the irony that the girl who is being mean to Lizzy would also be considered too fat for ballet by the old toxic standards xD

I danced from the age of 3 until 17. I was never skinny, always one of the bigger dancers. But I could absolutely keep up with everyone else. There are people like this EVERYWHERE, especially in the dance world that I was part of. It's soul crushing.

Yes. People are REALLY this mean. It’s why I quit dancing. And I was no where near Lizzy’s size. Lizzy is a inspiration to the highest level.

My mom started ballet in her late 40s, and she was welcomed in every studio with open arms. She made it en pointe in her mid 50s. Dancing made her happy, it was a wish of hers to dance since she was a child. My grandparents couldn't afford it to pay for her the lessons when she was a child. It was just after the great depression and they could barely afford neccessities. She waited a long time to finally be able to take classes. She did it! RIP Mom! I know you are dancing in heaven!

It's not just fat shaming, it's gatekeeping and I will never understand it. I love sharing the things that make me happy and seeing other people love them too. Dance is something innately human, anyone can dance.

I did ballet for a year or so. The dance studio started a group for adult beginners, we were a bunch of older girls/ladies between the ages of maybe 16-60, and a guy in his mid 20s. One of the girls had danced a lot when she were younger, and even did en pointe, but she wanted to dance just for fun so she took that class with the rest of us. She was probably the only one looking like you'd expect your typical ballet dancer to look. The rest of us were older, or bigger, or weren't "pretty", or were the wrong gender etc. Me and one other girl had sh scars, and that was the first time ever I wore short sleeves around other people. I just LOVED that ballet class, and the people in it. Everyone was so supportive and respectful. And we all loved the art and took our dancing very seriously. Unfortunately, the teacher moved away and the new teacher were very popular among younger dancers and wanted to be "the cool teacher". Suddenly the class were full of younger teens, competing to be the prettiest. Gone were the strict dancing to classical music, and we were "making ballet more fun" by dancing to songs that you'd here at a club. Not my vibe at all, and I quit dancing. I still miss my ballet days though.

I went to a performing arts high school and there was this girl who I took generals with that was a plus size ballet dancer. I saw her perform for Jay term and she was beautiful on stage, she never let her size define her dancing abilities. I hope she's still out there dancing because she was incredible.

As someone who was bullied and fat-shamed her whole life, I can factually say that yes unfortunately there are people like these mean girls out there in the world. I thought I was the largest girl in my class, in my ballet classes, in my gymnastics, and at my school. looking back at photos of me when I was a kid, I was tiny!! But the bullies made me think differently..... even today...I struggle, but I am getting to a place of pure love for myself. Even sharing this small bit makes me so emotional, I hate knowing that people like this are out there.

the thing is that the ballerina bullying her isn’t actually that skinny, when i used to do ballet, people got bullied for being her size. not being rude or anything but its true

Yes, people are like this. I quit ballet in 3rd grade after four years of dancing because the girls were so mean to me. I think if I weren't an overweight kid I would have continued to dance much longer. I miss dancing.

This gave me a lot of hope. When I was a kid I did ballet and gymnastics but quickly stopped due to not being confident or just being extremely self conscious. Now as a woman I’ve gained that love of ballet back but I’m overweight and very tall so it’s been hard for me to want to do it but this genuinely made me cry and gave me hope!

I love that you're shocked and in disbelief by peoples cruelty. It means you're pure in heart and it gives me hope that there are people out there that have only love and goodness in their hearts and toward others

the story is very over the top but the experience is very real and relatable. i've been both thin and overweight. and i've always hated how people had different expectations of my skills based on how i looked. when i was heavier they were always kind of surprised seeing me dance. when i was skinny it felt like i got respect unearned, before even knowing what i could do.

I quit ballet at the age of 14-15 when I was told by my teacher that I would never be able to do pointe. I was always a bigger dancer, but was being placed with the upper level girls. I was told that I was extremely talented, but did not have the body shape for it. Never mind that I was eating less than they were and dancing 3-4+ days a week with lyrical, jazz, modern, and ballet. It was so discouraging!

I was in ballet and tap for years as a kid. I've always been considered heavy by those around me, and vividly remember being likened to an elephant in my ballet classes, at 9 years old. I was told I'd never be allowed to move forward and learn to be en pointe, because I'd just injure myself. That kind of shaming warps your view of yourself. I spent my young life believing that me doing any physical activity that could make my body 'bounce' was repugnant. Dance and gym became a source of anxiety and shame instead of happiness, and I not only left dance but believed I couldn't be physical in the presence of others. It wasn't until I found Big Moves in my late 20s that I realized I have as much right to find joy in movement as anyone else. Thank you very much for addressing this topic and being supportive.

Starting again at age 70. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot. This was the most inspirational video and I really needed it just now. Thank you not for the video. Thank you for fighting shaming others across the board. Thank you so much!

