The delicate and beautiful world of ballet has fascinated designers and the fashion industry alike, creating an aesthetic craze Tik Tok has deemed ‘Balletcore’. Often, this look includes pale pink satin pointe shoes, soft and flowy chiffon wrap-skirts, and leotards with tights and leg warmers. This trend seems innocent and fun, acting in some ways as a tribute and appreciation of the ballet look. So why are real ballerinas offended?
Looking back to when this trend resurfaced in late 2022 and in early 2023, Italian fashion house Miu Miu re-introduced their classic ballet flat, taking the runway by storm. With this generation’s focus on more realistic and wearable luxury, it comes as no surprise that comfy and cute ballet flats have made a comeback. Of course, as everyone knows, once an item is seen on the runway, it’s replicated everywhere from social media to fast fashion, until eventually the trend is exhausted and then retired. Unsurprisingly, ballet core followed a similar pattern.
Fashion influencers and Tik Tokers began to experiment with these ballerina-inspired silhouettes, playing with how to style them for everyday use. However, as the trend grew in popularity, the dance community began to feel left out. As fast fashion stole designs and motifs from traditional ballet attire, ballet-wear companies began to lose sales. This propelled an anti-ballet-core narrative delivered by dancers on social media.
Finally, ballerinas took to the internet to speak out about ballet tradition and attire, as well as the tireless hours spent to maintain their look and line. This began to balance out the social media trend, as dancers pushed for the public to support local and small dance brands. Their voices and opinions changed the trend-crazed minds of individuals as the public began to develop new appreciations for the demanding sport.
Now, the public is more aware about appropriating the dance look and is aiming to support dance culture and practice by listening to the people of dance, rather than non-dance influencers and brands. Therefore, although the ballet aesthetic seems dainty, sweet, soft, and subtle, the dancers I know reinforced the ideas of strength and dedication it takes to keep their sport’s tradition and love alive.
Moving forward, ballerinas suggest that adopting their looks is okay within reason, and if you want to try out the trend, do so with products and brands backed by the dance community. Great examples my friend gave me were to try out leg warmers with tights, wrap skirts, tops, and shrugs from brands like: Bloch, Capezio, Grishko, and Wear Moi. All of these are classic examples of ballet ‘warm-ups’ which can be styled universally. “I think where people go wrong is when they take an idea or piece [of clothing] and don’t consciously think about where it came from. I know, for me, ballet and everything it encompasses is an extension of my identity and lifestyle”.
After learning more about the ballet lifestyle, the sport cannot be taken lightly. These dancers dedicate their lives and bodies to a beautiful visual and emotional art. So, as trends come and go, highlighting different niche lifestyles, dancers and other communities alike encourage consumers of media to remain inquisitive and critical of the history and origin of these trends.