Big Ballet

Big Ballet is a 2014 British documentary program that follows Wayne Sleep and prima ballerina Monica Loughman as they help a troupe of amateur plus-size dancers realize their dream of dancing Swan Lake. The three-episode series, produced by Rare Day and broadcast on Channel 4, premiered on February 6, 2014.

The dancers, referred to in the show as "fat" or "real women", range from UK size 12 to 24 – significantly larger than the norm in classical ballet. Eighteen dancers were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants to participate in the series.

Cast
Big Ballet features Matthew Bourne, Derek Deane, Patricia Doyle, David Plumpton, Tamara Rojo, David Nixon and the English National Ballet.

Set
It was predominantly filmed at the Northern Ballet; its final performance was staged at St George's Hall, Bradford in front of 1,500 people.

Adaptation
In 2021, an American series based on Big Ballet premiered on Fox called The Big Leap, which ran for one season. The show adapted the premise of Big Ballet into a fictional comedy-drama.