Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet – Essay – Amy Logan
Search
Essays
Sign up
Sign in
Contact us
Tweet
Index
/English
Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet
Sexism is rife in the World of BalletNicky Clark, Mark Hill, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren – the list is endless but what do all these men have in common? Yes – they are all highly skilled, professionally acclaimed individuals having reached the top of their ladder in the world of hairdressing, cooking and fashion design. But, most significantly, they have made it in jobs which have always been traditionally associated with women. No-one thinks to question their masculinity. So, why should a similar male who chooses to wear leotard and tights, someone who excels in his chosen profession, irrespective of gender, be regarded with suspicion and open hostility by society?The film “ Billy Elliott” depicts Elliot’s struggles against negative attitudes. Ballet is not for working class lads and the film demonstrates how his father struggles with his affinity for dancing. He finally triumphs against all odds which shows there are lessons to be learned and that society should listen as the social message overturns prejudice against male dancers which is inspirational. But sadly, society is still wary of male ballet dancers labelling them as “pretty boys”, “wimps” and “gay”. People wrongly believe that ballet is a feminine pursuit due to the costumes ballerinas wear. This is wrong outfits are merely tools of the trade such as a hairdryer or cooking utensils.We are also taught at a young age that girls go to ballet and boys play football. Ballet should be promoted for everybody regardless of gender. Such stereotyping must cease and we must make sure boys are given the opportunity to prove they have just as much stamina, through the physical exertions of dance,  as athletes or wrestlers’ muscle strength.Sexism is often promoted at home, often parents think that ballet will “ turn their sons gay”, a ridiculous comment made by a boys mother who refused to let him attend ballet classes. This creates a barrier because it stops boys from reaching their full potential as dancers. Even more disturbing is the connection so wrongly made between male ballet dancers and homosexuality.Indeed boys often feel they cannot join a ballet group because they will be labelled as less masculine. Bullying is a huge problem in the world of male ballet with offensive names such as “poofs” or “gay boys” being taunted. One young boy in Derby left his ballet group because the girls in his class were taunting him, telling him he would never be as good as they were because of his sex. This proves that it’s not always outside the ballet class where bullying and prejudice happens.Male ballet dancers have a rigorous training programme such as long hours, a tiring regime, strict diet, lack of sleep, practice, practice, practice – not for wimps! They are not just a dancer but an actor, athlete, a professional of the stage. We need to forget this prejudice, the dancing is what matters, perfection of movement which often brings tears to the eyes of the audience. Rudolf Nureyev, one of the most famous male dancers said “ Ballet is not a label it’s a passion” this shows that he thinks people should stop focusing on the sexuality of the dancers and start focusing on the power of their dancing and the work they put into making their routines perfect.
Continue for 3 more pages »
Read full document
Download as (for upgraded members)
Citation Generator
MLA 7
CHICAGO
(2017, 05). Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet. EssaysForStudent.com. Retrieved 05, 2017, from
“Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet” EssaysForStudent.com. 05 2017. 2017. 05 2017 <
"Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet." EssaysForStudent.com. EssaysForStudent.com, 05 2017. Web. 05 2017. <
"Sexism Is Rife in the World of Ballet." EssaysForStudent.com. 05, 2017. Accessed 05, 2017.
Essay Preview
By: Amy Logan
Submitted: May 29, 2017
Essay Length: 843 Words / 4 Pages
Paper type: Essay Views: 380
Report this essay
Tweet
Related Essays
Causes of World War II
Many historians have traced the causes of World War II to problems left unsolved by World War I (1914-1918). World War I and the treaties
1,963 Words  |  8 Pages
How Nationalism in Balkans Contributed to First World War
How Nationalism In Balkans Contributed to First World War Nationalism in the Balkans helped contribute to the outbreak of WWI. Beginning in the late 19th
799 Words  |  4 Pages
Zoom: How Much Information Is Changing the World
As many know that I work for Google, I came a lot of letters with strange questions or complaints about the policy Google, questions about
1,691 Words  |  7 Pages
World War Poets
Georg Trakl, Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg are all World war 1 poets. They all three also took part in the war. They all three
1,396 Words  |  6 Pages
Similar Topics
World War
Colombian Spanish Best World
Get Access to 89,000+ Essays and Term Papers
Join 209,000+ Other Students
High Quality Essays and Documents
Sign up
© 2008–2020 EssaysForStudent.comFree Essays, Book Reports, Term Papers and Research Papers
Essays
Sign up
Sign in
Contact us
Site Map
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Facebook
Twitter