At first glance, slender women twirling gracefully in tutus to music appears so effortless but it is actually a grand symphony of sweat and hard work. The ballet world is simultaneously imbued with magic and art but it is also associated with the pressure to perform and clichés. One of these is that dancers are all anorexic, which Maria Baranova, prima ballerina of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, says is a stereotype. Being thin is more a consequence of training, she says. Ballet is a competitive sport – in an artistic guise. A normal working day for Baranova begins at 10 am and she dance…