I first started ballet at 48 (3 yes ago), I started a class for absolute beginner adults. As a male with what was quite a bit of excess weight, I was expecting a lot of negative comments. The class I started was full of THE most amazing people, so I had nothing to worry about there. I did get a number of negative and abusive comments out of class, but just ignored them or gave back as good as I got. It was hard sometimes to ignore the mean and rude comments, but we need to do just that. Ignore them. I know that it is hard in may cases, but if we love dancing, be it ballet, ballroom or whatever, try not to let these sad people put us off what we love doing. As lots of us keep saying, "Keep dancing!" I can't imagine my life without dancing now.

As someone who at 5’9” was “sized out” of her opportunities in dance in the early 1990s, I completely relate. I do see changes happening in the world of dance, and we still have so far to go, especially within ballet. I would love there to be more choice in clothing for different shaped bodies, so more people feel welcome to attend classes of all types. I think this is a barrier to entry which can be easily corrected. I believe, changing the culture around the “dancers’ body aesthetic” to a conversation focused on health rather than looks is a much broader conversation that also needs to happen in the context of this discussion, too.

I cried watching this story. I bullied a couple times in my life and I feel so horrible for it. I am so proud of you Lizzy!!!! Keep at it!!!!

As a child my mother insisted I take ballet and tap. I was not very coordinated at 11 and was painfully bullied. It was the worst experience ever. Good for Lizzy who didn't give up! She is so talented and such an inspiration!

As an overweight woman I have to admit it IS harder to do the physical stuff and more dangerous. HOWEVER, it costs nothing to be kind and encouraging.

at 4 years old i wanted to dance ballet but the teacher told me i didnt have the body for dancing, i was 4. Since then i've always had an eating disorder. 2 years ago i started dancing again and i love it but this teacher sadly broke something in me that i still have to fight in every ballt class. I hope people that hold such power over little girls start being kinder, because ballet is so beautiful and everyone should be wellcome🤍

Ever since I can remember I've been embarrassed about my body. I danced, did gymnastics and worked out constantly. I was so thin and yet still I thought I was fat. I tried to perform self surgery and ended up in hospital. I got very ill, ended up in a wheelchair and gained a lot of weight. I'm now regretting that I didn't love my body and I'm 10x more embarrassed than I was before. Please love yourself before it's too late, I lost everything and I've never experienced real love. Don't be like me, I pray that everyone loves themselves as you're all amazing ❤

I’m not a ballet dancer. I’ve never been a good dancer in any way. Though I find the art beautiful and would love to learn ballroom and belly dance. I stumbled upon this channel when your latest reaction to the AGT ballerina from Brazil showed up in my feed. I’ve never heard of this dancer, Lizzy, before but I know exactly what she’s been through if this is a true story. I was born with a rare liver disease that went undiagnosed till I was 4. I was a very active kid with great balance and a love of belly dance, but the medications I was on to keep me alive made me gain copious weight practically overnight. Before my meds, I was wearing a size S6x-aka 6 sizes smaller than a child’s small. I was tiny. After six months on my meds I was a 4 yr old shopping in the teen department. And this weight gain due to high dosage continued till I was 15 and weighed 250lbs. I wasn’t allowed to do recess or personal fitness until I was 14. Wasn’t allowed to ride a bike till I was 15. And wasn’t allowed to join a gym or have a personal trainer till I was nearly 30. Like Lizzy, I had a passion for performance. I wanted to be in musical theatre. I had a good voice, not phenomenal because I was young and barely trained, but certainly good enough to be a player in a musical performance at school. From the age of 4 to 18 I auditioned for everything musical. And without fail I was humiliated again and again because of my weight. “You won’t fit the costume” “This isn’t a part for a big girl.” “Belle wasn’t fat.” “Christine is supposed to be thin; she’s a ballet dancer.” Being told you don’t have a chance just because you’re a larger person is close minded. I could understand being turned away for my vocal chops-that did happen. But it was almost always a rejection based on my appearance. Especially in high school. By the time I graduated high school I was done believing I could be a part of musical theatre. In my 20s, I stopped singing altogether. And I have never had the courage to sign up for belly dance or ballroom because of how I was treated as I pursued my musical theatre dream. Today I’m 37 and I’m still large thanks to meds. And everyday I still deal with comments from people about my weight. It’s still just as devastating, just as emotionally draining, and just as frustrating as it always has been. Only now, my fight is gone. I’ve been struggling since March 2022 when I had a terrible liver flare up that almost killed me and they put me on ridiculously high dosages of my meds to stabilize my liver. I gained 70 lbs in 6 months! And suddenly I was over 300 lbs and diabetic (drug-induced, not genetic) and it’s all my fault?! So now they are yelling at me about my weight and making me go to all these weight-related appointments and treating me like I weigh this much and I’ve ruined my health because I don’t care. I’m sharing all this because I want to say Thank You to you for reacting to this video. I’d have never known it existed and would never have seen all these amazing comments otherwise. Your comment section, your video, and the video you’re reacting to have truly helped me tonight. So much was said that I needed to hear in this moment.

