Rehearsing Heterosexuality

8/12/2019 Rehearsing Heterosexuality

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Rehearsing Heterosexuality: "Unspoken" Truths in Dance Education

Author(s): Doug RisnerReviewed work(s):Source: Dance Research Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Winter, 2002), pp. 63-78Published by: Congress on Research in DanceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478460.Accessed: 02/01/2012 11:29

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RehearsingHeterosexuality:UnspokenTruthsn DanceEducationDoug Risner

IntroductionWhile recent research n the United States indicates thatgay and bisexual men comprisehalfthe malepopulation n dance,'a verylimited amountof scholarship ocuses on theexperiencesof gay men andboys in dance education(Hamilton 1999). Culturalheterosexism and homo-phobia certainlycontribute o this conspicuousabsenceof scholarshipanddiscourse,as doesinstitutionalizedheterosexismin concert dance and Westernsocial dance forms (Adair 1992;Burt 1995; Hanna 1988). Given the rich and compelling dance research n gender (Albright1997, 1998; Bond 1994; Case et al. 1995; Crawford1994; Daly 1998; Stinson et al. 1990;Stinson 1998; Thomas 1993) and feminist theory (Albright 1990; Banes 1998; Daly 1991,2000; Foster1996;Shapiro1998;Stinson 1993), one questionsthe absence of scholarlyanaly-sis surrounding ay issues in dance education.Unfortunately,dance and danceeducation mayunwittinglyreproduce asymmetricalpower relationships,social inequities, and sexist patri-archy by reaffirming he statusquo operating n contemporaryAmerican culture.In doing so,the profession ignores vast educativeopportunities or diminishing homophobiaand antigaybias. In view of the relatively largenumbersof gay men andyoung adults n the field, the lackof serious discourse and study of these critical issues is disheartening.I am reminded thatSusan Stinson importantlyasked the dance community these ethical questions nearly twodecadesago. Regrettably,hercogent questionsremainlargelyunanswered:

When it appearsso obvious that dance can either enhance or diminish ourhumanness, why]do we seem to use it so frequently orthelatter,andso infre-quentlyfor the former?Why do we not choose what and how we teach basedupon what will make us more fully human? Why are the most popularapproacheso danceeducation hose whichdo not attempt o disturb he statusquo, those in which we are eitherobedientlyadapting o or else escapingfroma veryproblematicworld, nsteadof trying o make tbetter? Stinson1984, 18)

Doug Risner holds an MFA n Choreographyand Performanceand a Ph.D. in Curriculumand Teaching rom the Universityof North Carolina, Greensboro.He is currentlyAssistantDirector of Research and SponsoredProjects at the University of North Texas. His workbridges critical social issues in education with dance pedagogy and performancein highereducationand communitycontexts,such as Abraxas Foundation or TroubledYouth prisonalternative),Parent and Friends of Gays & Lesbians, and WesternPennsylvaniaSchoolforBlind Children.His articles have appearedin Research n Dance Education,The ChronicleofHigherEducation,and Journalof Dance Education,among otherpublications. Risner is theauthorof WhatMatthewShepardWouldTell Us: Gay &Lesbian Issues in Education n TheInstitutionof Education,4th Ed. (Simon& Schuster,2003).

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Having myself been a closeted gay male dancer until the age of thirty-five, my concernsare rooted in the larger social issues of dance education and the contemporaneous pedagogi-cal implications this research presents. Therefore, this article is primarily concerned with asocial analysis exploring homophobic myths, unspoken truths, and the enduring silence thatsurrounds these issues in dance education. Although a social critique of professional danceperformance/choreography-its emphatically heterosexual thematic and value system-isnecessaryandvaluable,I amunableto discuss this here with breadthorclarity.2nstead,I offeran initialproject n the hope of enlivened discourse and furtherresearch.To do so, I want to address in as forthright a manner as possible what Linda Hamiltonsought to accomplish (or at least initiate) in her Dance Magazine article when she wrote:

We realize some readersmay be uncomfortablewith the topic of homosexu-ality.However, we believe thatDance Magazinehas a responsibilityto pro-vide useful information or those dancerswho maybe dealingwith this issue.Although dance, like other art forms, is often more accepting of differentlifestyles than is the mainstream ociety, the process of comingout can bedifficultfor dancers as well as their families. (Hamilton1999, 72)

