This is an a brief overview of what Jac has been up to before we get to Part III. Note that I have used Amanda Seyfried as a face claim, but she's not like the "set" face just because even she doesn't look exactly how I picture Jac looking. I've also made collages of some outfits, and it's important to note that these aren't exact, it's just to give a rough idea.
October 2007
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Everyone's favorite ballerina is ready to wage a war. Jaclyn Webber has challenged The Royal Ballet and the dance world in general to do better when it comes to weight, and we've sat down with the principal herself to get the inside scoop.
What provoked you to speak out about weight shaming?
I was close to losing my part in Romeo and Juliet because I was consistently weighing in higher than what the company had me marked down for. The problem was they had me at the weight I was when I was still eighteen, and didn't want to accept the fact that several years later I wouldn't be the same. So I sat down with the Board at RBC, and I told them the truth.
Whatwere you told exactly?
I was told dancers needed to be thin and underweight, that to keep my career I needed to starve myself.
Were you scared of the consequences that would come with speaking up?
Absolutely! Being skinny is something dancers are desensitized to, from the second we start we're taught to accept it because it's just the way the world is. So many suffer in silence but will do nothing because we're scared to speak out against the system. It's safer to shrug and say that's just the way it's always been.
Do you have any suggestions RBC or other companies?
I suggested an unbiased nutritionist who can guide dancers to be healthy, and keep choreographers from seeing how much everyone weighs. I also suggested the school implement a health class or program for the younger students.
Have you personally struggled with an eating disorder while being a dancer?
Not in the typical sense. I've never purposefully starved myself to lose weight, but I've struggled with body dysmorphia. There are times when all I can think about in class is how fat I feel, or how I wish I looked like someone else. I get so wrapped up in my mind that I can't see what other people see. It hurts my relationship with food too, because I'll eat but then I'll hate myself afterwards.
What advice do you have for others going through the same thing?
You have to see your life beyond the studio, which is nearly impossible, but there is more out there. I've put together this little group with some of the other dancers from RBC, we get together and talk about what we're feeling and our struggles. We're not their to lecture or judge each other, it's simply to air our problems and to show others they're not alone. I'm hoping in the future more people will join us.