I started dancing ballet at 25 and have always been bigger. I was definitely always the biggest in any class I went to. And by bigger, like an Australian size 12-14 and 169cm tall, aka the average size and height of a woman in Australia. I ended up making so much progress that I was allowed to go en pointe for the first time after a year of classes. Tbh my teacher was extremely supportive and understood that I was strong enough and it wasn't about weight. I had characteristics about my dance that people loved like my port de bras, even if I wasn't the best jumper or the most agile. The other women were never outwardly mean to me about this, except for being shocked when I was complimented so much by the teachers all the time (behind my back, another story for another time haha)! However... I had a ballet progress Instagram account that ended up getting a fairly big following. Internet strangers would routinely bully me about my size, but I could brush those off pretty easily as just unhappy trolls who need to get a life. More hurtfully than the obviously nasty comments, I would get SO many comments about how "brave" I was or how people were shocked that I would have the courage to go into a class looking like I do and it was inspiring. These were meant as compliments but they were such back handed insults, and would really get me down. I always felt like why should I be treated as brave for simply going to a dance class? I should not be any different to any of the other people going. I don't think many skinny people get told they are brave for just existing. I did not want to be some plus sized icon, I wanted to improve my dancing. I then realised that everyone (but especially Ballet people) are just SO body obsessed, and the sooner we stop treating people like Lizzy as brave/inspirational and just start thinking of her body neutrally and focusing on how good she is at dancing, the better. She is an amazing dancer! She is better than I ever was or could be. But she is just that. A dancer. I hope she shifts the attitudes of dancers and teachers and inspires other "non-ballet bodied" kids to take up dancing, but please let's not treat her as some sort of hero for just being good at dancing. Side note - I also had a pre-professional kid at one of my studios say to my face and in a completely normal conversation that my body was probably more suited to jazz hahaha!! She again wasn't saying it to be mean, it's just something that this messed up community teach these kids from early ages. We need to stop this sort of thing immediately.

Oh my god. I have the same condition. This rocked me to my core - I’ve always had an interest in ballet, but never the motivation. It messes with your balance. Good on girls like Lizzy who break the mold and pursue their dreams! It isn’t easy living in the world when your own body is an enemy.

You are so kind and compassionate. Sadly, people can be that mean even in person. I so appreciate you showing this video and for all of your wonderful encouragement for people to be themselves.

What a beautiful story! I am 55f, plus size due to a number of health issues, and live in a regional location where there are no ballet classes for adult beginners. So...I get my fix for my love of ballet through channels such as yours. Thank you for sharing ❤

My first ballet teacher, Rachelle, was a big-boned lady. And she was still a fantastic dancer (and yes, she did pointe) and teacher. She's still teaching ballet (Royal Academy of Dance technique, which she taught me and I still love), though at a school about an hour-and-a-quarter from me. And absolutely: dance is for everyone. Thankfully, I never heard a word of bullying.

I am a dancer in her early 40s. I am do glad that I dance at a studio that accepts any size and age. I was almost 200 pounds at one point. When I was ready, I decided what I wanted to do for my body. My ballet teacher was supportive either way. This video brought some tears.

I actually had to deal with this, and it was pretty bad. I was a larger kid when I was younger and also came from a small town, so a lot of people were really judgy. I loved ballet so much and I still do till this day. It's one of my biggest regrets that I quit ballet. But I couldn't stand the bullying and the shame I felt over my weight - even when I was complimented plenty on my form, the shape of my hands and feet and my positions, I just wasn't flexible enough and was never confident I would be thin or pretty enough and ended up quitting at age 12. It still makes me cry, I miss ballet so much, but I feel too old now to ever go back to it, and I never lost enough weight for it to be a possibility.

Thank you so much for reacting to this. I did ballet as a kid for 6 years, but then I had to start taking several medications that made me gain weight like Lizzy. I started at age 23 to do virtual ballet classes during the pandemic and seeing this video makes me feel better about being plus size :)

This is incredibility true. I was a dancer from 5 to 16. Competitive for several years. I had that exact issues at stores, costume makers charging me extra because I would 'use up too much fabric', and a few times my team was deducted points because we weren't "uniform in size".

I danced classical ballet from 5-15 years old. It was everything to me. I was really good at it and had many solo roles in our dance company. I wanted to go professional. Then I had an injury that was serious. I wasn't able bro dance. I thought all these years my mother supported my dance, but I came to understand she only supported me when I made her look good. She abandoned me physically and emotionally when I couldn't dance anymore. I felt so profoundly rejected and betrayed that she only appeared to love me when she could brag and live vicariously through me. I was heart broken. I still have never really recovered from the realization . She more than let me know I was a failure, that I embarrassed he, disappointed her and let her down. Nothing about me, how I felt about the situation if being forced to give up what I loved, and having constant bone pain when I walked. I seriously have never gotten over the loss and betrayal.

Heads up! Back in the day when I was dancing in Minneapolis, the choreographer I danced with, Myron Johnson, auditioned and cast dancers with all body types including dancers with scoliosis and other disabilities. I celebrate him here!!!

