• Do Pointe shoes ruin your feet?

At first it certainly may feel that way, I remember the odd waddle I would often do when I had my pointe shoes on, trying to avoid a large blister somewhere on my foot. But pointe shoes are not ‘ruining’ your feet. The bunions, bandages and blisters are all working to make a dancer’s feet stronger to master the skill of pointe work. Just like a gymnast or a professional tennis player develops calluses on their hands to withstand the strain. A dancer especially one on pointe develops this same protection to help them dance better and easier.

• Do dancers even eat?

Sadly, this stereotype did hold true long ago. However, decades of evolution have altered how dancers now protect and nourish their bodies. Ballet dancers, much like athletes are conscious of what they eat in order tomaintain their rigorous training and performances we all know and love. The key to any athlete doing all the amazing things they do, day in and day out is to properly fuel themselves for that demand, a ballet dancer is the same.

• Tall girls cannot be ballet dancers.

The ballet world has changed in more ways than diet. No longer are dancers forced to line up at auditions, and face immediate dismissal if they stood taller than 5 foot 2. In fact, my best friend, a gorgeous tall dancer even at a young age, is now pursuing a successful career as a dancer that has taken her across the globe.

• Ballet is all tutus, frills and glitter.

False. While some of the most famous ballets like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Swan Lake display gorgeous tutus and sparkles. Plenty of brilliant ballets stray from this stereotype and have thrilled and enamoured views through the years. My favourites include; Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote and Manon.