bunhead

bun (“a tight roll of hair worn at the back of the head”) +‎ head

bunhead (plural bunheads)

1. (informal) An obsessive or extremely dedicated ballerina.
   • 2000, Donna Allegra, Witness to the League of Blond Hip Hop Dancers, Alyson Books (2000), →ISBN, page 201:

     A bunhead who must have strayed from her New York City Ballet aspirations glanced furtively about the room, […]

   • 2005, Alexandra Moss, Lara's Leap of Faith, Grosset & Dunlap (2005), →ISBN, unknown page:

     "Sophie — you're meant to be saying what an honor it is to be studying at The Royal Ballet School, and how you can't wait to become a 'bunhead' — you know, one of those ballet-obsessed people who eat, sleep, and breathe nothing but ballet!"

   • 2006, Leslie Carroll, Spin Doctor, HarperCollins (2006), →ISBN, page 19:

     […] I'm an aging bunhead. That's my problem. Like I told you, my life is ... But a dancer—especially a ballet dancer—has a shelf life that's shorter than a quart of milk […]