I have as a dancer actually have been through this from a girl in my college dance class and we had a performance and we were at the rehearsal I remember that the girl that was like "You need to stay in your window." and right before our professor was about to say anything to her I straight said "Excuse me? Um no, you are not going to tell me what to do when you were not even here for our first rehearsal where we had our windows laid out. I said you need to stay in your lane and check your self in your correctness before you even come for me when I was here for the window layout." then she was like "my grand-parent passed away that is why I was not here." I replied with "I am sorry your grand-parent passed away, but that does not give you the right to come at me emotionally with your problems like a punching bag. Learn your windows." Our professor was over it with her and told her that she had told her the windows before she even came to that class and that it was not my fault. My professor was over it to the point that she sided with me in front of everyone because all of the colleges other dance groups were there watching in the audience to the stage.

I was the thinnest dancer at my studio and I was shunned as if I had a disease. I did, but not anorexia or bulimia. I knew I was skinny as my disease made it impossible for me to maintain a standard weight. I danced for the beauty of the music that I could feel in my body. I say this to remind people that any deviation from the typical size can be, more often than not, a symptom of a cause that should not have to be made public in order to be treated with the respect all human's deserve. Everyone needs to give grace and acceptance to others. Life is long; do not think for a minute that some thing cannot happen to you, the bearer of nasty words and deeds. "There but for the grace of God go I."

I never knew the story of her but in 2019 in Eurovision song contest there was one performance that shook me the most. It was from France, Bilal Hassani sang Roi, and now after 3 years of admiring this performance I know it was Lizzy who danced there wow! That first time I watched that eurovision I thought she was so inspiring! She basically showed everyone that it's not the weight that matters, it's your hard work and dreams.

I absolutely love this story. I used to have such a passion for dance and even wanted to do ballet but never did because of my size. I was always told I was 'too big' to do dance like that.

Lizzie now dances hip hop like a boss with the Millennium dance studio (I believe?) I’ve seen her in recent videos totally nailing it!

Josephine, you are an inspiration to everyone, and thank you for reacting to this, it’s sad how some feel entitled and as if no one else can touch them just because of their perfect body, well, we’re all human and still learning at all ages how to be supportive of each other and ourselves

To answer your question yes there are people like this. I was bullied for being overweight. From the time I was 12 until I was in my mid 20s. I can 100% relate to this and it still hurts me even though it’s not directed at me. People look at me now and tell me that they would never have guessed that I used to be overweight. I’m a thick pear 🍐 now, my genetics will not let me be slender, but for my height of 4 feet 11 inches, I’m grateful that I’m not. I’m healthy and that’s what counts. People should value people more for their thoughts, ideas, hopes, dreams, their quality as a human being, and less on their looks and presentation. And yes I cried. I always cry.

Yes. People are like this. I started in Ballet as a chubby child. I was the most limber, had the most stamina... the girls were brutal. I quit dancing when the recital costumes could no longer be made to fit. I'm now almost 60 and this video brings me back to that child. This is still devistating. devastating.

I was in tears. My sister and I were gymnasts at age 2-16 years old. My sister was skinny and athletic. She was always on competition teams. I was more heavy set and just did my best. But it damaged my legs and now I am in my 40's and walk with a cane. I also have Pseudo Tumor Cerebri since I was in my childhood. I have had 10 brain surgeries revising the shut that drains the extra spinal fluid. I was blind for 10+ years before my first shunt. I recieved alot of the same comments when I started nursing school and was told I was to big and that people with disabilities couldn't be a nurse. I successfully graduated and enjoyed 10 years of nursing before I had to give it up. So don't ever give up on dreams. No matter what I do now, I will always remember that I succeeded. Thank you for doing this video. I know it was tough but the symptoms the character experienced are accurate and can be debilitating. I hope that the young lady never gave up on her love of dancing. It is beneficial not only physically but emotionally.

Yes people are like this. I had this one teacher who would tell me " lose weight, ballet will be easier" in front of everyone because I was not skinny like the other ones. I was never a skinny ballet dancer, but I also am not fat. I was a normal size, but got teased about it everyday. Sometimes I would spend weeks without eating- but that caused me to get weaker in ballet. Thankfully, I did not quit and changed studios and I have been striving ever since

The attitude of the mean girl is one of the reasons me and so many of my friends never tries out for anything we would have liked to; dance, cheerleading, ect. We were just 'too' over weight. (Even though my childhood pictures don't show that i was at all) Knowing that Lizzy got support and was given the right type of encouragement restored some of my faith in humanity when I first heard of her story. She is a very beautiful and talented young lady. ❤️

As i dancer, it crushes my soul to see this. Ive never had the "ideal" dancer body, though lucky enough to not have experienced any bullying first hand, Its still terrifying walking into a dance class and not "meeting the standards" you feel are in place. Being able to push through when you're discouraged, or still showing up to class and giving it your all when you dont feel good enough to keep going is more important than being skinny or the best one there. It took me a really long time to realize that. I hope to see the ballet and dance community grow and realize that those standards are dumb outdated. Theres no such thing as a "dancer body," any body is fit to dance. Lots of love to all the fellow dancers out there