While I affirm Hamilton's first two points-the difficulty of candidly addressing gay issues inour culture and the responsibility the profession bears for such important conversation-Ibelieve her third point-acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle by the profession-is a trou-bling source of the profession's muted discourse. It is my contention that this acceptance,which I wholeheartedly believe exists, both trivializes and obfuscates the larger issues at hand.More simply put, we know and accept that many of our male students and colleagues in dancearegay, but we rarelydiscuss it in popularor scholarlydiscourse.Let me preface this effort with a few preliminary questions: How have our students, theirparents, and our gay and lesbian colleagues heard our silence? What societal suspicions havewe unwittinglyproduced?Does dance educationhave a role to play in addressinghomopho-bia and the prejudice that male students and colleagues (gay or straight) face as dancers? Howdo heterosexist assumptions and actions in the studio/classroom unnecessarily and uninten-tionally create an environment of shame, humiliation, or embarrassment for gay dancers? Howdo we as dance educators unknowingly reaffirm narrow gender stereotypes? As teachers andmentors, how might we use our authority and power to support students who are questioningtheirsexual orientation?GayMalesin DanceIt is worthwhileto ground hese initialquestionsin a brief, limited overview of existing dancescholarshipregardinggay men andyouth in dance education.Because gay andlesbian3 ssuesin dance educationreceive little serious attention,I will briefly highlight perspectivesfromtwo largerworks that discuss gay males in dance and the ways in which researchhistoricallyframeshomosexualityfor the gay male dancer n dance theater.Stigmaand StereotypesJudithLynneHanna(1988) situatesthe studyof male homosexualityand dancein a ther-apeuticpsychopathologicalsetting, in which gay male dancers can ameliorateor elude theirproblematic omosexualityin a comfortableand insular milieu. Withoutregardfor domi-

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nant sexual codes of heterosexualityorprevailinghomophobicattitudes,externalizedor inter-nalized,4Hanna'swork focuses on the anomalousnumbersof gay men attracted o dance(bal-let), and develops a subsequently engthy rationale for this. Ratherthanexploringthe socialcomplexities of gay andbisexual male experiencesin dance,she repeatedly rames homosex-uality as a problemfor gays, andin doing so, reinforces narrowhomosexual stereotypes:Gaymenidentifywiththeeffeminate earnings,eelings,andromanticde-alizations f the ballet...balletpresents nillusionexperienced y somegaymenas parallel o theirrelationships ith womenand the difficulties omegayshave in establishingong-term elationships ith eachother...dancing(forgaymen)maybe anaudition or lovers...ballethashadthe attractionfcolorful ostume,glamour, ndmakeup.Hanna1988,136-138)

In order to destigmatizedancing for men and to establish the respectabilityof a maledancecareer,Hanna hampions rojectsikeJacques 'Amboise'sNationalDanceInstitute.Whilethe effortto bringdanceto children-and to a wideraudiencegenerally, ncludingyoung boys-is certainlyadmirable,heseeffortsand theirrhetoricoften obfuscate argersocial ssuessuchasthesignificant aymalepresencen danceand nternalizedomophobiain thedancecommunity.Destigmatizationndrespectability, henreadmoreclosely,actu-ally mean:(1) minimizingthe gay malepopulationand its profoundcontribution o dance;(2)cultivatingmore respectable eterosexuals,upgradinghe statusof maledancers ;nd(3)silencingdiscussion fpatriarchalndsexistpracticesn theprofession.Thisapproachlearlyillustrateshedeleterious ffectsof heterosexualespectability,omosexual egation, nd ur-therhomophobicttitudesn dance:

Thereare severalapproacheso the problemn addition o the d'Amboisestrategy. .. A male dancer(straightor gay) mighthandle the issue with non-dancers y firstacknowledginghestereotypicalmageand henestablishinghimselfasanexception.He doesthisby revealinghathehasagirlfriend,hathe findsgays disgusting, rthathis love of balletmakeshim putup withgay men [attributedo O'Connor].... A numberof dancerssaid that therearevery few gays in ballet today.(Hanna1988, 146)

The notion that male dancers are perceived to be effeminate deserves culturalcritique,rather hanpsychological hypothesizingaboutgay men's attraction o ballet. Reframedand,Imight add, more thoughtfullyput, critical questions might focus instead on the reasons thatstraightmen representonly fifty percent of the male dance population.As John Crawfordasserts,Men have traditionally fulfilled roles as choreographersand managers,whereas women have been the prevalentperformersand workers.Yet maledominance in dance has not led to an increase in male dancers, possiblybecauseit conformsto, rather hanchallenges,thevery structures hatbroughtabout hescarcitynthefirstplace.(Crawford994,40)

