 the male dancer
written by J on 20.11. at 01:01:07 This is in response to Tom's note a few days ago discussing the intolerance and insecurities he felt when he was younger. Warning! It's pretty long too. I find it fascinating that people in this world (parts of it anyways) always need to find some outlet to channel their fears and anxieties into rather than deal with them. Unfortunately, male dancers and everything in the dance world have become a scapegoat for insecure people (esp. men) to attack because they challenge their mores and go against what society has brainwashed them into believing what "normal" masculine and feminine roles, actions and appearances are. Because the lines of masculinity and femininity are sometimes blurred in dance, people have no previous reference to compare it to and attack it because of what it represents. I recently read several articles discussing the root of prejudice against male dancers, and the challenges they present against traditional ideas of the male body and male behavior. One discussed how reactions to two different ballets and the men dancing in them differs based on the choreography the men objectify. One was traditional with the expected flourish and ceremony; the other was a contemporary piece that demonstrated the men's power and skill. Two ballets, two completely different reactions (and yes, men were wearing tights in both - although noting that the second piece was entirely danced by men only). This brings up the other point - another article analyzed men's reactions to men in ballet displaying their "vulnerabilities" in a pair of tights, and the idea that "exposing" these traditionally protected areas immediately creates anxiety in some men (and women). What I find fascinating is that there are so many different activities in society that require (or have accepted) tight clothing - or lack of any clothing - as the norm, yet that is the issue always brought up first when the topic of male dancers comes up. Football players, in my opinion expose just as much of their rumps and crotches (although with more protection) in spandex as male dancers do, and they are the American epitome of masculinity. Go figure! The spectrum of Olympic sports almost all require a spandex outfit, yet these are the people that become our heroes and the heroes of our children every four years. What about swimmers? wrestlers? superheroes, for god's sake? Why are dancers picked on? I think it is the artistry, finesse, and femininity of the traditional ballet that was targeted early on, and this prejudice has carried on for generations. It's simply a changing of social mores that has created this environment for those in dance - we all know ballet originated as an exclusively male-dominated artform - as did theatre and many of the other visual arts. Fortunately, the world is becoming more educated and the prejudices of men in dance are not as harsh in volume as they may have been in the past, but some persist. I believe it is those who are most insecure in who they are that lash out the most against those they perceive as easy targets. Of course teenagers are the most insecure cohort of all, thus they are the ones most liable to lash out in violent or radical ways against those things that challenge their definitions of the world that they've been taught are the only way things can be. Anyways, I just wanted to vent about the injustices in the world facing men in ballet - thanks for reading. Answers to this message:
|
