Is Dance Really a Woman's World?
07/20/2010 - By Christina D'Arrigo Christina D'Arrigo
Dancers: Shae Stanton, Felicia Kelley, Angela Bergamo, Desiree Gibson, and Brianna McLellan
A short look at why dance may be seen as a world for women, but is still dominated by men at the same time. Will this ever change, or are we all stuck in our ways?
Dance is commonly known as an art form dominated by females. The most obvious reason for this would be the significant amount of female dancers as opposed to male dancers in general. Of course, there is also the stigma that people hold against dance claiming that it’s too feminine, and that men who dance are often not “manly” enough. Thankfully, people today are much more open minded to the idea that dance is a unisex art form, but there is always that underlying sentiment that conveys the notion that dancing is an art form for girls.
This sentiment about dance may lead one to believe that an art form “for women” would empower them and help to influence the general public by enforcing the idea of gender equality. The truth of the matter is that classical ballet—one of the most popular forms of dance—still promotes very traditional gender roles by placing male dancers in the dominant role controlling the female in her movement and emotional intent.
In the modern dance genre, there are many female dancers and choreographers that have revolutionized gender roles in dance by creating works that negate the traditional view of women that ballet continues to enforce. Therefore, if modern dance is so gender neutral, one would think that society finally has the opportunity to see female dancers in a new light other than the swan, the fairy, or the doll, right? Well, since there is no Martha Graham Barbie sitting next to Swan Lake Barbie in the toy stores, it is safe to say that modern dance is still not quite as successful as ballet is in popular culture just yet. Why is it that our culture is still not yet comfortable with embracing gender equality in dance? Is it because it might be seen as controversial, or is society afraid to embrace change? The truth is that although the majority of dancers are female, the dance world is still run by men, and has been ever since the beginning.