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In addition, researchers might interrogate the heterocentric5 underpinnings of such con-cerns at the outset. Or put more simply we might ask: Why are we concerned about equitablenumbers of gay and straight males in dance? Why do we need more heterosexual males indance? If we decide we do, how many heterosexual males do we want? What ratio would becommensurate with our strategy and intention? From this homophobic perspective, one wouldcertainly conclude that we need more straight male dancers than we currently have in the pro-fession and, espousing this perspective, we certainly would want to minimize its current gaymale presence.While I acknowledge the significance and appeal of cultivating a larger straight male pop-ulation (and audience for that matter) in dance (Meglin 1994), one that more closely resem-bles ourcommunities, schools, andcultures,I find it highly problematic o do so by denyingthe presence of gay male dancers. Within our current political, economic, and social systems,attracting more males to the profession could conceivably bolster credibility and generategreater financial support for dance. However, to do so by ignoring important cultural issues ofsexual orientation, gender identity, homophobic attitudes, and sexual harassment is not onlypragmatic and shortsighted, but also forfeits vast and profound opportunities for educating ahighly confused culture to its sexuality and discrimination.Even with the best intentions, the profession's attempts to encourage young boys and mento pursue dance frequently reproduce narrow, derogatory stereotypes of gay dancers(Crawford 1994; Bond 1994), which demeans rather than celebrates the gay male dance pop-ulation and its contribution. It is one thing to promote dance, for example, as being an activ-ity of self-expression and physical challenge for all children, both girls and boys. It is quiteanother to encourage involvement for boys by denigrating others, thereby continually recast-ing the underlying assumptions and implicit sexism of the sissy myth : dance is for girls. Ifwe commit ourselves to cultivating larger male participation,6 on the whole enriching the artform and its audience,thenit would seem at least sensible to questionthe ways in whichpatri-archal Western society discourages young boys and men from participation. It would also beprudent for dance scholarship to widen its conception of the gay male dancer well beyond therealm of research in professional ballet (Hanna's research), and at the same time to bring intoquestion larger issues concerning dance pedagogy and sexual orientation for adolescents andyoung adults in the field.Masculinity and HomophobiaIn The Male Dancer, Ramsay Burt (1995) gives a highly insightful and rigorously criticalexplication of the cultural, social, political, and economic history of masculine representationin dance, notably the twentieth-century construction of prejudice toward male dancers and thehomophobia that surrounds gay and, for that matter, straight men in dance. Borrowing fromthe writings of Eve Sedgwick (1985) and Joseph Bristow (1988), Burt charts the developmentof homophobia as a means for males to rationalize their close attraction to one another. Forexample, although men might certainly enjoy watching other men dance, in order to do so,they must profess an absolute repulsion toward homosexual desire or attraction. Burt believesthat straddling this important boundary for men-acceptable homosocial bonding andrepressed homosexual attraction-is the crux for the heterosexual male spectator watchingmen dance. When extrapolated societally, I believe this notion is a key element in men's cul-turally prescribed anxiety toward gay men. It is instructive for dance educators to realize thatsimilarly uncomfortable boundary crossings might reasonably apply for many fathers, sib-



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lings, andfriendsattempting o watch ourmale studentsdance. Withoutfacing these founda-tional aspects of culturallydefined masculinity,as narrow and destructive as they may be,there is little hope for any realprogress.Recent research n men's studiesfinds muchthe same conclusion as Burt;homophobia sa definingelementin contemporary, ostmodernmasculinity(Kimmeland Messner2001). Byilluminating he social andpoliticalcontexts in which masculinity s constructed,we see moreclearly the double-bind situationencounterednot only by gay men in dance, but also by allmales who pursuedance in any way. Clearly,the insightfuland significantcontributionBurtmakes to reenvisioningthe male dancer n dancehistory s profoundly mportant.While I wantto acknowledgeandaffirm this contribution o the field, Burt'sprimaryconcerns remaincen-tered on the professional dance sphere: internationalchoreographers, heir choreographies,and celebratedmale dancers.The challenge for danceeducators s to translate his importantresearch nto pedagogicalissues andconcernsin the trenches f the danceclassroom,tech-nique class, rehearsalstudio, and school/universitystage. More to the point, we might ask,knowingwhat we know now about the culturalconstructionof masculinity, he underpinningsof sexism, and ourculture'sdominantbias against gay people, what can we individuallydo inour daily dance practices-teaching, writing, choreographing-to ensure a clear affirmationof gay presence,contribution,andequalityin the danceprofession?Speakingthe UnspokenIn orderto breathe ife into these concerns,I speakfrommy lifetime of experiencein the stu-dio, primarilyas a studentandyoung performer. tell my own particular toryin order o gen-erate a more thorough understandingof the larger stories our culture tells and the hushedsilences those storiesoftenproduce.Speakingtheunspokenmeans notonly revealingourownpersonalnarratives as painfulas they maybe), but also readingthemin conversationwith thedominantstories, or metanarratives ur culture tells us. These accounts are told inside theselargersocial narratives,not to persuadereaders hat mine is the storyof all gay males in dance.Rather,I tell andre-readportionsof my own experienceas only one of many in a collectivepursuingdeeper understanding f what is necessaryto affirm a diverse humanityand, morespecifically,to initiatediscussionaboutthe ways in which danceeducationmightimportantlyplay a vital role in eradicatingsocietal stigmatizationand antigaybias.From an analysis of four extensive autobiographical eflections compiled over a three-year period, several themes emerge as importantevidence of internalizedhomophobiaandheterocentricbias in danceeducation.7Most prominent n these themes are notions of escapeandisolation, secrecy anddenial,and silence and abuse in dancetraining.Escape andIsolationthroughDanceAs a child, I found the dance studio a seemingly safe place for my retreat-a magical,transformativeocale for me andmy teacher,Miss Janice. Saturdaydance classes held at theold juniorhigh school allowed me to evade the bullying thatI endureddaily in school and athome. In my jazz and tap classes I did not worry aboutbeing corneredin the boy's room,beaten on theplayground,or harassedby my older brothers.Bigger than ife, Miss Janicepro-vided a weekly escape for me, a retreat rom a beleaguered amily environment,a brief inter-ruptionfrom the chiding and teasing at school, a respitewhere my confused sexual identitydid not seem important.Because girls had always been my primaryplaymates,the dance stu-dio environmentwas a very comfortableone.



