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The Royal Ballet School has settled with former student Ellen Elphick over claims that she experienced body-shaming while attending the school and is now left with psychological damage. Elphick, now 31, attended the London-based elite institution between the years of 2009 and 2012. She claimed that the school breached its duty of care to her. The school has stated that it accepts no liability nor has it issued an apology, though the financial settlement reached is regarded as “mutually acceptable”.
Last year, Elphick spoke to the BBC regarding the experience, describing how during her first two weeks as a sixteen-year-old at the school, a teacher publicly humiliated her by tracing a line of her body in front of a mirror, stating: “if I had a knife, this is what I would cut off.” According to Elphick, this comment intensified struggles with disordered eating and exacerbated existing body dysmorphia. She revealed that this was not an isolated incident, with further comments of a similar nature being directed at her by various teachers throughout her time at the school.
Elphick was one of over 50 ex-dancers who came forward to discuss allegations of body-shaming and bullying in some of the UK’s leading ballet schools. She hopes that through making people aware of her experiences, the harmful culture of ballet schools can be reformed. Elphick emphasized the need for teachers to understand the impact of their words on their students’ wellbeing and mental health. She expressed disappointment in the school’s lack of an apology, believing that it highlights the need for drastic change.
Though Elphick feels some sense of validation from the settlement, she remains heartbroken by the lack of acknowledgement of fault from the Royal Ballet School. As a mother, she would “never” enroll her daughter to any ballet classes and she emphasized that children should not leave ballet classes feeling damaged. She believes that the Royal Ballet School needs to lead the way in recognizing the importance of health and wellbeing over solely focusing on dancing.
If you are affected by the issues brought up in this piece, you can find support from the BBC Action Line
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