Mom sues ballet school, claims bias against daughter

"They told me not to have her audition into the professional program because they would never take her into the professional program," Fredrika's mother, Krissy Keefer, said Thursday. "They eyeball these children that they hope by the time they are 18 will have developed into the body type that they think is suitable for the company."

Keefer auditioned her daughter anyway, but was told Fredrika - who is 3-foot-9 and weighs 64 pounds - didn't have the right body type and that she was too short.

"I said, 'Do you think she's too short?' And the woman said, 'Not just that,'" Keefer said. "And I said, 'You don't think she has the right body?' And she said, 'No, she does not have the right body. They will not even look at her.' "

The San Francisco Ballet School falls under the nondiscrimination provision because the program receives $550,000 annually from the city. The complaint was filed with the commission last month and the school responded Wednesday, denying any discrimination.

"We are training classical ballet dancers. This is an industry standard that we are working with," said SF Ballet School spokeswoman Diane Kounalakis. "They're looked at. How could they not be looked at? … If it can be a well-proportioned body, that is fine."

The school's Web site describes the candidates it is seeking:

"The ideal candidate is a healthy child with a well-proportioned body, a straight and supple spine, legs turned out from the hip joint, flexibility, slender legs and torso, and correctly arched feet, who has an ear for music and an instinct for movement."

Fredrika looks like many girls her age. A moment of giggles next to her mother quickly gives way to a series of leaps and tiptoed prances across the floor of Dance Mission, a rehearsal and performance space Keefer has run for two years.

The SF Ballet School never saw those jumps and fifth position poses, opting instead to reject Fredrika on other standards.

Fredrika stands out in other local performances and has been selected to dance the role of Clara, the female lead in an upcoming production of "The Nutcracker." But she strives to be a ballerina.

"It made me feel like they didn't see what I could really do," Fredrika said between dance steps. "They didn't look at me. They probably saw my body already when I walked in and said, 'Oh, she's too short, let's not look at her.'"

Eleanor D'Antuono, a former prima ballerina with American Ballet Theater, said at Fredrika's age it is too young to tell what kind of dancer and body may emerge.

"Realistically, what you see at eight and nine is what not you see at 15," D'Antuono said, adding she would be reluctant to use the criteria described on the SF Ballet School's Web site, and thought it inappropriate for such young, budding dancers.

The Human Rights Commission will try to mediate the differences between the ballet school and Fredrika's mother. If the ballet school is found to be in violation of its contract with the city, it could be fined or have its funding revoked.