Boys who dance grow up respecting women. Boys who dance can lift women above their heads. Boys who dance are resilient and so, so tough. The amount of ridicule and bullying they endure…but they do it anyway. They brush off so much bullshit to stand strong and turn up at a dance studio.
It doesn’t help them, the way some dance studios present dance to little ones. Names like ‘Tiny tots ballet’ and ‘Little ballerinas’ is off putting for those parents that are trepidatious about putting their boys in dance. How about adding photos of boys in the promotion material? Adding names like ‘ tots movement class’ and ‘dance for kids’.
It’s the perception of male identifying youth in dance that can be warped. It’s up to parents to offer dance to their sons as well as daughters. It’s up to parents to be braver.
We are all born dancing.
Dance is non-binary
Why do we stop boys from enjoying it?
It is all in how the family unit perceives it.
Some cultures insist on bringing out a guitar after dinner…the whole family dance. Some cultures celebrate dance as a family.
Unfortunately, here in Western culture , men are so often restricted to being drunk at a wedding before they get up and let loose. (….and oh man, do they let loose).
We still have work to do in North America re-male identifying youth in dance. let’s do better.
What’s it like where you live?
'Curioser and Curioser' {Alice} 