The Australian Ballet has hit back at a review that described their dancers as looking "unusually thin this season".
"When I read that line, I was shocked," artistic director David Hallberg told ABC News Breakfast.
"I think reviews are absolutely critical … we welcome the critique of the art form, but unfortunately we don't welcome the critique of dancers' bodies, shapes and sizes."
His comments come in response to a Sydney Morning Herald review of the dance company's latest production, a double bill of Etudes and Circle Electric, which was published on May 5.
The Australian Ballet says criticism of dancers' bodies is shocking and offensive.
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Supplied: Simon Eeles
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"It felt quite insulting and offensive," Australian Ballet principal artist Benedicte Bemet said.
"It can be really triggering. You don't know what someone's words can mean to someone else, and I think that can be really dangerous."
News Breakfast approached Nine Newspapers ? the owners and publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald ? who said they stood by the review and would not comment further.
Hallberg says he also approached the publisher and asked for the quote about the dancers' bodies to be removed from the article.
"They refused and said, quote, they felt it was 'frankly ridiculous that any discussion about body image cannot be discussed in a review.' So, it was very disappointing."
The Australian Ballet has worked with the National Eating Disorders Collaboration in recent years to develop internal body image and disordered eating guidelines, which Hallberg says are the first of their kind in professional ballet.
Hallberg says words like?'fat', 'thin', 'out of shape' or 'in shape' are no longer part of the vocabulary. "We use different terminology now."
"We really welcome everyone, not just the people in the Australian Ballet but everyone, whether you're reviewing or watching the art form."
It marks a change in ballet culture more broadly, which has traditionally perpetuated certain ideals of how dancers should look.
Hallberg noted ballet dancers are classed as a high-risk group for clinical body image concerns, including eating disorders.
"In our job, we are looking in a mirror every day … the comments that are made around bodies, that shapes what you think about your body," Bemet told News Breakfast.
"It's a huge responsibility that the words we use, the language we use, is thought about so carefully because it helps to create the culture … unless everyone is on board, it won't change."
"Students are reading this, parents with their kids in ballet are reading these things, and if you see someone using that language, you think it's OK. Then, I think it just can perpetuate the problem."