Dance Competition: The Oppression Of Women

As covered in Women’s Studies 101, competition between women is a very real and brutal mechanism to drive women apart and lower their self-esteem. We see this in various ways, including beauty standards, expectations of women, and the very oppression of womanhood. While this is a global occurrence, one can see this very vividly in the realm of competitive dance.
Dance competitions have become a huge subculture, with more than 200 various competitions in the United States alone. Dancers who compete, rather than dance for recreation, not only have to commit their time, money, and effort, but their body and mind to this art. Competitive dance is a great way to allow children to express different talents and styles, but can have a very negative

They’re probably wearing a large amount of makeup, fake eyelashes, diamond jewelry, and a jump suit with their studio’s logo on it covering up their dance costume. One of the many reasons these girls are so noticeable out in public is exactly because of what they are wearing (and not wearing). We do not expect to see young girls in heavy, dark makeup and revealing outfits, but it has become a norm in the competitive dance world. The stage makeup worn is heavy and dark so that you can see their faces better on stage, but it is also teaching them that without makeup their face is imperfect. Naomi Wolf touches on this subject in The Beauty Myth where she explains that a false representation of women’s ideas and the expectations they are to uphold are created by this reinforcement of beauty of standards. Young girls are also put on stage wearing bra tops and what dancers call “hot shorts” as costumes, rather than costumes that reflect and enhance the theme of the actual dance. This type of outfit is reinforcing the idea of the male gaze, in which women are presented for the reaction and approval of men, which is a slightly disturbing ideal for young women and girls. We can also see this being reinforced in the media as well. Reality television shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance both provide a false representation that all dancers must wear makeup, a costume

Most people are surprised when they are told how much is spent annually on competitive dance for just one dancer. According to Stephanie Click, depending on your studio, how many competitions you go to, and costumes, dancers can spend up to $10,000 or more for a year of dance. This is not a type of extracurricular activity that would be readily supported and available to certain individuals who are of lower class or socioeconomic status. The steep price of competitive dance therefore leads itself to marginalize the population to those of better class, which are more than likely white, middle to high class women, leaving out those of lower class and women of color. Class and money drive a steeper cut between women and ultimately erase women with intersectional identities from the competitive dance