glasgow at The Dance School of Scotland until the age of 16, when he moved to London in the 1990s to finish his training at the Royal Ballet.
Mr Mackay revealed he kept his love of dance secret from his friends when he was growing up due to the “stigma” of boys dancing.
“I took my son along to ballet when he was seven or eight and it was just a sea of pink,” he said.
“And he said no. I said why. He says: ‘I’m the only boy.’ There is that stigma, that barrier.”
