Jenifer Ringer
/ file photo
NEW YORK CITY -- A ballet review in the New York Times has inadvertently shined a spotlight on weight and gender in the theater, and set off a controversy when the critic referred to the lead ballerina as overweight for her role.
Jenifer Ringer, cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy, said Monday on NBC's "Today" show that her body is part of her "art form" and there to be criticized. She says ballet critic Alastair MaCaulay is paid to put his opinion in The New York Times. But, she says, some 2,000 other people who saw the November 25 show "had a different opinion as well."
Click here to watch Ringer’s “Today” show interview, and click here to read MaCauley's original review.
Ringer has battled eating disorders and says she's "a more womanly type than the stereotypical ballerina."
In his review, MaCaulay said Ringer "looked as if she'd eaten one sugarplum too many." He later defended his critique in a subsequent article, and also asked why it was acceptable for him to criticize the appearance of male dancers, but not females such as Ringer.
MaCaulay’s articles launched a firestorm of controversy on the subject of appearance and eating disorders, especially in light of Ringer’s past experience with anorexia and bulimia. So, we want to know what you think. Should a critic take a performer’s physical appearance into account during a review? Was MaCaulay right to criticize Ringer’s weight in light of her past health issues? Leave a comment below or vote in our poll to share your opinions.
Information from the AP and NBC News was used in this report.
