Big ballerinas dance up a storm

Big Ballet, which starts tomorrow on Channel 4, follows a troupe of plus-size amateurs, all from Yorkshire, as they attempt to realise their dream of dancing Swan Lake.

Ballet legend Wayne Sleep was the shortest dancer ever to make his debut on the Royal Ballet stage and now he wants to unlock the world of ballet for a wider audience and break one of the biggest taboos in the ballet world: size. Professional ballet dancers are a size 6-8 but Big Ballet dancers range from 12 to 26.

Under the watchful eye of Wayne and Prima Ballerina Monica Loughman, the dancers will ruffle the feathers of the ballet establishment as they attempt what some experts say is impossible.

The troupe of 16 women and two men are followed through auditions, training and finally a performance of Swan Lake at St George’s Hall, Bradford.

One of the dancers is Claire O’Connor, 40, from Greetland.

Claire was selected to take part because of her own painful experiences with ballet. She attended classes run by her mum, Barbara Peters, a former Royal Academy of Dance examiner, but discovered she and ballet didn’t fit because she was the wrong shape. She gave up at 14 and says it left her with a lack of self-confidence and poor body image.

She spotted a gap in the market for non-competitive dance classes that not only accepted the best, and in 2005 set up babyballet, based in Halifax. But she has never laid her ghosts to rest – until now.

She claims taking part in the documentary has been one the most amazing and inspiring experiences because it has brought her life full circle.

“I loved ballet, I fell out with it and now, thanks to Big Ballet,I have not only fallen in love with it again but I’m so much more confident. I have finally accepted my body shape and ability, and am happy to be me.”

Claire who is married to Chris and has four children – Harry, 17, Charlie, 10, Claudia, seven, and Kitty, five – adds: “I took part in the series because I believe so strongly in the message it is trying to convey and because I wanted it to help me overcome my self-doubt and lay my own personal ballet demons to rest.

“I hope it helps change attitudes that weight, shape and size don’t matter when it comes to ballet. Bigger people can be graceful and do ballet well too. The show stands for everything that I believe in: that ballet shouldn’t be just for the super skinny, it’s for everyone.”

RSPCA’s general manager Stella White, 31, from Stocksbridge, started ballet aged five but stopped when she was 16. At 5ft 9in, she felt she did not meet the required ‘ballet size’ – something she hopes Big Ballet will stop other children feeling.

“Being able to take up ballet again has been amazing and performing felt as natural as breathing. I hope girls thinking about doing ballet, or thinking about quitting, are inspired by this show and not be put off by stereotypes.”

Big Ballet starts on Channel 4 tomorrow at 
9pm.