This is the while reason I quit ballet, I was a bigger girl and ALL the other girls used to make fun of me I couldn't take the bullying so I quit. But then I join colorguard and it really changed my mindset about dance, and I absolutely loved it

Just as bad as the shaming, which I've experienced from the very young age of 5 years old, are the backhanded compliments. Most of the time people don't mean to be mean about it, but OMG, the number of times I've heard stuff like "Amazing how flexible you are at your weight" and "I've never seen a person like you dance like this" and, my favorite, "Wow, I didn't expect you'd be able to do that". Yeah, I'm a trained professional, who would have thought I can do my job? 🤯 The people poking at my weight (again, from the age of 5) sadly tuned out the (rare) voices of support when they were present. I either didn't hear them, or brushed them off as sarcastic, because I was not used to people just being decent towards me as a dancer. It's why I ended up deciding on a teaching route rather than an actual dancing career. I'm a passionate teacher, but there are days on which I think that something was taken away from me. Just to avoid any confusion, I'm not a trained ballet dancer. That was the first thing that went out the window when my teacher at 6 years old told my parents I didn't have the body. I'm still a pro dancer. Ballroom, Latin and tap. And I kept taking ballet/modern/jazz classes here and there because I really like the way you move your body doing these. To everyone who loves to dance: Just dance. It's such a wonderful way to both express yourself and exercise your body and mind. ❤️

I'm really lucky to be in an dance class that is completely accepting all types of people. One of the first dancers to inspire me was a bigger woman. She had the MOST beautiful control at barre she was a joy to see.

Theres another Darman about Lizzy... With a happier story... A fellow dancer befriends her and helps her. Truly an inspiration!

the employee at the start plays her role so well and im not surprised in almost every Dhar Mann film she always play the bad guy / villain and she’s been doing so for a while i love her!!

there are absolutely people still like this, and not even just in ballet. I've seen fat shaming at work (for a literal sit-on-your-butt job), at the gym, etc. there's a lot of people who can't seem to mind their own business.

As I was a child, i did a bit of ballet/classical choreography, it was mostly at primary school. And I had to quit as I was too fat for it. Not to mention that yes, I may have been a bit bigger than some thin girls out there, but I wasn't even overweight. It absolutely killed my self-esteem and I'm struggling to accept my weight even now after years and years of dieting, eating and health problems and endless shaming. But you know, as long as you wish for something, you can do it. It doesn't just end with nasty people who shame you or with your complexion you can do nothing about. It's all about you yourself and what you want. The thing is, as an adult (I'm 25 now) I went to a stretching/ballet studio and started ballet anew. I'm dancing for more than a year now, can do pointe (obv not as good as pro ballerinas out there) and I'm quite content with my results. Maybe it's crazy to dream for something society isn't ready to accept, but for me the most important part is your own dream and your striving to do what you've desired most.

Sadly yes!! I had other students and teachers treat me this way. I walked away at 15 and never looked back. I’m 47 now, and do not regret walking away, nor danced since then. I did it because I loved it and thought it was fun.

I turned to food at a young age due to bullying watching this flooded me with memories but I LOVE lizzy she inspires me and I hope she reads this comment that she inspires me to take life by the horns and dance like noone is watching❤

As a full figured woman I totally relate. I get this reaction a lot and it even when it has nothing to do with dancing or fitness. People are just miserable and mean. There really are people like that in the world and it really comes from their own insecurities. Great acting.

As a kid I've always loved watching ballet and would even try to copy some moves alone in my bedroom, however I never actually asked for ballet classes because I was too self concious about my weight (since a reallyyy early age)... yesterday, as a 25 year old adult, I finally signed up for ballet classes, I feel like I'm finally fulfilling my childhood dream 😸

As the person who did sports as the big girl this really touched a nerve especially as this was basically my childhood. Being told I was too fat for most things 😭😭

Honestly for people to actually feel actual, idk, ACTUAL FEELINGS about the actors, this proves that they are great actors!!!

That made me cry! I did ballet for about 13 years until I got chronically ill. It has been over 30 years ago and I still miss it. I was thinking about taking lessons again for fun, but I don't think my health would agree. As long as you love to dance and can, do it, no matter what others say!

Love Lizzy! When I was 8, I had to begin taking high doses of steroids and it caused immense weight gain. I would try to cover up in ballet class with non-dance attire (regular skirt that wouldn't show my thighs) and always would tuck myself into the farthest corner. I lost most of the weight and came off the steroid rotations at 13... got into the State Ballet on a scholarship at 16, then was asked to leave a year later, as my legs and upper arms became too big to fit into the corps. (Which is fine, truly. They are a traditional ballet company, and that is their aesthetic, and let's face facts... most teens dancing ballet at that level have a certain body type. Contemporary and modern companies exist that include a more diverse collection of body types!) Despite intense dieting and extra classes and Pilates and a nutritionist, I couldn't slim down my upper arms and legs.... but my torso and face appeared emaciated. 10 years (and a lengthy eating disorder) later, I was diagnosed with a condition called Lipedema. It is a painful fat disorder and does not respond to diet or exercise. Right now, the only treatment available is expensive surgical manual lipedema extraction and lymph-sparing liposuction. The body cannot break down the hard fat nodules. Non-invasive support includes compression garments. I'm only including so much information here because the condition is more common than people realise, so if anyone is struggling with weight loss, especially in their legs... perhaps it's not your fault at all. There are other conditions aside from PCOS and hormone disorders that cause an inability to lose weight or progressive weight gain. Regardless.... NEVER stop dancing! I wish I hadn't.