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AlthoughI clearlyenjoyed dance lessons, what figures most prominently hroughout henarratives ecalling my earlydancestudyarenotionsof escape and avoidance.Unfortunately,the safe spacemade availablefor fleeing one's deepestfears andemotionalpainmay also cre-ate a space for deceptionand shame. Stinsonimportantly emindsus thatalthoughdance,likeall of the arts,has the potentialfor human iberationandprophetic,visionary change, it mayinstead serve as a drugto anesthetizeus fromfeeling pain andugliness. It may help us adjustto thingswe oughtto change, ignorethose thingswe oughtto see. It may diminishourcapac-ity to choose, limiting our options in our thinkingas well as our movement. It may simplysupportthe status quo (1984, 17). Years later, I discovered that for Miss Janice teachingdance was likely a space for her own escape and avoidance,a fantasyworld withoutan abu-sive alcoholic husband,far away from the dilapidatedandcrumblingstudio,removedfrom asmall, backward own in the Midwest.Foryoung gay males, theprotectionofferedby the dance studiooften carries hehigh costof extremeisolation, for a numberof reasons.First,young girls significantlyoutnumber heirmalecounterpartsn dance.Second,boys (gay andstraight) uffering rom thenegativestigmaassociated with males in dance often go to great lengths to display traditionalheterosexualmarkers,but social supportnetworksandrolemodels for gay youthin danceare rare.Andlast,leaving the studiomeansreturning o the embarrassment, umiliation,andcontemptof beinglabeled the pansy,fag, or queer.Young boys' avoidanceof their homosexualorientation s facilitatedby countless devicesperpetratedby a pervasively heterocentricculture,especially when one considers the over-whelmingly ridiculed statusof sissy boys in Americansociety. Eric Rofes (1995) notes thatthe widely accepted sissy/jock paradigmoperates as a key element in male youth culture,wherebytraditionalmasculinityis narrowlydescribedin highly misogynistic ways. Boys indance,unliketheir male peers in athleticsandteamsports,areparticipatingn an activitythatalreadysheds social suspicion on theirmasculinityand heterosexuality.Alternatively,dancefor young girls affirms theirfemininityand buttressesthe image of heterosexualorientation.For gay male youth in dance,coping with this double-bindsituation s an arduousdilemma.While thereis vast individualvariation,young gay males tend to begin homosexualactiv-ity duringearlyor middleadolescence;similaractivityfor lesbianfemales begins aroundagetwenty (Anderson1995, 18). Because adolescentsareonly beginningto possess the capacityfor abstract houghtor formalreasoningskills thatwill cognitively integrate heir sexualexpe-riences,danceeducatorsmust realizethatyoung gay males in danceareextremelyvulnerableto genderedcriticism, homophobic attitudes,antigay slurs, and the absence of positive gaymale role models. Young gay males may also develop internalizedhomophobiathroughoutchildhood, in which self-hate, low self-esteem, destructivebehavior,and furtherconfusioncharacterizeheirunderlyingattitudesandconduct.Moreover,gay adolescentsandteens oftenhave far fewer resources available to them for understandinghomosexuality and same-sexsexual harassment/abusen a balancedand unbiasedmanner.Many gays, incapableof resist-ing persistentheterocentrismandhomophobic prejudice, nternalizenegative attitudesabouthomosexuality and themselves. By constructingelaboratesecrecy webs, employing hetero-sexualalibis, andfabricatingheterosexualevidence, patternsof deceptionandself-destructivebehavioremergewith social acceptanceas the goal. Althoughdance as an institutionmay bemore acceptingof homosexual lifestyles, deeply internalizedheterosexualbias nurturespub-lic closetedness, not only for gay studentsandteachers,but also for their schools.



