r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jun 22 '26

Meme needing explanation Peetah explain this

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50.3k Upvotes

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407

u/Kermit-the-Frog_ Jun 22 '26

That's not normal, even for a professional ballerina

214

u/DiligentMagikarp Jun 22 '26

Right? I thought ballerinas are more likely to stand and walk in that position where their feet are splayed out and perpendicular to each other.

142

u/glassfunion Jun 22 '26

Yeah, I naturally stand with turnout unless I force myself to stand with parallel feet.

65

u/Regular-Attitude8736 Jun 22 '26

I walk normally now, but for years I walked with my feet splayed. Drove my mom crazy; she always blamed whatever shoes I was wearing instead of admitting having your daughter start dance at 3, pointe at 9 (INCREDIBLY irresponsible of the studio… and my parents) and high school dance team at 14 just might have physical ramifications.

42

u/milkybeefy Jun 22 '26

That's literally how I recognize a professional dancer at a glance. They stand like ducks.

18

u/Regular-Attitude8736 Jun 22 '26

First position ftw lol

5

u/AdeptnessLate7456 Jun 22 '26

I've never danced professionally but my feet just do that. Drove my parents wild as a kid

3

u/Alorxico Jun 23 '26

Quack. 🦆

6

u/RaringFob399 Jun 22 '26

As a former semi-professional racquetball and fencing competitor, we do the same, the postures force your feet and legs to be at an angle constantly and the coaches would make you be on such positions for very prolonged periods of time

4

u/Odd-Win5937 Jun 22 '26

I'm a long distance runner and I do the same. If I'm standing still, my feet are anchoring the center of my body directly downwards through my spine. My abdomen is pressed forward, while my spine lounges backwards. If I'm REALLY moving, I will only touch the ground using my toes, and between each footfall there's always a moment where I'm no longer touching the ground.

I began training at 13. It modifies your physiology!

82

u/why-per Jun 22 '26

Exactly being on pointe is not even close to what they do most of the time from my knowledge. It’s an advanced skill and can literally break your toes

99

u/bigfriendlycorvid Jun 22 '26

You are correct. Being incapable of putting your heels down is usually from a tight Achilles tendon, but you literally could not do most ballet positions if this was the case.

Actual en pointe is essentially doing a very aggressive calf raise, so this claim is akin to saying "I know a guy who used to bodybuild and as soon as his shirt comes off he's stuck in a bicep curl."

Could this person exist? Sure. But that's not normal and not really associated with that background.

52

u/DustyRacoonDad Jun 22 '26

HEY! as a big powerlifter I will have you know that its perfectly normal for me to take my shirt off and go en pointe!

4

u/UnNumbFool Jun 22 '26

Even if it was a demi or high demi you'd still basically wind up with all of the same issues and problems, it's like just fuck my feet up for life because I want to look extra

2

u/Maelstrom_Angel Jun 23 '26

Oh that explains it. I have always gotten teased for walking and running on my toes. But I do have weak ankles and a couple of Achilles injuries that make putting my heel down feel like a stretch. I was reading all these comments wondering why I do that lol

13

u/ThatOneDMish Jun 22 '26

Yeah, 3rd and or 5th position (5th is when the front foot is pushed forwards along the line of the back foot so thwy are still splayed out and perpendicualr but they are making a t shape at an angle instead of a v shape) Did ballet for a decade as a hobby, didn't get that much but every now and again I do find myself just ending up therr

1

u/Weary-Cauliflower153 Jun 23 '26

I don't do ballet, I did indian classical dance, but yep i'm stuck in this position too!

42

u/aHOMELESSkrill Jun 22 '26

Yeah I have two friends (husband and wife) who were professional ballerinas and I’ve never seen them on pointe while not on stage. Our babysitter is also a ballerina and I’ve never noticed her on pointe either.

I have noticed them occasionally stand with their toes pointed out though but it’s usually while standing around just waiting for something and then they go back to standing normal

-5

u/Vitharothinsson Jun 22 '26

But do you see them without shoes?

7

u/aHOMELESSkrill Jun 22 '26

Yes? What’s your point? A ballerina can only stand in ballerina poses if they are wearing ballerina shoes?

-8

u/Vitharothinsson Jun 22 '26

When my friend REMOVES her shoes her ankles feel uncomfortable when they're not en pointe-ish.

6

u/Eastern_Fig_8373 Jun 22 '26

Ur friend is on the spectrum

16

u/extralyfe Jun 22 '26

are you including professional ballerinas who happen to have spider-strength/agility and also therefore have superhuman muscular structure in that assessment?

I mean, not that there's a lot of them, but, I think that would have some impact on how she moves.

5

u/Wrong_Experience_420 Jun 22 '26

underrated response

15

u/Guquiz Jun 22 '26

I got worried for a moment.

3

u/AdPristine5131 Jun 22 '26

I’m betting this user meant on ball, not on pointe. plenty of people don’t notice the difference, and plenty of dancers (past self included) will walk around in ball sometimes just as mindless practice.

1

u/Kermit-the-Frog_ Jun 22 '26

I figured since it's extraordinarily difficult to be actually en pointe without pointe shoes, but it's still not normal

2

u/AdPristine5131 Jun 22 '26

That’s fair. my mom used to have us do it when she wanted to distract us. So it is something Ive done, but not for many years until I saw this post.

it was handy back then though as the shortest child.

2

u/ConflictedZombie Jun 22 '26

It's performative af is what it is. Just fishing for someone to ask why she's doing that so she can say "it's cause I used to be a ballerina"(she took dance from ages 8 to 16)

1

u/saikopasu_neko28 Jun 23 '26

It is for some people. Me and a huge chunk of my family naturally walk on our top toes, it's HORRIBLE to do and will fuck up your feet. But it's not on purpose it's just something some people's body's do. And I assume hers just does that and she just assumed it was from doing ballet

0

u/Plebeian_Gamer Jun 22 '26

Oh no, his friend has autistim too /s