Men and Ballet

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

So, I was having a discussion with a friend and she was telling me that men can't do pointe technique due to biological differences. If you don't know what pointe is, it's the technique whereby one learns the ability to stand on the tips of your toes during synchronized dancing aka ballet. I want to say this is bullshit but u really have no evidence to back this. Whatcha guys think?

[Rosa Partizan]

why shouldn't it be possible? Is there any difference between male and female feet? :glare:

[The Feral Underclass]

It is definitely bullshit. It's true that men doing en pointe is rare, but it does definitely happen. The main reason for its rarity is because of tradition and the idealised view of women and their role in ballet.

I don't know what she means by 'biology' unless she is talking about weight. Female ballet dancers typically weigh a lot less than men and so training to do en pointe is far easier than it is for men who are obviously heavier, making it far harder to do the move.

That being said, men definitely do en pointe. I've seen it.

Also, here's a picture

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6efhb9SsK1qcrn6vo1_500.jpg

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

why shouldn't it be possible? Is there any difference between male and female feet? :glare:

Idk that's what I thought but it also has to do weight distribution, muscle mass, and other stuff. Idk, my friend sounded pretty sciencey so that's why I posted the OP.

[Quail]

A quick google search suggests that dancing en pointe puts a lot of stress on the feet, and since male dancers tend to be heavier than female dancers there is more risk of injury involved. So perhaps it's more a weight thing than a gender thing? But I don't know a lot about ballet dancing.

[PhoenixAsh]

The ballet world is divided over the issue...don't ask me how I know this. :mad:

Anyways...men can do pointe and there is no reason why they can't...well...except for the problem with being more susceptible to ankle and toe injuries because of weight...but as long as you are willing to accept that risk...and if you can find the shoes which are suitable to redistribute your weight (and yeah...that is an issue)...just about anybody can learn to do pointe with the proper training.

So no...there is no reason why men can't do pointe...but it is more difficult for them, and they are more susceptible to injury.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

I think TAT and you (Quail) are right. I was trying to argue that really it's about height, weight, proportions and ratios. Like someone as small as her or I obviously could do it due to being short and railish whereas someone weighing like 500 lbs or that was all muscley, probably couldn't and that this disparity betwixt male and female is cultural/conditional.

[Sasha]

there are transgendered dancers in ballet but indeed a combination of reactionary tradition and (the there out following) physical hurdles make it really hard for them.
there was a famous and heartbreaking documentary here in the netherlands about a transgendered kid who wanted to be a ballerina who was got some mayor pushback from the ballet school and parents who forced her to continue to dance as a male dancer; http://www.dance.net/topic/9727640/1/Ballet-General/Valentijn-a-transgender-ballet-student.html&replies=3
in the end she had to drop out from ballet because of this but also because she became (even while starting hormone therapy before she hit puberty) just to tall to be a ballerina. in the end she became a quite famous model though.

in contemporary dance there is way more room for breaking and swapping gender roles etc, as its something many choreographers are actually busy with as a theme not fitting the traditional gender/physical roles in dance can there actually be a plus in your carreer.