Ballet, and even dancing in general, is often stereotyped and mislabeled as a ‘feminine’ sport or career. True, ballet does venerate the beauty that female dancers naturally do so well. The grace and delicacy of a ballerina often wins the audience and leaves many little girls with dreams of being as beautiful themselves someday. But ballet, or most forms of dance, cannot be performed without a strong male of just as much flexibility, control, and dedication.

In fact in early forms of public dance, and even in some cultures today, dancing was reserved for men alone.[1] Only men could perform on state even during Shakespeare’s time. Female roles were played and danced by men long heavy skirts. The natural male athleticism and strength were considered more appropriate to the physical requirements of dance than the female body’s strengths. The first ballet academy formed in 1661 by Louis XIV of France trained only aspiring professional male dancers.

The Romantic period wreaked havoc on these traditions and the female dancer suddenly took center stage. The emphasis now placed on lightness and delicacy to achieve the revered quality of ethereal mysticism opened up ballet’s doors to women. Male roles moved from principal to supporting and in some cases even disappeared, casting females as male characters. The exception might be Denmark, where August Bournonville, a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and namesake of the Bournonville training method discussed a few weeks ago, trained and showed off male elegance, speed, and precision.

Contemporary ballet has re-realized the essential place men have in ballet. Men can partner women to co-create fantastic and spectacular lifts. Their strength and power enables them to jump higher and perform more ‘athletic’ moves without being confined to the delicacy often expected or required of women.

The largest, most impressive moves are jumps and the masculine combination of agility and strength are perfect for executing these feats. They often involve propelling oneself multiple feet into the air in order to provide enough time and space to complete magnificent leaps, twists, leg beats, and other moves.[2] Male training therefore focuses on developing immense leg strength. Basketball players aren’t the only athletes concerned with their verticals! See the videos below for examples. Prepare to be amazed.

Partnering also requires a lot of strength. The male lead is often required to perform not only his own solos, but also help the ballerina display her own grace and agility. He must lift her above his head, carry her across the stage, and hold her steadily in awkward positions, sometimes without his hands or with only his hands.

There is a central controversy surrounding male ballet dancers. What are they called? There are official Italian names for male dancers of different ranks, but they haven’t stuck in English like the word ‘ballerina’. Ballerino is one of the Italian options, usually reserved for the male equivalent of the principal female who officially deserves the title ballerina.[3] However, a dancer of any level is called danseur (male) or danseuse (female). So, if you want to be official, start calling male dancers danseurs. Otherwise, remain in the English state of ambiguity.

No matter what we call them, male dancers are impressive athletes who deserve as much acclamation and praise as their female counterparts. Their sport requires strength, flexibility, control, agility, speed, and grace, and they should be admired by all. Ballet is not a feminine art!

[1] http://www.e-dancewear.com/Dance_Wear_Ballet_The_Male_Dancer.html

[2] http://www.theballetbag.com/2009/06/27/bag-of-steps-big-jumps-part-1/

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_dancer