A ballerina’s life is generally considered to be hard. She works long hours, for poor pay in a highly disciplined and hierarchical system in which her interests are seldom at the forefront. Pain, eating disorders and exhaustion are considered to be the ‘unavoidable risks’ of the profession. However, when asked, most ballerinas talk with a lot of pride and fulfilment about their profession; they feel empowered and privileged. To social scientists, this poses the question of how to understand the concept of agency in the world of ballet. This article aims to contribute to the discussion using contemporary materiality theories. Dualistic thinking prevails in the world of ballet; the mind is supposed to have total control over the body. The article examines this thinking in relation to daily ballet practice, in particular the ballerina’s use of pointe shoes. The findings shed an unexpected light on agency while illustrating the potential of materiality theories in this research area.