I understand why ballet dancers need to be small and not overweight or obese, the more weight you have the less flexible you are, the more weight you have and you go on pointe, all your weight will crush your ankles and feet. Your feet are the most important part of your body when it comes to ballet. It's not fat shaming it's just reality. I just don't get why people are so offended by this fact.

I wasn't ready for these emotions tbh. Yes, people can be this mean, especially when behind a keyboard. Bravo Lizzy and all the other dancers out there that continue to persevere. We dance together.

What hurts the most is when you come out of the worst depression you've ever had, you're full of enthusiasm and eager to live life again and during recovery you discovered your love for ballet and startet dancing yourself because ....so graceful and difficult and 😍. I just love it! Then when I announced to my family that I'm over wanting to end my shid and want to do ballet instead, my mom started laughing out loud and fat shamed and insulted me to no end. I cut her off by now, I'm too old to have my mental health wrecked by my mom like some insecure teen.

Not all body types are equally suited for every sport or discipline. If you are two meters tall it is easier to play volleyball than to dream about horseracing; if you are lean but have zero flexibility and flat feet it is easier to get into running than ballet. It is what it is. There is no need to be mean about someone pursuing their passion no matter the disadvantage, but pretending that the disadvantage isn't there doesn't help anybody. Instead of a failed gymnast I could have been a decent athlete if someone actually took the time to be honest with me. Ballet I don't know, modern or contemporary dance would be a good fit for this lady.

Gloriously inspiring message for the new year. Tears running down my face for her strength …. You GO girl ❤

I've never danced, (except inside with the curtains closed) and now I have a neurological disorder which makes it almost impossible. Watching all these dance videos to live vicariously. But I have decided in this moment, I'm going to open my curtains. Each fall, wobble, twitch and fail will add my personality to my dance. 🎉

Professional & recreational dance class standards and objectives differ greatly. The former requires thin but the latter should encourage almost all with an interest in ballet. The objective of the former is perfection and performance on stage. Whereas recreational classes provide opportunities for students to enhance grace and fitness improving strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and knowing where their body is in space through the healthful, enjoyable, rhythmic movement of the ballet.

This makes me think of a young woman I met in grad school. She was about 4 or 5 inches taller than my 5'3" and incredibly thin. I was even heavier than I am now, and I'm over 200. She was waxing on about the ballet classes she was taking at the nearby school, and all it's benefits. Without an ounce of self-consciousness either way, she strongly encouraged me to do the same. "Everyone should take ballet," she said. "Everyone."

I started ballet at age 2. I fell in love. I dreamed of the day I would be able to get to dance en pointe. At age 11 I gained a bit of "fluff" pre-puberty. My ballet teacher called me out for it in class one day, and it was humiliating. I never. Went back. A few years later, my grandma took me to see the nutcracker. Several girls that I grew up dancing with had major parts. I remember going home and sobbing. It crushed me. Im 45 now, going through chemo for ovarian cancer. Ive spent so many days sick in bed watching ballet videos. As soon as Im able, I am going to find an adult ballet class. I want my dream of dancing en pointe to come true ❤ even if its a bit late.

lizzy is the most beautiful ive ever seen she has amazing taent never stop chasing your dreams because its what you desire remember that always dont give up you got this

I had a pointe shoe fitting yesterday at a shop in our city with a reputation for being a bit snobby about less traditional dancers. However, I have been there twice now for fittings (tap shoes and pointe shoes, also some character shoes to wear with an Edwardian dress), and I was really impressed at how friendly and welcoming the place is. I got an excellent fitting (Heritage), very quickly, yet the fitter encouraged me to try everything in my size/shape. Merlet Cloes were a close second. Another assistant helped me find some meshies, and scoffed when I was concerned about being a tiny bit chonky for them. I am a mature but very keen dancer, and this seems to be a bit more common these days, and perhaps dance stores are realising that mature dancers often have money and are keen to make up for lost dance years with pretty things. I was thrilled with my experience, on World Ballet Day. 😊

As a current fat lady who had YEARS of disordered eating in order to be "thin" and still never was by societies standards I can 100% confirm there are people like this. Strangers, acquaintances, family, doctors. All kinds of folks are fat-phobic, and the really insecure or extra hateful ones say stuff. Most people don't, thank goodness!

Yes there is ppl like this, everywhere! Sometimes to your face, most times behind your back but loud enough for you to hear

She is one of the best dancers I could watch her dance all day and night

Great reaction video! I was lucky and had amazing teachers my 13 years, but there are always a few dancers that don't think larger people should dance. Senior year, you can help look through costumes for your group dances, and I remember somone commenting "I wish only certain people got to be in the class so we can wear cute costumes." At 17/18 and already on crash diets, that still hurts 12 years later.

