The Gravity of Sexism in the Dance Industry
For years, the dance industry has reinforced strict roles regarding gender.
Women are traditionally the focal point of classical ballets and get depicted as beautiful and delicate. Additionally, men get portrayed as strong and masculine, with their primary purpose being to assist the female dancers in their choreography. These traditional gender roles also get applied to the choreographers who create these ballets. The fact that there are disproportionately more male choreographers than female choreographers goes to show that the dominant director roles are still assumed to be male roles. If equal opportunities for both genders get provided within choreography roles and in performance, the dance industry will modernize its outdated gender preconceptions. The dance industry must reassess the idea of separate ballet for men and women. The concept of traditional gender conceptions limits dancers’ physical skills and emotional skills regarding the character they’re portraying. Furthermore, it is damaging to how dancers and choreographers value themselves compared to their peers.
The dance industry continually imposes traditional gender concepts on prospective dancers, limiting their training and abilities. In Madison Mainwaring’s article, “The Place to Challenge Ballet’s Gender Stereotypes? In Daily Class”, she mentions that:
“girls do not learn boys’ jumps because they’re not asked to do them in 99 percent of the repertoire”.
This evidence indicates that the dance industry believes there is no point in women learning men’s jumps since women, in their perspective, are unable to demonstrate the skills that men can.
As someone who has danced in a studio with male dancers, I can relate to this argument. Males are taught and requested to do intricate jumps that I never got to attempt. It’s incredibly demeaning as a dancer because you almost feel like you’re not strong or talented enough to attempt these skills that males execute. These findings are significant because they address an issue that contributes to sexism in the dance industry. Furthermore, implying that women are incapable of executing some of the skills men do gives women a sense of insignificance while also limiting their potential as dancers. I’m arguing that traditional gender notions are incredibly restricting and disrespectful to dancers. This argument can be interpreted in two ways: claiming that women cannot execute talents that males do implies that the dance industry believes women aren’t strong enough. Likewise, claiming that men cannot do skills that women do indicates that men are incapable of looking beautiful and graceful. Mainwaring’s article is a reputable source because she incorporates genuine thoughts and opinions from dancers currently in the industry. Some may argue that the dance industry should maintain stereotypical gender roles because ballet has been that way for years. However, I believe that it is time for a change. Undoubtedly men can perform as elegantly as women and women can be as strong on stage as men.
Within Matilda Martin’s article, “Men en Pointe: Ballet Dancers Kick Against Gender Stereotypes”, Martin refers to the fact that pointe work:
“has become part of the mystique of the female ballerina, while men use floorwork and execute incredible jumps and athletic movements.[She states that] when male dancers [perform pointe work] it [is] traditionally for comedic effect, not to showcase skill”.
This evidence demonstrates that the dance industry believes that men are too butch to execute pointe since they should appear muscular and athletic, contrasting to female dancers who have this delicate, beautiful presence. Additionally, this evidence reveals that the dance industry believes men performing pointe work is a joke because no man should be taken seriously executing skills reserved for women.
I can relate to this because I took a tap class where we could wear heeled or plain tap shoes. My male friend wanted to wear the heeled tap shoes, but they didn’t come in his size because high-heeled shoes are traditionally for women. Therefore, this supports my argument since it demonstrates that men aren’t allowed to express their feminine side in dance because the industry is so focused on their traditional beliefs. These findings are significant because they reveal how the dance industry perceives male dancers. Furthermore, the industry is creating a toxic environment for male dancers since they are not allowed to exhibit their true selves because they must be hyper-masculine. Additionally, if males perform pointe work for amusement, does this not imply that pointe work is easy since it’s for women?
I’m suggesting that the dance industry stereotypes male dancers and inhibits their ability to explore new ideas and skills. Some may argue that pointe is not for male dancers. However, this is not the case because male dancers can perform the same skills as female dancers. In conclusion, sexism in the dance industry is evident since traditional beliefs about gender are constantly imposed on dancers resulting in limitations.
In addition to forcing dancers on stage to perform in gendered ways, the dance industry makes it apparent that female choreographers are not equivalent to their male colleagues. In Luke Jennings’ article, “Sexism in Dance: Where are all the Female Choreographers?”, Jennings mentions how:
“It’s [been] 14 years since a woman was commissioned to create a main-stage ballet at the Royal Opera House [and] last summer when the Royal Ballet and the National Gallery launched a collaboration, of the 15 artists and choreographers involved, none was a woman”.
This evidence demonstrates that most choreographers are men. Two of the world’s largest ballet companies will not use female choreographers in large-scale projects involving a significant number of choreographers. These findings are significant because they demonstrate the extent of sexism in the dance industry, revealing that they believe that women aren’t serious enough for an authoritative position since they aren’t men. I’m arguing that sexism against female choreographers is both wrong and unacceptable. When Jennings mentions a 0:15 ratio of female choreographers in a major ballet production, he offers hard statistics that are unarguable. Women, in my opinion, should not be treated any less seriously than males when applying for jobs which is why I believe the dance industry is sexist.
In Michael Cooper’s article “Breaking the Glass Slipper: Where Are the Female Choreographers?”, he discusses that:
“when it comes to choreography ballet remains overwhelmingly a man’s world”.
He reinforces this idea by discussing how the “New York City Ballet performed fifty-eight ballets this season and not one was by a woman”. This information demonstrates yet again that major ballet companies refuse to commission and employ female choreographers in their productions. I can connect to this topic because I used to choreograph pieces for students in high school, and no one took me seriously because I am feminine, soft-spoken, and do not appear to be very authoritative. These findings are significant because they support the notion that the dance industry is sexist toward female choreographers by only hiring men to choreograph for large companies. Additionally, this is an issue because there is inequality in the industry and puts female choreographers out of work. I am implying that the idea of men being taken more seriously than women because “men are more authoritative” is outdated. I believe there should be more female choreographic representation in the dance industry. Ultimately, sexism in the dance industry is evident both in dancers and even more so in choreographers. The dance industry demonstrates that female choreographers are not equal to their male colleagues.
To summarize, traditional gender notions limit dancers’ physical abilities and emotional abilities concerning the character they are portraying. These traditional gender notations also harm how dancers and choreographers perceive themselves in comparison to their peers. There is sexism in the dance profession in numerous forms. Female choreographers, for example, are clearly not equal to their male colleagues because they aren’t offered employment. Furthermore, the dance industry imposes traditional gender stereotypes on dancers, limiting their abilities. The dance industry must revise its outdated views on gender by providing equal opportunity for both men and women to choreograph pieces. Additionally, they also need to reconsider the concept of ”men ballet” and “women ballet”. Ballet will always be beautiful and magical regardless of which gender choreographs it or how each gender is portrayed on stage.
