Men teaching dance

Abstract

What influence can a gendered identity have on a pedagogic style? There has been an assumption that boy’s participation in dance education relies upon heterosexual role models (Risner 2009). At the same time, dance education can be a space in which greater social inclusivity can be fostered and dominant cultural constructs of masculinity challenged (Shapiro 2008). The personalities and identities of men who teach dance have a critical bearing on these issues, and thus on the goals and achievements of dance within the school curriculum. Investigating the personal stories of male dance teachers might thus be seen as a step towards a greater understanding of dance, education and gender. As a man who teaches dance I have faced particular challenges and found that I can offer particular opportunities to dance in formal education. I find myself continually negotiating social expectations of masculinity, dance and teachers, and am often bewildered by the reactions that my masculine identity brings to the dance class. Within this article I discuss gender identity with three other experienced male dance teachers from very differing styles and backgrounds, and reflect upon how the experience of being a man might be influencing my pedagogic relationships and decisions. Through a process of collaborative authoring, different critical perspectives have been brought to these investigative reflections.