Those Gorgeous Male Dancers
Read more articles on Dance and Ballet and Let Me Share With You.February 11, 2007
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
February 11, 2007
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
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Male dancers-especially those who perform ballet-are often scoffed at by other men for what they do, but as a group, have the absolute best bodies in terms of physique and athletic ability. Their confidence to be seen in very little isn’t a turn off, either!
Yesterday a new man appeared in class who had every female, from college age into their 50’s, salivating. We don’t know if he’s a new company dancer or a visiting guest, but in the dressing room, I’d found that he’d been given the nickname of “Davey”, after Michaelango’s masterpiece. It was due to his perfectly sculpted…uh, everything.
My, oh my, oh my. It didn’t matter that he was probably only 20 and we were old enough to be his mother-gorgeousness exceeds all age limits of admiration. With his teeny little, butt-hugging trunks, and no tights covering up his excellently developed leg muscles, the man was a work of art himself, even before moving. And when he did move he truly was “poetry in motion”. His arms were every bit as stunning as any body builder’s, and with a wide chest and small waist, he had the perfect build to lift any female dancer. He effortlessly could transition from a 5-pirouette turn into a triple turn with a leg extended to the side, finishing it cleanly and not even getting out of breath. Ahh….His leaps took him almost halfway across the large studio and made the rest of realize how far we were away from artistic genius.
Yes, a good male ballet dancer is a sight to behold, especially up close. What is more, in terms of the general population, they are such a rarity. The majority of men, even if they want to dance, only reach the level of company corps dancers or musical revue/video/Broadway back up dancers. The ones who command individual attention must number around one in a million. Those individuals, as in any sport, are at the top of their game and are the ultimate athletes. The strength and command they have over their body beats the sheer brute force of football players any day, and the need for exquisite artistry beats the repetitive movement games such as tennis, golf or hockey. Yet, are they respected and given attention by billions of men and women? Unfortunately, they aren’t.
Not only do the majority of people have no idea what it takes to reach this level of expertise, the ridiculous notion that a son doing ballet is somehow embarrassing shows how ignorant society is. Let me tell you: ballet is definitely not for sissies. In my advanced adult class, a few of the “regulars” consist of 2 pediatricians, a Psychiatry professor, a chemist, and a university department head-and not all are women. The same qualities that spell success in life motivate people to persevere with the rigors of dance, and vice versa. Ballet requires intelligence, heart, and hard, hard work-which are admirable traits anyway. For men, it also requires turning a deaf ear to insults and taunts. A man who does ballet-either professionally or for his own enjoyment-should be viewed with esteem and respect. And if you think it’s not deserved, just try doing a few jumps yourself!
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