Dance is for everyone, including ballet. The dance school I went to took everyone no matter gender or size. Roles were always given on skill not looks. Its heartbreaking to know this sort of shaming still happens and is why we have so many problems today.

I'm sorry, but no. Let's be real here. I don't condone being mean to anyone, but you can't be a ballet dancer and be morbidly obese as that girl is. You can't go on point, you lack range of movement, flexibility, endurance, balance,... If you want to practice ballet because you love it and as a form of exercise, great! Good for you! Kudos! But you have to lose weight. That's just how it is. Again, I'm not saying you have to be mean to overweight people, nor should anyone strive to be overly thin. In fact ballerinas need to be very strong, which means they need a lot of muscle and they can't be too flimsy and delicate. But you should encourage overweight people to lose weight by doing things they love. Help her to become lighter, stronger, more flexible, and reward her when she can safely go en pointe. She can even be a professional dancer in other styles of dance if she can't lose enough weight for whatever reason. But she shouldn't get roles over other girls who worked their asses off, just because the teacher took pity on her, to teach others a lesson or to brag about how progressive you are. As it currently is, that performance wasn't pretty, it wasn't graceful and she doesn't deserve the main role in any ballet. And yes, I know Lizzy is famous for "breaking the mold" or whatever, but stand by what I said: if you are female and can't be en pointe, you can't be a professional ballet dancer.

The way that missy dances is so graceful

I wanted to be a dancer as a kid, but I was told I was too chubby. It really was crushing, especially for a kid who already had serious self-esteem issues. There weren’t a lot of plus-sized role models for a chubby kid back then. I felt so alone and singled-out. Then when I was around 20, I went to a Victoria’s Secret to buy some Christmas gifts and I got told, “Honey, I don’t think we have anything here in your size.” So I told her I was planning to drop several hundred in the store on gifts, but I guessed I’d just take that money elsewhere. I also got called “Wilson Phillips” in the mall when I was a teenager walking with two slimmer friends. Those are just a few issues I had growing up overweight. People don’t understand and they think it’s so simple to lose weight. “Just eat less and exercise.” But it’s not that simple. Some of the same people who say these things have addictions, too. Drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, over-spending. They almost all have some addiction that’s not so easy to quit. But somehow losing weight is supposed to be so easy. I’ve lost 100 pounds and counting, but it was really, really hard.

Story time from a plus sized girl- so in 4th grade (I was like, 9) I had to go to “after school fat camp” (literally what it was called) where we “learned healthy eating habits” like writing down every single thing we ate/drank, chew on ice if your hungry between meals, and “freeze yogurt to have a fun dessert.” Basically set me up to have my ED later in life. Yeah…. Be kind to people, you don’t know their story is all I gotta say

A the age of 11 after dancing at a well known studio in my area for 5 years, the owner/instructor told my Mom that I could not continue dancing. She said that I would do damage to my feet. Dancing was my life at that age. I was a so broken and hurt, my Mom took me to a diet doctor and yes, I lost 70 pounds so that I could go back to dancing. But I got hooked on the diet pills and the doctor had his license revoked. After dealing with withdrawal I gained the weight back. I danced one more year at that studio and thought I would never dance again. Fast forward 20+ years and I had a daughter of my own. Of course I put her in ballet. The teacher at that school after talking to me asked if I would join the adult class. Long sorry short, at 397 lbs I was dancing on stage and loving every moment. I never stopped dancing.. I was in the front row at all the recitals. Then when I did stop ballet I started country line dancing and went on to teach. I no longer dance at my age but, that first teacher destroyed a young girl. I overcame that devastation. I just hope no young girl, boy, woman or man that wants to dance ever lets anything stop her. Be happy in your skin and enjoy every moment of life that you have been blessed with!!! Thank you for letting me share my story….

My mother was a very smart lady. She taught me well. She said “Never live up to someone else’s expectations for you. Live up to your own.” And she was right. I set the bar high for myself. Didn’t always meet my goals, but more often than not, I did better than what others would have expected from me. Dream big. Aim high. You just might surprise yourself.

3rd-7th grade my mom told me that would not let me take ballet classes because "you are too fat to be able to do ballet"(yes she specifically said fat, overweight, etc depending on which occasion i asked and was only 80 max overweight). After the second or third time I asked to do it, never asked to do something to improve myself outside of school again. Even now, I struggle to ignore that negativity inside myself for EVERYTHING I do or try as it has been repeated so much. Glad she got massive positive support in the end. Sadly, this thing is very common based on my personal experience and those I have met through my life.

