The Sweetsteps Ballerina Ponies were Hasbro's first attempt at a
set of poseable ponies. They were capable of moving their legs at
the hip/shoulder and they could also turn their heads. They were
also moulded with a ballet leotard (with their symbol printed on
the top rear) and ballet slippers, to indicate that they were not
just poseable, but they were dancers. This same theme would be
used in 1991-2 for a set of Baby Ponies.
The set were sold in purple boxes decorated with flowers. Each
pony came with a mesh tutu with glittery spots, two flower clips,
a solid colour (not glittery) star pick and a ribbon. They had a
collective box story.
Twinkle Dancer Mint in Box
US Package, 1990
Although the babies were sold in the UK and in Europe in 1992, the
adult set were never officially sold here. I say officially, as
there is one exception to this. A special offer/competition in the
My Little Pony Activity Club in 1990 saw twenty Sweetsteps
Ballerina Ponies offered to lucky winners. This contest was an
incentive to get people to sign up for the 1991 club early. The
text of the advert (which can be seen below) emphasises how these
ponies were not available anywhere in the UK. Although this
technically means there was a UK release of this set, I think a
total of twenty ponies being made available here is probably not
enough to move them into the "UK Release" category!
Sweetsteps Ballerina Lucky Draw 1990 UK Activity Club Leaflet ("Funline") #2
The Club leaflet indicates that the ponies would come with Tutus,
but it isn't clear that they were offered in box, or whether they
had any other accessoriesa with them. Having received a couple of
loose ponies from Hasbro direct in the mid 1990s, I think it
possible they were sent unboxed and without other accessories
(perhaps bagged). But I don't know for sure and have never spoken
to anyone who won a pony via this offer.
Also noticeable is that no pony name is mentioned. Instead,
whichever pony (or ponies) available via this offer were just
termed "Sweetsteps Ballerina". This also suggests a lack of
packaging and that these were maybe leftovers.
Whether the Sweetsteps Ballerinas were sold in other places is
unclear. I think Australasia is possible but I have not found
evidence for them in Europe. I also do not think they made it here
via clearance; I have never found one in the UK.
