Height: Tall dancers - which companies?

[qtpiedanzer01]

Kansas City Ballet and BalletMET Columbus seem to have a variety of heights at their companies, so you might look into those. Lisa Choules is in KCB and I'm not positive on her height but she is pretty tall and they also have short dancers. BalletMET seems to have a very diverse company, not your average 5'5" rail thin dancer. There are many different types of dancers and honestly I think they blend so well.

[Ed McPherson]

Re: Kansas City Ballet

 

A friend of mine from school just got a job at KCB, she is 5'10. I'd deff check it out.

[jm278]

I thought I'd bring this one back up to the surface, mostly because I'm hoping for more information regarding European and other foreign companies that seem geared toward hiring tall females. I think we covered the companies in the continental US pretty well...but other than the Welsh Ballet, are there other foreign companies a US trained female of 5' 8" might want to consider?

[nikiya79]

Just a few I remember when I danced in Europe- Dutch National, Zurich, Sarrbrucken (Germany), Hamburg, Monte Carlo... I've taken company class with all the above and there were tall girls there - I should know - I'm 5'11"!!!!

[5-6-7-8]

My daughter is 5'8" and is finding it difficult at ballet school. She is difficult to cast and considered "too big" for partnering. Hopefully when she graduates she will find her place. I'll continue to read this subject with interest.

[jmh4]

A beautiful young dancer we know at SAB is 5'10' (in stockinged feet)

[skyish]

Ahh I hate inch system.. I was like, " hey, what are they talking about, is 5'10" tall? then I'm a total giant!" because I thought I was 6'7" but I'm 5'7"... Anyway, I will follow this thread for making a list.

[LooseLegs2]

I want to offer some words of encouragement for tall dancers. I'm almost 18, and topped out at 5'9"... I came to terms with the fact that i would rarely get to partner because of my height... but i find that is not true. I am lucky enough to have a guy at my studio who is about 2 years younger than me, but 6'3" or taller. I got to do a contemporary pas with him this summer, and even more shockingly i am getting to perform a classical pas called clara's journey... Which was originally set on one of my teachers and her husband when she was dancing professionally. So although i never thought i'd be clara, i guess im getting to! haha, and a pas at that! so there's hope!

[firewithin]

Everyone's recent postive comments about tall dancers has been so encouraging and helpful. My dd is 5'7" and we both so enjoy reading there is a chance for her out there!!!!!!

[ondine88]

Please don't lose sleep over 5'7 - that is not too tall - most dancers 5'4 to 5'7 will blend nicely in many corps. I think when most posters refer to too tall we are talking 5'8 and up......

[Laschwen]

 

 

Hi: I just wanted to say Hi:

I am 6 feet 2" and was thought to be 6'3" in High School for a while. I think it was just that nobody could see straight (level) over my head to measure me properly, but maybe it was just early in the day. If early predictions had worked out about me I would have been 6 foot 8! I am glad those primitive predictions were way off.

I am glad to "meet" you here and hear about your accomplishments.

I don't have any accomplishments to share really. I am just a perpetually on and off student who was the freakishly tall one in elementary school, but comfy among 2 other six foot girls in my High School Ballet classes. I am 45 now and when I was young no one even considered serious training or aspirations for taller girls. One was lucky to be taken seriously in class at all. I am so glad to see that changing now.

There is also a girl almost 6 foot tall in the comapny associated with the school where I take classes. In our summer classes the adults were combined with the upper level girls who were not at SI's and she was in with us. I loved dancing across the floor with someone nearly as tall as I am stretching herself out there and challenging me to do the same. I loved watching her dance in a recent production too.

 

Laschwen

[JRB]

Please don't lose sleep over 5'7 - that is not too tall - most dancers 5'4 to 5'7 will blend nicely in many corps. I think when most posters refer to too tall we are talking 5'8 and up......

Thanks for speaking up about 5'8" as the starting point for talks about 'tall' dancers. My DD passed 5'7" quite some time ago and we have a joke that she's 5'9" and that's the story and we're sticking to it! She may actually be from 1/4-1/2 inches taller. At her year end talk with the school director, she was told that her height could be a challenge but not to walk away from trying for a career just yet. So she keeps taking class at her prepro school and enjoying the journey.

[jm278]

So with all these lovely long dancers out there...anyone in the know about which European/foreign companies might be willing to consider this height of 5'8" and up? To try and read the European/foreign web sites is truly a lesson in my foreign language incompetence! Some scoop from those in the know would be appreciated.

[rubiraven]

My 5'2" daughter was too small for Hamburg ballet, they like 5'6" and taller.

[Guest sugarplummy5]

I'm 5'7" and I look short standing next to Michele Wiles, but I'm pretty sure she's 5'8" (I must remember to stand up straighter next time...)

 

 

Slightly off topic (hope that's not a problem), but does anyone know exactly how tall Suzanne Farrell is? In her autobiography she mentions several times that she was too tall for Baryshnikov, but I'm curious how tall she actually was...