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Secrecy and Denial in Gay Students'LivesIn high school I stoppedtaking dance lessons, not because I did not enjoy dancing,butbecause I could no longer bearthe ridiculeandcontemptI experiencedat school. In order tocontinueto dance,I joined the show choir andperformed n musical theaterproductions.Formales, singing was seen as a muchmore seriousandlegitimateendeavorthan dance.Straightguys withpopulargirlfriendssangwithbig boomingvoices andwon blue ribbonsat statewidecompetitions.This would be my way to continue to dance without the harassment,chiding,andmockeryI experiencedas the dancefaggot.I was always cast in the big dance roles in ouryearly musical.AlthoughI was excited tobe dancing, being pegged as a male dancer(when you alreadythink thatyou might be gay)means constantlyreassertinga straight mage with heterosexual evidence. Playing romanticleads opposite prettyyoung ingenues,I was featured n dance solos and heartthrob alladsforourtouringgroupperformances.However,the attraction o my male counterparts id not sub-side. Crooninga love song like Onthe Street WhereYou Live to fair lady Eliza Doolittlewhen in actualityI had an intense crush on the quarterback laying Henry Higgins only inten-sified my homosexual denial.My desire to studydancegrew;however,the secrecyand shameI harboredalso increased.My girlfriendserved as my pivotal alibi as I continued the decep-tion of rehearsingheterosexuality.Male teens in dance areparticipatingn an activity thatimmediatelycasts doubton theirmasculinity and heterosexuality.Instead of dispelling suspicion, their dance talents invitespeculationabout their sexual orientation.In contrast,a female danceris assumed to be het-erosexual unless events repeatedly occur to create suspicion among her fellow dancers.Closeted gay male teens in dance (as well as their heterosexualcounterparts) ften feel theneed for protectivecamouflage,as evidencedby a girlfriend,expressly masculinedress, andparticipation n other traditionallymasculine activities. Unlike his female counterpart ndance,a male dancer s often perceivedto be guilty (of being gay) untilproven innocent(heterosexual).He is called upon to prove his heterosexualityactively over and over again.Forgay male youth, mustering he courageto studydance is rarelyaccompaniedby the brav-ery needed to openly identify as gay.This kind of environment s stressfulandoften threatening or gay male students,partic-ularlysince theyare vulnerableyoung people who arestruggling o claim andaffirmtheir sex-ual orientation n an often hostile atmosphereof homosexualdenigration.Dance most likely,butunwittingly,recapitulates his heterocentricperspectiveas long as its significant gay malepresence is publicly minimized, its heterosexual themes are repeatedlyemphasized,and itseducativepotentialfor reducinghomophobia s ignored.Moreover, t is also necessaryto acknowledgethe overwhelmingneed to maintainsecrecyabouta significant ssue like sexual orientation.To constantlyconceal partsof one's being (orone's profession)so utterlybasic to humanexistence, such as intimatefeelings, personalrela-tionships, and physical attractions,requirestremendousenergy. The weight of this burdenover a long periodof time causes manyotherpsychological and emotionalhardships,althoughat the time recognitionof these dilemmasgoes unacknowledged(Besner and Spungin 1995,95). Deceiving others ultimately leads to deceiving one's self, a deception that goes wellbeyond sexual orientation.What happens in this denial-entrenchedenvironmentinfiltratesnearlyall othersegmentsof one's life, anexistence predicatedon hiding,and characterizedbyworryandtorment.



