When a feminist Giselle meets a queer Albrecht
Ballet’s gender norms and their impact on our society
Classical ballet is a style of dance established on a set of age-old traditions. Although its respect of conventions is what allowed the art form’s core principles to remain mostly unchanged through history, some contemporary audience members have grown increasingly resentful of its conservatism over time.
According to New York Times journalist Madison Mainwaring, ballet’s portrayal of gender, notably through the performance of the pas de deux, a “romantic male-female duet”, is often considered “sexist” and outdated. There is a clear division between men, who “must demonstrate strength and agility in their movements in conducting the ballerina in the dance”, and women, who “have an image of thinness, lightness and ethereality”, as observed by researchers Larissa Escarce Bento Wollz, Juliana Cecilio Cerqueira and Rita Flores Muller in their article “The Little Baby Class Ballerinas: a Discussion About Gender Through Ballet”.
In “Dancing Masculinity: Defining the Male Image Onstage in Twentieth-Century America and Beyond”, dance critic Deborah Jowitt attests that many contemporary and modern choreographers have challenged these concepts of masculinity and femininity since the 1960s. In contrast, the ballet world seems years behind in terms of gender inclusion and equality. Indeed, based on the experience of New York City Ballet principal Ashley Bouder, it is still very uncommon to find a female director or choreographer amongst the mass of male leaders working in prestigious ballet companies. Dance Magazine’s Brian Schaeffer also claims that ballet has yet to show any sign of support for transgender and non-binary dancers, who are cruelly underrepresented in schools and companies.
A more nuanced and inclusive representation of gender is thus crucial if the art form wants to remain significant in modern-day society. Currently, ballet’s use of gender stereotypes is toxic to dancers and audiences, specifically to young females, and restrictive to performers who don’t fit in a more traditional, binary classification of gender.
Ballet’s depiction of gender on and off stage is harmful, especially to young, impressionable women. As stated by Wollz, Cerqueira and Muller, “[ballet culture] create[s] the model that there is only one way of being feminine and being a ballerina”. Women in ballet are characterized as nothing more than thin, delicate and ethereal creatures, such as Odette in Swan Lake and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, constantly under the control of their male partners.
Because young ballet students are repeatedly exposed to this one-dimensional female archetype, many grow concerned or frustrated when they fail to meet its demands. In fact, the femininity standards set by ballet companies for female dancers are so high that most can’t satisfy them without endangering their health and well-being, “lead[ing] dancers to body image distortions [….] [,] eating disorders, low self-esteem, and severe emotional problems”. Ballerinas are often very self-conscious, obsessed with presenting an image of constant perfection and excellence.
Portraying femininity in multiple ways, with strong and courageous ballet heroines, could help reverse the situation and empower female dancers to grow in a healthier way. Unfortunately, ballet companies have yet to break from their strict, close-minded representation of women, thus losing beautiful artists who don’t correspond to traditional feminine beauty standards.
This can be really problematic since it also discourages women from standing up against cases of discrimination and inequalities in the dance industry. In accordance with the objectified, submissive creatures they interpret on stage, female dancers are typically asked to remain silent and just “do what they are told by choreographers and directors”. Again, teaching young students that women are more than the stereotypical characters found in ballet’s classical repertoire could help them develop a broader perspective on femininity. To summarize, the ballet world still spreads damaging gender stereotypes, leading a great number of young women to endanger their physical and mental health in order to attain its unrealistic femininity ideal.
In addition to reinforcing detrimental stereotypes, ballet’s gender division prevents dancers from all ends of the gender spectrum to fully express themselves in performance. Traditionally, dance training has always been separated between male and female technique, with women dancing en pointe and men executing athletic jumps and turns. Today, more and more choreographers are challenging this dichotomy by asking dancers to push their physical boundaries and perform steps that were customarily reserved to their opposite gender.
According to testimonials collected by Mainwaring, women who take men’s class regularly see it as an opportunity to evade from the strict standards set for female dancers: it makes them feel stronger, empowered, and less worried about maintaining the flawless appearance associated with ballerinas. Similarly, professional male dancers are now expected to acquire attributes (lines, feet, flexibility, etc.) formerly labelled as exclusively feminine. Thanks to a more informed and open-minded audience, male dancers no longer feel pressured to keep on “pushing the link between dance and sports” in order to prove their masculinity. Just like female dancers, they are encouraged to expand their technique, namely by learning pointe work and working on their extensions. This is extremely exciting for audiences, who are thus exposed to more well-rounded and versatile artists.
However, there is still a huge taboo surrounding the way gender is artistically expressed on stage, with LGBTQ+ performers often being asked to restrict their gender identity. Gay dancers in particular have little to no freedom in articulating their true feelings and emotions. This is a real shame since including people of different gender identities can be incredibly refreshing for performers and audiences alike.
Indeed, Daniel Applebaum’s experience of dancing with another man in Justin Peck’s The Times are Racing has been nothing but positive: “It’s so nice to get to step into a role where I feel I could actually potentially fall in love with the person I’m dancing with, as opposed to pretending to be a prince falling in love with a princess”. Romantic same-sex pas de deux are still extremely rare in the classical repertoire, which means homosexual dancers must constantly fake romance with their partners while performing.
Put briefly, ballet companies should increase diversity representation so that artists can really share who they are with their audience. In fact, deconstructing gender norms in dance helps performers feel freer on stage, both physically and artistically.
“It’s so nice to get to step into a role where I feel I could actually potentially fall in love with the person I’m dancing with, as opposed to pretending to be a prince falling in love with a princess”.
- Daniel Applebaum
Final thoughts
In conclusion, prestigious ballet companies around the world have the responsibility to represent gender diversity onstage, as it protects young females from toxic gender stereotypes and encourages the growth of performers. Ballet’s ideal of feminine beauty is not universally attainable and shouldn’t be presented to young girls as the only way to be womanly. Dancers should also be allowed to play with gender roles more often, as it stretches both their physical and artistic limits.
If ballet keeps its rigid gender roles, the art form will slowly loose relevance in contemporary society. Art should be at forefront of social movements; it is time for ballet to challenge its old, outdated gender norms in order to create a more tolerant, open and equal world.
