Thread: Ballet: Why is it frequent for little girls but not little boys?

It is not just dance, but 'the fine arts' in general, and that includes for many, acting as well.

"Not a profession for a real man," ergo, "nothing you would want your boy involved with."

This is pretty much throughout the working and middle classes of western cultures, maybe with some lesser strength to the 'taboo' in Europe. It can vary in the wealthier upper classes -- either some pride that son or daughter chooses to go into the arts, or the same horror they are in for a career making less, probably, than their grandparents made, and some shame reflecting that all the upbringing in and around wealth did not inculcate the scion with any respect or ambition for achieving or maintaining the family wealth.

Other real parental concerns have nothing to do with Johnny growing up to be a sissy, but instead, Johnny choosing to pursue a career with far less obvious or secure paths to regular employment at a decent pay rate.

"Girls grow up to be women, and women get married." Another old saw and rationale. Your daughter the ballet dancer will snag a wealthy husband, who, if for no other reason, will see your lovely dancing daughter as a sort of trophy wife. (Ergo, she can choose an underpaid and dicey career, her eventual husband will take care of her:-)

Too, many otherwise loving, great and caring parents have limited notions, set scenarios, of "what is success." Whenever their children choose to pursue anything outside of one of those limited conceptual formats, the parents despair. Too, some are just concerned for John and Jane's future financial security (maybe with the fear that John or Jane will be, well past their young adulthood, still living off of Mom and Dad <g>)

Apologies, it is all ruthlessly sexist and as ruthlessly with an eye to the money -- but I am just reporting the facts.

Trouble is, we've stopped doing "proper" dancing. Louis XIV was known for his balletic skills. An ability to cut a caper was not a sign of culinary skill, rather of good dancing. Even ballroom dancing has minimal step work and no real "figures". As for disco dancing .....

As footwork diminished, so ballet became the preserve of the professionals and step work retreated into country dance (with figures) and folk display dancing - Irish step, clog, hornpipe, Highland dancing.

It used to be the case that every PE teacher in Scotland was a qualified Scottish dancing teacher and could teach basic footwork and positions and apply them to the figures. So in Scotland, there was no need for simple ballet because country dancing covered the initial positions. Even there, however, you would find that most of the Highland dancers were women much as many gymnasts are female simply because the style favours elegance over strength.

Originally Posted by Taggart

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It used to be the case that every PE teacher in Scotland was a qualified Scottish dancing teacher and could teach basic footwork and positions and apply them to the figures. So in Scotland, there was no need for simple ballet because country dancing covered the initial positions. Even there, however, you would find that most of the Highland dancers were women much as many gymnasts are female simply because the style favours elegance over strength.

I remember those days well; every winter PE/phys ED classes given over to Scottish dancing. Two lines, one of boys and the other of girls, step forward and choose a partner. The stigma attached was so great that more than once I recall all of us boys preferring to receive the belt (tawse) than be seen to willingly participate.

Yes, in places such as Russia the attitude is different. I worked and lived there for a number of years and witnessed the pride (and encouragement) shown by parents in the dancing, gymnastic or skating activities of their sons.

And as an aside, most of the shirts or t-shirts I wear are pink. When that's coupled with my love of ballet it raises eyebrows here in the UK. But when knowledge of my amateur career as a welterweight is discovered (or a close look at my crumpled old face is taken) it often confuses tiny, narrow, frightened minds.

e: and when I'm seen with my current companion."She's with him?!"

Originally Posted by melaniehiscock

There's a similar problem with fairies in popular culture - they've become indelibly associated with girls and femininity and daintiness... quite different from their more gender neutral (and often malicious) origins.

Steve Szilagyi's novel, Photographing Fairies, made into a wonderful film
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119893/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographing_Fairies
would quickly disabuse the contemporary mild and friendly version of these creatures :-)

The import of the film is grim, dark, lugubrious and romantic, i.e. more truly in the Romantic Era sensibility than any contemporary notion of 'romantic.'

Some of the current gloss on fairies is similar to different tones and trends in what was once called Spiritism, i.e. communicating with the dead via seances and a medium. In the late 1800's when it was a fresh craze, the dead were not happily in the ever beyond, but our dear departed were instead grieving and depressed things, filled with bitterness and gloomy admonitions for their survivors.

Now, for those who dabble / practice / believe in all that, what our dear departed have to say is all forgiveness, sweetness and light. Both attitudes are but a fashion. Currently, all sweetness and light is the fashion, part of the superficial and highly saccharine (commercialized) take on sentiment.

P.s. you are perpetuating a stereotype -- the tiara in the Avatar photo :-)

because its feminine.
yes, there is masculine and feminine, even tho modern culture is trying to bury that.
Vive la difference!!!!!