Since the first recognized ballerina, Marie Taglioni, took up the royal court art form in the early 19th century, the ballet body has always been in flux.

Professional ballerina Kylie Shea Lewallen, 31, from Los Angeles, took to Instagram on Sunday to post the picture along with an honest message detailing her own body image struggles.

Explore deepchi1's 19412 photos on Flickr!

Get A Dancer's Body

Ballet dancer body workout in Seventeen mag

The ideal height weight chart for dancers are used by some schools and dance companies. Dancers, dance parents, and dance educators need to know what to expect if and when relying on these tools for assessment and where to focus your body goals.

@natalia_vozna