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Professional Silence andAbuse in Dance TrainingAt nineteen,I was acceptedat a prestigiousdanceconservatory n the East. Stricttechni-cal trainingwas emphasizedwith dress codes, weigh-ins, assigned places at the barre,andrequired acultyjuries. My attentionwas immediatelydrawn o the beautifulmen who dancedwith such effortless skill. Classes and rehearsalswere filled with gay men who cruised allthe males in the conservatory. was highly intriguedby these men and theirsubculture,but atthe same time I found this world very confusing. They were strong,accomplisheddancers,performingrepertorypieces with masculinebravura,partneringwomen with intensely malecharisma,but offstage they were very effeminate,blatantlycampy.They appeared o be play-ing the ultimatetravesty.In almost reverse drag, these cavalier men onstage seemed muchmore naturalas flaming, finger-snappingdrag queens.Trainingat the school was intensive:daily classes in ballet, modem, andjazz dance, sup-plementedwith rehearsalsandtutorials.As freshmen,we were the largestclass of males everacceptedinto the conservatory,andthereforewe were scrutinizedheavily not only by the fac-ulty,but also by the older students.At first, I remember eeling that these men werejust veryfriendly.Naively, I was flatteredand thought they were actually interested in me. Over thenext few months their secret sex game, which I had unknowingly played, was revealed.Halfway throughmy firstsemester,I discovered that the gay upperclassmenhad a mastergridfor monitoringthe progressof the undergroundgame. All the first-yearmale's names werewrittendown on one side of a sheet of paper,while thejuniors'andseniors' names were writ-ten acrossthe top. Unbeknownto us, week by week theupperclassmenmadetheir sexualwaydown the grid;if in any given week an upperclassmandid not make his freshman,he wasout of the game. The humiliationand shame I experiencedin this secretive world of abusegreatly nfluenced whatI perceivedas the dancestoryfor gay men, a not-so-funnydouble-lifegame of pretense,secrecy,contradiction,and manipulation. deeply internalized his decep-tive charade or many years thereafter.Similarlyexploitativerelationshipsbetweenfacultyandstudentswerealso prevalent.Bothmale instructorswith whom I studiedrarely gave verbal corrections n class. Movement wasrarelybroken down into components.The rest of us learned,and I use the term loosely, bywatchingthe most advanceddancers n the class. Physicalcorrections,usuallydirectedat maledancers,were opportunitiesorbothinstructorso feelup theiryoungmale students.Gettinga correctionmeantbeing felt, prodded,sized up by these gay male teachers n power. Tightlypressedbehindme, pulling my pelvis back towardhim, the disguisedcorrectionwas given. Hemight ask, Did you feel that? or Isn't that better? In front of the entire studio, terriblyuncomfortableandembarrassed, would give a slightnod, soft smile, and Thankyou.I learnedquicklyfrommy malepeersthatgettingthe attentionof thesemen was crucialforsuccess at the conservatory.Because I desperatelywanted to dance, I knowingly played thisgame withthe male faculty,unlike the makeyourfreshman ame, at least this timeknowingthe shallow andmeaninglessnatureof the intimacyandsexual encounters hatwould follow.Although it seemed that everyone in the school knew, no one ever questioned theexploitationand abusehappening n these young men's lives. My own attempts o call atten-tion to these mattersfell on deaf ears. When I appealedto the associate directorof the con-servatory or guidance,he suggestedI dropthe matterand focus more on my techniqueandflexibility, remindingme of upcoming juries I would need to pass. Regrettably,I retreatedback to the closet in silent shame.I laterdiscoveredthathe, too, was one partof the faculty

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using his authorityandpowerto initiate and maintainsexualrelationshipswith male students.Frustrated, onfusedandashamed,I rationalized hat if this is whatbeing gay meant,I was notgay after all. Once again,I returned o rehearsingmy heterosexualpersona,the techniqueandexercises I knew all too well.

My experienceis not an isolated case. In 1995, claims of flagrantsexual abuse and mis-conductsurfacedat the NorthCarolinaSchool of the Arts (Hamilton1998, 88). In a lawsuitfiled by a former male student,two male facultymembersfrom the school's danceconserva-torywere accusedwith sexual abuse of a minor,and that such misconductwas common knowl-edge to school officials.Although graduatesof the school as well as current tudentsand someteachersknew of this abuse overnearlya ten-yearperiod, t wentunacknowledged. twould bepresumptuouso attempt o explainthe alleged improprieties f these otherwiserevered each-ers; however,I do believe thatthe danceprofession'ssilence surrounding exual abuse is notonly deeply troubling,but also speaksto the unwrittenpact the professionmaintainsfor theunspoken.Althoughthe professionrightfullyshook its collective head about the abusiveenvi-ronmentat NCSA, it just as quicklyturned ts head away,as it has done for manyyears.Dwelling on this particular ncident only energizes a misguided mythology that sexualabuse is an isolated, one-time event.8 nstead,we should rigorously questionthe motivationandperpetuationof the secrecy that allows this kind of abuse to be perpetrated pon youthindance education.For danceeducators, hreegravedangersemerge:(1) male studentsrarely, fever, come forwardaboutsexual harassmentand abuse;(2) sexual abuseby male dance fac-ulty is often trivialized or ignored;and (3) within the profession's muted discourse, sexualabuseand homosexual orientationarewrongheadedlyequatedwith one another.Because the field often suppressescandidandforthrightdiscussionof gay issues in danceeducation, t avoids addressing he sexual harassmentand abuse that sometimes occurs (andIbelieve is unintentionallynurtured)withinthis environment.Hamilton(1998, 92) reports hatwhile there are far fewer males in dance overall, it is male studentswho are three times aslikely to experiencesexual harassment n dance,andthatperpetrators f sexual harassmentaremore than seven times as likely to be male. In addition,male dancers n their teens arepropo-sitioned for sex by their dance teachers,directors,choreographers, nd fellow dance studentsat a rate of threeto one, when comparedto female dancers,with the genderof the solicitorbeing male nearly seventy percentof the time (Hamilton1998, 92).Given very little recognition,these important indings seem to have had minimal peda-gogical impacton dance education.These kinds of disconcerting, f not incriminating, tatis-tics certainlyexacerbatethe continued absence of serious discussion. When faced honestly,gay issues should compel dance educators to speak more openly and candidly about thetruth f the matter n its entirety.Gay men have been and continueto be an importantpartof thedancelandscape.As a profession,we cancountersociety's negative message aboutgaysonly by answering t directly,not by avoiding it. Takinga critical stanceabout sexual harass-ment and abuse in the field shouldnot requirethat we deny the importantpresence and sig-nificantcontributionof gay men to danceeducation.However,all too frequently his has beenthe case. WhatI find even moretroubling s the way in which theprofession'ssilence andlackof response wrongly serves to equate homosexual orientationwith sexual harassmentandabuse, therebyreproducingnegative attitudesand stereotypes about gays. Concealing gaymalepresenceandparticipationn the field only resultsin further ocietal speculationandsus-picion, all the while breedingfurtherhomophobicattitudesandprejudice.



