I found this video on YouTube the other day, and I nearly doubled over laughing. It's a (gag) documentary following two dancers (one ballerina, one modern dancer) at the University of Utah, and pokes fun at the stereotypes of both forms of dance.
Ballet is typically thought of as stiffly beautiful: it can seem aloof, arrogant, impersonal, and standoffish. Many ballerinas, because they are often so thin, are stereotyped as bulimic or anorexic, a harmful label that, while I'm sure is unfortunately for some, is not the standard. Ballet requires an incredible amount of strength and discipline, and ballerinas must eat sensibly in order to complete the demanding art.
Modern takes the extreme opposite end of the spectrum: many think of it as goofy, not a real form of dance, strange, and imperfect. For much of the time, modern seems to be a collection of incoherent movement, ideas and steps that don't have an obvious link in the way ballet does. Modern appears to be less rigid and formal than ballet, but it does have its own set of rules. The one that was hardest for me? Don't be so rigid and formal! It's hard for a classically trained dancer (such as myself) to adapt to the looseness of modern movement. After years spent in fixed and very specific positions, placing my arms and legs in new positions was difficult.
Ballet and modern do have a lot in common: they require high levels of physical fitness and wellness, artistry, dedication, joy, and stamina. Behind all the obvious differences, there are many obvious similarities.
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