Dancing Men (& Boys)

citibob · **Posted:** Sat Mar 23, 2002 2:27 am

This was originally posted by Stuart Sweeney in the "School News Roundup 2002" thread.Ballet school for boys bucks trend girls By Rebecca K. Engmann in The Copenhagen Post Next week, the nation's first ballet school for boys will open under the direction of Ole Just of the Royal Ballet. A great gift to the growing number of boys who are captivated by the demanding art of ballet will be unveiled next week, when the nation's first boys ballet school opens its doors.Royal Ballet veteran Ole Just will teach at the school for free, forfeiting any salary for the pleasure of developing the next generation of this country's male ballet talent.'Ballet is just as hard as karate or football – we just don't show it,” Ole Just told the newspaper Berlingske Tidende. ‘We have to pretend it's effortless. Normally, there are only two or three boys in the ballet schools, and they're easily overlooked. Here, they're going to get the attention they deserve, and I'll have the opportunity to pass on some of the happiness I get out of ballet to them,' <A HREF="http://cphpost.periskop.dk/default.asp?id=20341" TARGET=_blank>click for more</A>

bouledecristal · **Posted:** Fri Mar 29, 2002 8:31 am

I am a 16 year old male, and started dacing about a year ago, once the male can get used to the way the body has to work then they can understand the athletic drive and stamina that goes behind the facade of an effortless smile. I am auditioning for Laine Theatre Arts and Urdang next week, and already I am at an advantage because of the girl to boys ratio. And this tends to lead me to think that the only reason they may accept me is purely due to the shortage of boys. I know that this is an advantage for me, but will i look weak compared to the girls even after three years of training?

citibob · **Posted:** Sun Mar 31, 2002 1:49 pm

It's hard to answer that question. Depending on personality and interest, some dancers ultimately end up more technically precise than others. Plenty of famous male dancers started at age 15.It's really not a question to worry about. Your choices are either to dance and do your best, or to not dance. Best of luck!

angela · **Posted:** Sat Jun 22, 2002 8:54 am

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Marie · **Posted:** Sat Nov 23, 2002 11:12 am

KATHRYN GREENAWAY, Montreal Gazette - November 23, 2002:

Quote:

Lords of the Dance
Boys in ballet were once ridiculed, but attitudes are changing

Every December, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal takes Place des Arts by storm with the holiday production.

At this audition, eight of the 18 hopefuls are boys. This is no longer unusual.

Last April - for the first time in its 76-year history - London's esteemed Royal Ballet School accepted more boys than girls into its first-year program. Billy Elliot was credited with the increase.

[url=http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/story.asp?id={3137CCB4-45C2-4F20-9F48-05DB2FA6136C}]more...[/url]

slipsilence · **Posted:** Sun Nov 24, 2002 2:31 pm

As a male dancer I have mixed feelings about the changes in attitude about boys dancing. On the one hand it's great to see attitudes changing and gender roles becoming less strict; on the other hand I don't know that I want all this extra competition!

Liscarkat · **Posted:** Tue Nov 26, 2002 8:19 pm

Chandler, you're probably joking, but it's a serious issue. If there had been as many men as women available when I was trying to dance, I undoubtedly would not have received the attention or opportunities that I did. I have to admit to myself that some of those opportunities came about simply because one company or another was "desperate" for male dancers.

Matthew · **Posted:** Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:36 pm

I understand the benefits of less strict gender roles, but what if any , are the costs?

librarian · **Posted:** Wed Nov 27, 2002 4:16 pm

In what respect, Matthew? Artistically I feel that men and boys benefit in a simple way just by not being deterred from a "woman's" profession. Just the idea that it is a profession at all in some people's minds is a great deal more progress than some may realize, even though I would be the last person to suggest that one should be happy with that.

citibob · **Posted:** Wed Nov 27, 2002 10:10 pm

I am all for more men interested in dancing. The difference in level between professional men and women is so great it is embarassing at times.

Matthew · **Posted:** Fri Nov 29, 2002 7:19 am

My comment about gender roles is my usual diatribe on the age old conflict of freedom vs equlity. Historically when things become more equal there is generally a corrosponding lack of freedom, at least in the political and social sphere. Artistically, I am not sure that this applies to dance. It is funny, but I have always envisioned dance as a masculine activity - I believe a similar preception was held in ancient Greece. I wish boys were exposed to dance/ ballet at a much younger age, perhaps as a part of a school curriculim, as oppposed to football, baseball etc. I know, probably blashpemy in the US, but most people don,t realize the level of discipline, strength etc.

Andre Yew · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2002 1:23 pm

Quote:

In ballet, youth turns unruly streak into art

Rita Giordano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Moments before a recent Pennsylvania Ballet rehearsal, the Nutcracker Prince - Shawn Sebastian, age 15 - was hanging out in the hall, munching on a Dunkin' Donut and chatting with friends. Just your average Jersey kid, except for ballet shoes instead of Nikes.

But then came his time to dance.

Shawn drew himself up into an elegant ballet stance. Then, in movements fluid and sure, he glided across the floor with his Marie, bestowing a princely bow on the Sugar Plum Fairy before regaling her with a rousing pantomime of his victorious battle with the evil Mouse King. He had style, presence - and maybe an MTV move or two.

more

Sangode · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2002 1:29 pm

this stuff is all great. wish I had more time to actually read than just peruse.

well - perhaps the next generation of folks will get it right. more interest in serious ballet/dance training for males and females - and no pre-occupations about lifestyle choices (it seem there are rarely stories about lesbian ballerinas!? Folks really do seem to dwell too much on male proclivities).

keep up the great work all.

Andre Yew · **Posted:** Tue Dec 17, 2002 7:02 pm

Quote:

Ballet - it's a boy thing
Ellen Manwaring, The Age

If there is any doubt that the film Billy Elliot had given boys permission to dance, the youngsters at StKilda Park Primary School are proof.

But these budding Billies, who are still not legally old enough to see the M-rated film that chronicles the story of the miner's son's leap from Midlands pits to Covent Garden, are more intent on having fun than breaking box-office records.

more

gaeadea · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2003 11:56 pm

Eagle Scouts soar on the dance floor
01/05/2003

By LAURA BLEIBERG / The Orange County Register

Quote:

SANTA ANA, Calif. – What are the odds of finding a ballet-dancing Eagle Scout?

Well, the Boy Scouts of America estimates that only 4 percent of all those who join a Scout troop eventually achieve the highest rank of Eagle Scout.

No one knows exactly how many boys in the United States are studying ballet, but there are many fewer boys than girls, said John Munger, director of research and information for the service organization Dance/USA.

So it's probably safe to say that the dancing Eagle Scout is a rare breed.

<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/texasliving/stories/010503dnlivscouts.84637.html">click here for more</a>


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