On June 30, 1997, Heidi Guenther, a twenty-two-year-old dancer for the Boston Ballet, collapsed and died—the suspected result of the effects of anorexia. According to media reports, Guenther had lost weight at the request of the ballet company’s artistic director; however, she eventually became so thin that the director asked her to regain several pounds.

Although doctors were unable to confirm that Guenther died as a direct result of anorexia, the tragedy highlighted the problem of anorexia among ballet dancers. Critics maintain that the ballet culture, by prizing thinness to the point of obsession, places dancers at severe risk of developing eating disorders. Dr. Linda Hamilton, a clinical psychologist who publishes a regular column in Dance Magazine, approximates that 4 to 15 percent of dancers experience eating disorders, compared to 1 to 3 percent of the general population.

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