The Negative Influence Of Women In Ballet

Women cover the stage of every ballet production and grace the audience with their artistry. However, where can the women be found outside the theater? Men can be found in charge of all the tier ballet companies across the United States like American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Choreographic works from men like Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, and Alexei Ratmansky are constantly being used and restaged by major companies as well. Despite George Balanchine’s famous words, “The principle of classical ballet is woman,” men have taken over many of the ranks. The lack of female choreographers in ballet is shocking and needs to be addressed, in order to create equal opportunities for men and women

Without women in ballet there would be no corps de ballet to fill the stage and intrigue audiences because of their perfect lines and timing of every movement. Neither ballet nor modern companies have been helpful in supporting new female choreographers or giving them any exposure at all. In 2012, it had been 13 years since the Royal Ballet had a women choreograph a main stage work. At San Francisco Ballet, as of 2012, they had not performed a work by a woman in 5 years. A resident choreographer at Smuin Ballet researched what all the major companies were performing in an upcoming season, and it turned out that less than 10 percent of the choreographers were women. Yet there are still male choreographers who refuse acknowledge the lack of female choreographers in the dance

In an 1994 interview with women choreographers, “Anna Laerkesen, a former dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet who went on to choreograph for the company, attributes it to girls’ upbringing, which stresses “the reproductive side more than the creative side”: “the emphasis on how you look and what your body can do has had a suppressing effect. It was in the air that you had to be a good girl, and being a good girl meant performing, not creating. Girls have just as much a creative side as boys, but it is not developed” (Meglin and Brooks 4). Boys from the start of their training are more encouraged because of the significantly smaller amount of boys that are involved in ballet. Choreographer Emery LeCrone believes, “Ballet’s women have a regimented route to success, whereas the male ballet dancer is celebrated as a rarity,” (Fuhrer). Therefore, teachers are more apt to support boys in every way they can. In ways to inspire more girls to get involved in choreography, Lang suggested, “We need to add creative courses to the ballet curriculum, so we can develop young artists who think creatively instead of just seeing their bodies as tools,” she says. A ballet dancer is not going to lose her turnout if she plays around in a composition class for an hour. But that class will help her establish an open mindset, so she’s not inhibited and afraid.”Amy Seiwert, a modern choreographer, believes “If we get