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Youthand DehumanizingPedagogiesFrom a largerperspective,the lack of serious discourse abouthomosexualityis equallyillus-trative of the ways in which the dance profession has historicallydiscounted its sometimesrigidandinsensitivetraining, nhumane reatmentof dancers, dealizationandmandateof par-ticularbody types, the rampanteating disorders that develop from such body idealizations,excessive drug use by dancers,and sexual harassmentand abuse sufferedby dancers fromthose in positions of authority(Buckroyd 2000; Hamilton 1998). Whether the particularsspecifically concern verbalharassment, exual abuse,eating disorders,or inhumane eachingapproaches, helargerconcerns-without diminishinganyof thesepalpabledilemmas-focuson the manner n which these issues profoundlycompromisethe humandignity of dancers.Ibelieve the overarching problem centers on the dehumanizingeffects of some traditionaldancepedagogies and the ways in which ignoringthese issues cultivates furtherdehumaniza-tion in danceeducation.Let me also suggest that the legacy the field reproducespedagogically, ntentionalor not,fuels the continuationof thisprecariouscycle. Unless we diligentlycritiquetheways in whichwe were taught,trained,and treated,we frequentlymanufactureexact pedagogical replicas.Moreover,from a very earlyage, studentsare the unwittingbeneficiaries of this process.Theabusiveexploitationof the students' makeyourfreshmen game is certainlya shiningexam-ple of harmfulpedagogical transmissionand replication.The dangerousnature of this cyclemakes educationfor children,youth, andyoung adultsessential.Seldom receiving the kind of attention hat adequatelypreparesdance educatorsto con-front these critical issues, the profession frequentlywaits until a crisis develops in our pro-gramsor schools, and then we stumble,struggle,and fumblethrough erritorywe often knowlittle about, for which we have no preparationand, worse, lack the technical skills to beresponsive. It is also important o realize thatchildren, teens, andyoung adultscomprisethevast majorityof the populationengaged in dance study.To complicatematters,we are afraidto tackle the subjectof childrenforcefully because we are so afraidof the associations andassumptionsour culture makesregardinghomosexuality.At the same time, the fear of draw-ing this chargedetersteachers, administrators, ndparents or that matter rom speakingcan-didly aboutthese deeply profound ssues. Unfortunately,hese fearsseparateus fromthe oftenconfused andfragileyoung people who most need ourmentoringandsupport.To discuss gayand lesbian issues openlyrequires hat all people, notonly gays, criticallyprobetheirown atti-tudes and assumptionsabouthomo/heterosexuality, learly a difficult and agonizing task formany.However,without such forthrightdiscussion as well as the resolve to do it, we unwit-tingly foster furthermisunderstandingand discrimination,not only in our schools and pro-grams,but also in the highly problematicworld in which we find ourselves.Speaking openly aboutsexualorientation,especially with childrenandadolescents,is vir-tually proscribed n the heterocentricculturein which we find ourselves, althoughresearchshows that children and adolescents have far less difficulty acceptingsexual differencethanmight be supposed (Chasnoffand Cohen 1996). Many parents,teachers,and administratorsare frequentlyuncomfortableeven in the limited discussions our culturecurrentlypresents.However,as Burtremindsus, Nottalkingaboutsomethingdoesn'tmakeit go away,andmayinsidiouslymakeit takeon greatersignificancethan t reallydeserves (1995, 29). If wary,wemight also gain inspiration rom contemplatingourethical obligationsto ourgay andlesbiandancersas well as our fellow gay and lesbian choreographersand faculty colleagues. Other



