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Deborah Ragan
Professor Marlen Harrison
English 202-036
1 March 2010
The Perception of Male Dancers
When dealing with sexuality, stereotyping heterosexual males as homosexuals leads to
the highest risk for suicide (Dorais). Boys as young as 5 years old are quick to make fun of male
dancers (Fisher). Other cultures allow men to dance without being ridiculed, why not the United
States? In Africa, men become more powerful as they stomp their feet to the beat (Harper).
Americans should realize that dancing, for men, is exceptionally beneficial and is not looked
down upon in every culture.
I am doing this research because dance is one of my greatest passions in life. I have
danced for over twelve years and not once have I had a male in any of my dance classes. I am
curious as to why men perceive dancing as such a feminine activity. Dance is a fantastic and
active way to stay in shape.
Famous football players are known to have taken dance lessons to
help their form. Why are they not perceived as homosexuals or feminine? Does football cancel
out dancing? I want to have a better understanding of why it is not typical for males to dance. I
want my research to benefit these male dancers. I want America to have a more open mind and
not just assume all males who dance must be queer.
As my methodology, I wish to figure out non male dancers’ thought processes and why
they believe males dancing is a feminine activity. Researching men’s thoughts on males dancing
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will help me have a better idea as to why they think like they do. I also want to understand why
they think it is okay to stereotype all men as homosexual if they dance. Maybe, they grew up
with this idea. I also want to ask men who do dance how this stereotype affects their lives. Does
it bother them or do they just ignore the stigma?
Other resources I have researched discuss a great deal about stereotypes of male dancers,
males dancing in different cultures and health benefits of dancing. I am determined to combine
all three of these aspects and simply ask why is it that male dancers are ridiculed? There are a
variety of stress management approaches dealing with dance that may benefit men’s health
(Hanna). Most men seem to be so close minded about dance that they would never consider
dancing for this reason. I plan to portray the benefits of dancing and why more men should
dance.
My hypothesis with this research topic is that most people I interview will look down
and ridicule male dancers. They may possibly think that all male dancer’s sexuality is
homosexual. This is already proven wrong in my secondary research because one article states
that only about half of male dancers are homosexual (Risner). Another hypothesis I have is that
being a male dancer out of high school is easier than being one in primary and secondary
education. I believe this because once a dancer reaches college, they are in a department dealing
only with dancers who will be less judgmental and more accepting. I also believe that male
dancers are at least somewhat affected by the stereotypes that are tossed around. Researching
male dancer’s experiences will help me prove this hypothesis either right or wrong. Using other
resources as part of my research will also help me to prove these different hypotheses of mine.
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Works Cited
Dorais, Michel and Simon Louis Lajeunesse. Dead Boys Can’t Dance. Canada: McGillQueens University Press, 2004. Print.
Fisher, Jennifer, and Anthony Stray. When Men Dance: Choreographing Masculinities Across
Borders. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009. Print.
Hanna, Judith. Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress. Lanham, MD:
AltaMira Press, 2006. Web. Feb. 17 2010
Harper, P. “Dance in a Changing Society.” African Arts 1 (1967): 10-13. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.
Risner, D. “Rehearsing Heterosexuality: Unspoken Truths in Dance Education.” Dance
Research Journal 34 (2002): 63-78. University of Illinois Press. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.