It really really saddens me to read all these comments of people testifying of this happening in their lives. That someone like a ballet teacher could stop a little child from doing something they loved and dreamed of doing. I am planning on becoming a teacher (In mathematics and ballet, weird combo, I know) and I really hope I can show kids and young adults the compassion that they deserve and that I can motivate them to chase after the things they love and to not give up on their dreams. I partially want to be a teacher to be a better teacher than the bad ones out there. I hope that I can fulfill my dream too. I will never stop dancing❤️ (Extra note: I've been lucky to have a wonderful ballet teacher who does not care what size you are, as long as you love what you're doing. But as someone who doesn't look like the typical dancer, I've still struggled with my body image and worrying what others thought of me. You are not alone :)

As someone who’s been on some of the meds used for pseudo tumor cerebri I can confirm the weight gain is real, 50lbs over 8months and that was with virtually no appetite either. It changed the way food tastes, makes you tired, is a pain in the butt to stay on a schedule for, and can easily leave you feeling worse off than just dealing with the headaches and random vision loss.

That’s the most out of touch step-mother. Why would she put her in ballet as a distraction, and then take her to try out for a performance? ANY other activity would have been a better choice. I remember as a child in Russia ballet school said I wasn’t ideal because they could tell at 5 years old how my body will develop, and how my muscles are attached, even though I was a small slender child. It’s meant for specific bodies to excel at it, and that’s why Russian ballet is the best. Ballet requires a certain standard since it’s meant to be performed for an audience, for uniformity in a group. It’s supposed to be elegant, beautiful, and aspirational. I wouldn’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket to watch Teletubbies prance around. It’s fine if the girl wants to practice for her own development, but to try-out for someone to watch is disrespectful to the art.

Anyone who shames, harasses, teases or mocks another dancer should be tossed out of the studio, never to return. That is the only way this behavior will cease. Teachers, choreographers and other dancers need to take the lead and stop the cruelty. Children can be scared of repercussions to speak up. But, if they tell an adult or an adult witnesses cruelty, the adult needs to act.

Not trying to be rude just asking an honest question! I heard that its more dangerous to be a ballet dancer when youre plus size because of the strain it puts on your joints. Is this true?

Just saw this for the first time. I love Lizzy

Let her brake her ankles and knees. Just smile. We are all free to do what we want to do. Teacher (professional): You wanna hurt yourself? Of course, you look great! You gonna brake your foot? Yes do it, you can! If you are heavy, Dance!! But not ballet!!

Ok while it’s unacceptable that the girl bullies her, Lizzy (I think that’s her name) isn’t actually good at ballet. Like this isn’t a very accurate portrayal of what can happen in my experience, I’ve met plenty of overweight dancers and some of them were genuinely some of the most talented people I ever met, they were graceful and you could tell they really loved what they were doing, other weren’t very good and that’s fine too and nothing ever justifies bullying but I just wanna point out that it sucks that they made the overweight character be the only one not good at dancing cause that’s bullshit. You win parts based on merits not pity and she should’ve been good at ballet and gotten that part, no matter her weight.

This was a great react. This would never happen at our studio. All sizes and shapes are welcome!

LIZZY YOU ARE MY HERO!!! I have been crying all morning with how inspired I am of you! I wanted to teach pole dancing for empowerment after seeing a plus size person pole dancing so awesomely Then I had someone tell me I’m too big for pole dancing and only skinny girls do that I tried pole dancing so I could coach it and have an empowerment group I got so sick from spinning I couldn’t do it So then I took a belly dancing instructor course And I’ve been belly dancing and teaching it ever since! This year I want to hold belly dancing circles for healing and self love! Thank you Lizzy!!!!!

I did ballet for 12 years all through elementary school. The place i took lessons from wasn't the best at all... I really wanted to be a professional dancer but where we lived there weren't any studios like that around and my parents also didn't have the most money... so when people tell you 'you can be anything'... no not always, sometimes certain things do hold you back. I'll always regret that I didn't get the opportunity to at least try to fulfill that dream... that being said, Im 35 and i wanted to dance again so bad. I found a really good studio that offers adult classes, even pointe classes. Its hard to not feel self-conscious because my technique isn't there compared to the others and I'm older... but im doing it for me because it makes me happy. Thats what you have to go for at the end of the day. Im also really lucky the teachers are super supportive and their motto is 'no judgement'.

Since my fiance was bullied about her weight, she quit ballet as a kid. Now we're both taking adult ballet classes and we both love it. I used to figure skate as a kid and because I was bullied for being a boy that does it, I quit figure skating. Now I love ballet.

I just stumbled upon your videos & thank you for posting this one! Yes; unfortunately, body shaming is very real especially in dance schools. My daughter was a ballet student for nearly 14 yrs from age 5 & a company dancer for 12 of those yrs. It’s also very unfortunate & sad that parents can be amongst those mean people. My daughter, now 19, is currently studying at ASU majoring in dance. She definitely doesn’t fit the typical “ideal” ballerina standing at 4’11” & brown skinned similar to other Pacific Islanders but she has an amazing personality, truly loves to dance & works hard despite mean people. discrimination laws, it still occurs everywhere.

Lizzie is incredible! 💗 There will always be miserable people that say cruel things to try and make you feel as terrible as they feel about themselves… kudos for following your passion and dreams and showing the world that we can all do the same! 💞

You know this was a manufactured video and was very cruel...but... at some point with ballet, I studied for 20 years, weight does eventually matter.....