Western Stereotype of the Male Ballet Dancer
Since the early nineteenth century, Western society has adopted a negative view of male ballet dancers, or danseurs. Danseurs are stereotyped as weak, feminine, or unnatural. The very essence of ballet is expressiveness, which directly contradicts the strict Western picture of masculinity: strength, dominance, and stifled emotion.
This belief began in the early nineteen hundreds at the emergence of Romanticism. The stereotype was not derived from homophobia, though the former is often associated with the latter. The prejudice has become omnipresent in modern Western society.
History and Origins
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editRomantic Movement ===
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editBallerina’s Dominance in Romantic Ballet ====
As the Romantic Movement erupted in the early nineteenth century, ballet’s focus shifted towards the ballerina, and the danseur gradually faded into the shadows. Romanticism was a revolt against the Age of Enlightenment. According to dance scholar Carol Lee, nineteenth-century ballet was “the perfect expression of Romanticism” (Lee, p. xi). Ballets turned to folklore, legends, myths, and superstitions for inspiration. They told stories of nymphs and sylphs, innocent maidens and satanic witches. Composers and choreographers were inspired by pure human emotions and a fascination for macabre. Ballets such as Giselle and La Sylphide emerged during this time.