or green, blue, yellow and so on. A feminist is female, male, transgender, non-binary. They are humans of all colours and all abilities / disabilities. I could continue this enumeration endlessly. It's not a label following strict guidelines. Therefore, feminist ballet pedagogy isn't a contradictory thought. To me it's teaching learners free from gender stereotypical categories and support an individual´s relation to their bodies. Space for pink tutus and black leggings ;-)
I believe that only by confrontation as regards to subject matter, discussions and more importantly the courage to question and maybe break traditions, we are able to create new role models aside from stereotypes and consequently diversity in the ballet room will become normal.
I would like to end today´s post with an affirmation of the German author Kurt Tucholsky. He states not be impressed by someone who claims to be an expert based on having done something for twenty years. That someone could have done it wrong for the last twenty years.
Hi Maria, thank you for sharing your thoughts on gender and ballet. Coming from a contemporary dance background, I must admit I have never experienced such a strong stigma with gender identification as in ballet. Maybe this is not the case for other dancers, though. It is interesting that 20 years of experience can be equaled to expertise. Not necessarily. I believe reflective practices help us constantly evaluate our methodologies, therefore greater experience means greater opportunities to reflect and adjust one's choices. In my view, this is an incredible luck, which novices may not have. At the same time, it can also be a missed opportunity for those mature educators who assume they hold the right knowledge.
ReplyDeleteHi Paola,
Deletethank you very much for your feedback on my post.
You are absolutely right, it seems to be a bigger problem in ballet rather than in contemporary dance.
The female ballet dancer is often reduced to beauty, being skinny and showing obedient behaviour; generally accepted stereotypes which are supported by authoritarian teachers.
I think there is a lack of diversity in ballet because most people naturally fear anything and anyone that doesn't fit into the norm.
So what does it need to change peoples mind?
I have nearly twenty years of experience in teaching ballet and I totally agree..."greater experience means greater opportunities to reflect and adjust one's choices."
I hope to stay open-minded and continue critical thinking on many issues regarding my professional practice. Hoping to make someone feel a little less different ;-)
I agree with your discussion point here - years of experience do not necessarily mean wisdom. A teacher must always remain teachable in my opinion. Be open to learning , adjusting and evaluating our practice. Growing. We do not wish to become stagnant, uninspired, and unable to prepare our students for what they may encounter - be it ballet vocabulary, use of the floor in dance forms, or aware of the shifts and issues dancers face as the world evolves.
DeleteI appreciate the idea that as we reflect on this feminist point of view we may choose to shift our practice and methodologies to encourage this kind of openness. A new normal in the ballet room as you say Maria. I do have transgender and non-binary students in ballet. I am choosing to use examination dances that could be for any dancer without the stereotypical themes or even teaching two options and allowing the dancer to decide which they connect with, perform well , and best suites them. I am intrigued by your thoughts and look forward to reading more.
Dear Maria, I experienced biased gender stereotyping when I began dancing teaching dance in schools 7 years ago. Each student would have a dance class with us weekly until they choose any performing/ visual art subject of their choice in middle school.
ReplyDeleteWhat surprised me was biased from parents and teachers that had filtered down to the very young students. Kids would tell us that they weren’t doing Ballet, they weren’t girls etc
We had to get the school as a whole to see dance through new eyes.
Micro progressions were made by collaborating with Maths, Science, Sports, Languages, Music departments. We used dance to teach, play, watch, participate informally, in the garden, in assemblies, short pop up films all over the school. Soon all departments wanted to work with us and dance (through students resilience and lobbying, they ensured that dance) is now an IB subject in High School!
Linda
Dear Linda,
Deletethank you very much for your comment. It's really interesting to see what ideas people associate with dance in particular ballet. I can imagine that it must have been really hard work for you to convince people to re-think their ideas of dance /ballet but even more fantastic to hear that you succeeded. Its a long way but I am sure its worth it :-)
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteI am late to the party here, but have enjoyed engaging with your blog and hope to be better at sharing ideas!
I have been thinking about the differences you suggest on this topic between ballet and contemporary dance. Perhaps, one fundamental difference could be that ballet is so much more often (nearly always) designed around pleasing, appeasing, benefitting, displaying for the audience - the voyeur. It could be said that ballet is entirely '2D'; not about the experience of the dancer or the other 359degrees of the circle around them, but only about being watched by one person from one side. I say this irrespective of gender, at this point.
So, if ballet is only ever voyeuristic in this way, of course the dancer (in the case of your study the female) will only ever be the object. This is why, in my opinion, the intensity of expectation, stereotype, sex, categories, definitions can so easily arise in ballet - more so than in contemporary dance which, in the eyes of the witness, has never carried with it the expectations I've mentioned above. Also, I believe that contemporary dance is more often created/done/danced without that 2-dimensionality, which immediately (in some respects) takes away what the witness expects.
Best wishes, x
Hi Ben,
Deletethank you so much for your comment. I totally agree with you. The female ballet body, particularly the body of younger women or girls, is commonly objectified, aiming to please the viewer, which in my eyes consequently leads to an attachment of the body.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts,
best wishes :-)
Even later than Ben to this party. I wrote this in my module 1 essay, thought I'd share:
ReplyDelete"Jennifer Moon reflects on a statement made by Richard Winter (1989 quoted in Moon 2004, p.105). ‘We have heard the witticism directed at a colleague who is supposed to have had ‘ten years’ experience. ‘No’ come the reply, ‘They’ve had one year’s experience repeated ten times over’.’ "
And adding to Ben's conversation, most if not all of my students that have become professional dancers, whether ballet, contemp, experimental, are largely treated as objects in mind too - as if they have no ideas, needs, wants, values of their own. Or, at the least, passed off as not as important as the director/choreographer's, the person who isn't constantly judged by the physical.
It's disheartened too many.
Thank you for your blog :)