What moves you? For some, it’s music. For others, it’s the power of the written word. And for others, it’s dance. Ballet is an art that has always intrigued me – it is so graceful and delicate, yet so strong and powerful at the same time. Watching a dancer in motion is mesmerizing. See for yourself in the video below, and check out some behind the scenes images from our ballet shoot!
Shop FP Movement Ballet.
Shop FP Movement Ballet.
More Movement inspiration from the BLDG 25 Blog.
You should have gotten a real ballet dancer for this.
Did you watch the video? She is a dancer…
So Lovely & Graceful. Thank you for sharing!
The Weaver Of Words…..give me 15 words and I’ll tell you a tale
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Love Free People’s over all branding but was surprisingly disappointed in your casting choice. She’s beautiful but not a dancer. Her feet!
Agreed. She is beautiful, but being a professional ballet dancer myself this is kind of insulting. I don’t say this to be mean to the girl, I would just love to see this art portrayed in its highest form on your lovely blog.
As a dancer I totally agree with the others…poor choice…there are so many beautiful and graceful ballerinas out there who have dedicated their life to perfecting their craft. The ballet section of the FP Movement campaign is incredibly disappointing. Where is the beautiful point in her feet? When she rises to releve in her pointe shoes, she doesn’t even get all the way over the box of the shoe. Definitely missed the mark, FP, and really disappointing to have ballet represented this way.
As a dancer myself I am disappointed in all the “dancers” rude comments to this post. She is lovely, (even if you think her technique is off). No one is perfect.
It’s not just her feet..it’s her arms, the quality of her movement, everything. I get that like the “ballerina/dancer” concept is trendy and they are trying to capitalize on that, but it’s insulting and inaccurate to use someone who clearly doesn’t dance to depict it.
She IS lovely, and the passion is there. However, for Free People to show incorrect technique in pointe shoes is scary because it encourages other’s to model themselves after this young woman. To put an individual in the spotlight, Free People should be conscious of choosing someone who will portray the role safely. Looking at the model’s ankles, and how they are sickling when she is en pointe, she needs correction on the proper way to hold herself in a pointe shoe. Without this correction she could easily roll an ankle — causing a sprain, broken bones, torn ligaments, etc. And so could the girls who are modeling themselves after her.
Please Free People, pair with a professional dancer, or at least a professional consultant to correct this video and the images on your website. You are promoting incorrect and unsafe ballet technique, as well as misuse of pointe shoes. Do not take ballet so lightly.
@Julie, you couldn’t have said it better. One can get seriously injured! I’m glad that they put the warning on the vintage shoes that they’re “meant to be admired as decorative art pieces”, but the model in the “Vintage 1950s Crinoline Ballet Skirt” wearing the shoes is concerning. Wished that she was modeling the handmade or Capezio slippers instead. Safety first!
No… Her feet. :( I’m scared to watch the video.
Ugh, why not cast an actual ballet dancer?!
I’m sorry but as a professional dancer for 20 years I find this ad insulting. It’s not being “rude” to say that. I know how hard it is to be a ballet dancer and the hours it takes and the training you need to put in to make it beautiful. This ad to me belittles all of that hard work that real ballet dancers (male and female) contribute to make their craft beautiful. I feel sorry for the girl that there wasn’t someone in the production of the video that knew more about what a ballerina strives to look like. If it’s supposed to be just about movement then it should be about that but to say it’s about ballet then that’s sad and a slap in the face to ALL professional ballet dancers out there.
Feet…… AH! I agree, this should have been done with a professional dancer.
I thought this was absolutely beautiful. Style and grace. You’re a class act free people.
thelittleliongirl.com
This is an unjust portrayal of dancers who literally dedicate their lives, perfecting their technique and artistry. It really is an insult.
Could Free People please have gotten this young lady a bra? I’m just sayin.
She may be a “dancer”, but she’s not a ballerina. . .
As a dancer, I am outraged at the portrayal of ballet in this video. I have spent 20 out of my 23 years striving to NOT look like that, and I am saddened that the casting directors at Free People are so uneducated in this art form to believe that this advertisement is actually what dancers look like. It is disgraceful. This is an incredible disservice to the advancement of our art form, and, maybe even worse, they have subjected this poor girl to such negativity. My point is, DO YOUR RESEARCH!! Do not take the first pretty girl you see, throw a pair of pointe shoes on her and tell her to dance. That’s NOT how it works! Again, I have spent countless hours agonizing over my technique, and it is an insult to dancers around the world that THIS is what you think ballet is! Had you done your research, Free People, you could have saved this poor girl a whole lot of heart ache, AND you might have actually had some dancers buying your clothes. I will not be buying anything, as I do not intend to support a company who makes a mockery of my art form.
In case you were curious, this is what a dancer campaign should look like.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/30/misty-copeland-under-armour-partnership-_n_4694951.html
Free People, care to comment? Where does this dancer study? Is she in a major ballet company? Where did she go to college and major in dance? Did she attend a prestigious conservatory? It’s unfortunate enough that your clothing is as expensive as it is – real dancers can’t afford it. But to advertise it via this girl (who is lovely and might enjoy dancing in her free time), is a slap in the face to any professional ballet dancer. See above link to Misty Copeland’s Under Armour promotion.
This is an insult to real dancers.
The model you used for this campaign is beautiful. She has surely danced at some point in her life but I have to agree with those saying a professional ballerina or a woman with a professional dance background should have been used for this campaign. There are so many ballet dancers out there who have worked for YEARS achieving top-notch technique and artistry and aren’t able to find jobs doing what they’ve worked so hard to accomplish. As a ballet dancer with a professional skill set, it’s frustrating to see a model, like the one you have casted for this campaign, portray a “ballerina” when it’s obvious she has minimal experience. I know for a fact that there are ballerinas out there, professionals and/or those with major ballet experience, who would’ve LOVED to have been a part of this campaign and honestly, may even have done it without being paid (it’s great publicity and FP is an awesome brand!). I think from a brand management perspective, the campaign was executed poorly. It’s lacking in research (other clothing companies, like GAP and Uniqlo, have successfully used a professional ballerina in their ad campaigns) and your target demographic is not going to buy into it. I have danced ballet since the age of 3. I’m packing 22 years experience in ballet with a BFA in dance performance to boot, like many of my friends and peers who you may be trying to sell to. Not one of my peers seemed inclined to purchase any of the merchandise from the Ballet line. Instead my Facebook newsfeed was filled with angry dancers appalled and insulted by the way ballet was portrayed in the campaign and by some dancers who saw it as one big joke-the lack of good ballet technique is evident in the photos and the video, and many chose to point that out and make fun of it. Not only is the dancing sub-par, but some of the merchandise you’re trying to sell is slightly off putting. Selling “vintage” point shoes, in my opinion, sounds like a law suit waiting to happen whether or not you have a disclaimer. Some poor, uneducated soul is going to slip those on her feet and try to dance in them. It’s a broken ankle waiting to happen. Ballet dancers spend years building the strength in their toes, feet, ankles, legs, and upper body too to be able to hold themselves en pointe. They aren’t toys. I’m also not sure if the other ballet slippers you’re trying to sell are conducive to dancing at all. The functionality of some of the products is way off. Don’t get me wrong, I love that ballet is being recognized and incorporated into fashion but I, along with many others apparently, feel this campaign could have been so much more than it is with the use of a professional ballet dancer. I hope it’s at least considered for the next project.
nope. shes not a dancer . Dancers will know this. Its hard to watch ***cringe!*** She might of watched Black Swan or something…..
Wow! Quite a stir! FP, might wanna make sure your Surfer Girl knows how to surf! Xoxo