Considered the ultimate in Western dance aesthetics, classical ballet is now over five centuries old. Much of its beauty and grace is hard won, through years of toil and often tears, to achieve the perfection a dancer must aspire for. Even as we marvel at the “lightness of being,” the pressure on the dancer to maintain the weightlessness, is cause for concern. Between breaks in rehearsals, most dancers repair to smoking rooms.

Smoking they say, not only relaxes frayed nerves, it dispels hunger. Despite the threat to personal well-being, a perfectly attenuated body is most desired. Behind the wings, one of the most exquisite and romantic dance forms tells another story.