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Although previous research has investigated men in feminized sports, we took a different approach in this study and examined men in ballet. Because ballet is one of the most highly gender-codified sports, male ballet dancers must negotiate their identities as men while performing a dance form that is highly stigmatized as effeminate. We investigated how five self-identified heterosexual male college dance majors perceive and perform heteromasculinity within male ballet culture using qualitative data gathered from structured interviews. Results provide three unique contributions to the literature. First, we found that these men develop and contextualize their heteromasculinity in the context of a male ballet culture. Second, the results demonstrate three unique stigma-management techniques within male ballet culture. Third, men described a hegemonic heteromasculinity and the roles of masculinity and emotionality in male ballet performance as parts of male ballet culture. We hope this study will stimulate future research that can help personnel and faculty to better understand how college ballet programs can be informed by the ways masculinity may be institutionalized and reproduced within the context of dance programs, as well as the ways male ballet dancers can challenge heteromasculine hegemony in the sports world.
Boys and men who do ballet must be either exceptionally brave or foolhardy, or both . . . because of the art form's strong associations with a super-feminized world of women and the consequent amount of abuse men often take for not choosing a more conventional occupation. (Fisher, 2007, p. 45)
Dance can be examined in many ways: from fantasy to a reflection of current reality, to religious expression, or even as simple abstract movement. Because dance was created as an outlet and expression of human life, the performance of dance can also be a form of self-expression. While dancers use dance to convey messages to their audiences without the use of spoken word, dancers must also negotiate their identities in and out of the ballet world. Studies of male dancers show that these men are in a "female world" and these experiences affect their gender identities (Mennesson, 2009, p. 174). For example, ballet is one form of dance that is often viewed as a highly feminized activity; indeed, the figure of the female ballerina has been described as the...