Vanity Fair, Please Stop It with These Weird "Ballet" Tutorials

February 22, 2017

Remember a few weeks back, when Vanity Fair put out a video featuring Petra Collins, who is very much not a professional dancer or dance teacher, teaching ballet? Well, this week, the mag has Elle Fanning, who is also very much not a professional dancer or dance teacher, demonstrating how to do a piqué turn on pointe. And we love us some Elle, but…this is not good:

Let @ElleFanning show you ballet basics—no tutu required.

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Feb 19, 2017 at 8:24pm PST

Look, we get it: The video is part of a series called “Secret Talent Theatre,” featuring actors showing off their little-known skills—or “skills.” (Emma Stone teaches us how to use a pogo stick; Elle’s sis Dakota proves she can name all the American Presidents.) It’s supposed to be goofy and fun.

But having a non-expert “teach” pointework? That’s straight-up dangerous. Somebody’s gonna break an ankle, guys.

Thankfully, Elle didn’t—though she made us anxious for a second.

Vanity Fair
, we beseech you: Please go back to your usual thoughtful, fascinating ballet coverage! Remember when you profiled Julie Kent? And Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck? How about that brilliant history of George Balanchine’s Nutcracker? We need more of that amazingness! And if you’re not sure if a dance story’s legit, why not run it by legendary ballerina Heather Watts, who’s been a contributing editor at your mag since 1995? Problem: solved.


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