why do ballerinas have to wear their hair in a bun?

Answer 1

The audience is supposed to be in awe of the ballerina's grace, emphasized by her long, thin legs and body. Swirling hair would detract from the effect.

Answer 2

Most answers so far explain perfectly the practical reasons for wearing a bun in ballet. It simply is more convenient to wear your hair in a bun, compared to having your hair whip your face when dancing. (I had my hair in one long braid once - will do it never again!)

Also it is a tradition that tells young ladies entering ballet school, to by those pins and learn to put their hair up. A bun in the nape of your head used to be THE fashionable hairdo for ladies in the 1830s and 1840s. And that certainly had everything to do with the elegant line of a woman's neck.

That is the the era when romantic ballet lived it's heyday with super stars like Marie Taglioni. At that time ballerinas were the vedettes that supermodels and filmactrices are today. Taglioni is known to be the first ballerina to move sylph-like on the tips of her toes. One can easily imagine that the younger and aspiring ballerinas have been eager to imitate her and her rivals.

1830-1840s is an era that produced some of the oldest ballets that still are performed. (except for La Fille mal Gardée from 1789 that is still produced by ballet companies sometimes.) The dresses and the hairdo´s are typically designed in the same style they used to be.

The romantic era in ballet was a time in which ballet evolved a lot into the direction of our modern day ballet. Of course, there has been several waves of evolution or rightout renewal since then, but typical hallmarks like the dancing en pointe, the bun, the long tutu, are still with us.

I hope my contribution gave you some new information!

Answer 3

1) When a dancer turns, she uses a technique called spotting where she fixes her on one spot when she starts turning and then whips her head around very quickly to face that same spot again as the turn finishes. If you do that quick snap of the head and your pony tail is long enough then you end up with your hair smacking you in your eyes or mouth -- not fun! (For me, this was the number one reason to put my hair ina bun when I was dancing.)

2) Well, why not just cut your hair short? Some dancers do, but for classical ballet -- by that I mean dancing classics like, say, "The Nutcracker" -- short hair wouldn't be "of the era" and would look out of place.Plus, certain roles might call for loose hair, or hair in a ponytail, so long hair gives you more versatility.

3) Hair up in a bun looks more formal, feminine and elegant than hair loose, in a ponytail, or even cut short. It also gives a clearer view of the line from the head to the shoulders.

4) You can really work up a sweat when you're dancing and a bun keeps your hair off your neck.

Answer 4

A number of reasons.

1. The audience is supposed to focus on the ballerina and how beautiful her movements are. Her hair would be a distraction and the bun keeps it out of the way.

2. Hair gets in the way of dancing, and gets really irritating when it's in your eyes.

And...yeah. :D

Answer 5

The main reason is it gets in the ballerinas face and the weight of it and throws off her balance. It also gets in the way of her partner, who has to hold her steady and can very painfully slap him in the face.

Howver, over time, the "bun" has become and increasingly complex and esthetic and now serves the purpose of making the ballerina look more appealing to her audience.

So now the bun i s multipurpose.

Answer 6

there r many reasons for wearing a bun here r a few-
-keeps the hair out of the face and out of the way to keep it from distracting the dancer and audience
-gives the neck a long and graceful appearance if it is being properly lenghthened
-is neat and tidy and is not distracting to the audience or teacher
-is elegant like ballet
and many other reasons

Answer 7

A bun is often connected with seriousness and dedication---essentials for the accomplished danseuse? Channelled via Maria Tallchief :))

Answer 8

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Answer 9

so they can spot a point on the wall when they turn without their long hair whipping them straight in the face. its just looks neater and more presentable, and creates a sense of unison within the other dancers.

Answer 10

It is to increase the line in the neck giving their bodies a longer more graceful look.