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disciplines in the social sciences, such as education,9 erve as fine examples of includinggayand lesbian issues in teaching,as do those in the humanities,and morerecentlyeven physicaleducation and sports.'0Possibilities in Dance EducationAs I have noted,this projectdoes not attempt o speakfor all gay males in dance,but ratheroffer these reflections as heuristicguidepostsin the hope of initiatingan imaginative,critical,andmeaningfuldiscoursefor exhumingthe unspoken.Let me also make clear that this workemergesfrom an intimateconduit,a connection to these concerns thatis as much a personaljourney (search) as it is a professional contribution (research). Although each dance educator'sprofessionalenvironment s unique,withits own set of opportunitiesandconstraints, here aresome initial suggestions that I offer in this arduousyet compelling task. It is particularlyimportant o understand he necessity of age-appropriate pproaches o sexual orientationandalternative ifestyles.' I briefly conclude by presentingthem here for furthercontemplationand informedaction in our own locales and individualcontexts.Some of these suggestionsareadapted rom the workof PatGriffin(1995), which addresseshomophobia n athletics and theneeds of lesbian, gay, and bisexual athletes.Possibilities in the Studio and ClassroomDance educators can inventorytheir own heterosexistbeliefs, gender assumptions,andtaken-for-grantedctions thatunintentionally reate an environmentof shame,humiliation,orembarrassment or gay and lesbian dancers n the studioandclassroom.I encourageteachersto understandmorefully theirauthorityandpoweras positive role models for dancers,and therespectteachers nherentlygamerfromtheir students.It is important o contemplateseriouslythe fact that what we do not say is just as importantas whatwe do. Forgay, lesbian,andbisex-ual dance educators,try to be as open and candid as you safely can about who you are.Allyouth need to know gay adults who are leading satisfying,productive,and meaningfullives.Heterosexualdance educatorscan give unwaveringsupport o theirgay and lesbian dancecol-leagues by speakingout against antigayattitudes,actions, andpolicies. Dance educatorscanalso:

* Identify teachingmethods that reinforcenarrowdefinitionsof femininityandmasculinity.Understand hatyoung gay and lesbian studentsareparticularlyvulnerable o genderedcriticism.* Refrainfrom assumingthatall dancersare heterosexual. Some probablyarelesbian, gay, or bisexual. Othersmay be questioningtheir sexual identity.* Explore and identify simple yet inclusive ways to incorporategay, lesbian,and bisexual issues in the classroom/studio n a balanced and unbiasedman-ner.Forexample, invite a guest artist, ormerdancer,or current acultymem-ber who is gay or lesbian to teach a masterclass, and to speakaboutgay andlesbian issues for the students.* Be availableandprepared o talk with dancerswho arequestioningtheirsex-ual orientationor expressing homophobic beliefs. Many closeted gays use



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homophobicslurs and antigay epithetsto buttressan outwardlyheterosexualpersona.Identifyandreadilymake availablepertinentresourcesfor studentswho needthem, such as the Gay StraightAlliances (GSA), an extension of the Gay,Lesbian,StraightEducationNetwork(GLSEN,www.glsen.org). Display in aplace of visualprominence he PinkTriangle,universallyassociatedwith safezones for gay, lesbian, andbisexual people.

Possibilities Beyond the StudioDance educatorscanencourageadministratorso (1) establishnondiscrimination ndanti-harassmentpolicies that include sexual orientation,and (2) ensure thatall teachers,parents,and dancersunderstandwhatactionsareunacceptable,andwhatproceduresare to be followedwhen thepolicies are violated. Dance administrators anprovidedance teachersand staff withsexual harassment/abuse ducation focusing on asymmetricalpower relationshipsbetweenfaculty and studen. School directorsanddepartmentheadsanhe openly supportgay and les-bian faculty/staffby nurturingan environment hat is sensitive, supportive,andrespectfulofsexual orientation,alternative ifestyles, andfamily structures.While it may appeardifficult to include parentsin these kinds of strategies, addressingtheir concerns and supporting heirparticipationare equally important.At the outset, danceeducatorscan encourageparents o: (1) know their child's privatedanceschool, public schooldanceprogram,or university department-its teaches and administrators, nd (2) to discusswith their children, in an age-appropriate ashion, what constitutes sexual harassment andabuse. Dance educatorscan also facilitate and nurtureopenlycandiddialoguebetweenparentsand children about dance teachers, classmates, dance classes, and the child's progress indance.Dance teachers can also help parents o:

* Challenge their own prejudicesand biases about gay, lesbian, and bisexualpeople, and evaluate how they condone or reaffirmantigay prejudice n theirchildren.Understand hat a dance teacher's sexual orientationdoes not deter-mine his or her abilityto be an effective andrespectedprofessional.* Understand hat for males, there is a great deal of social stigmatizationforthose who studydance.Explorethe ways in which they supportor discouragetheir child's dancetraining.* Consider the very real possibility (given statistics in dance) that their sonmightbe gay orbisexual, andif not, that theirson most likely will experiencethe same discriminationandprejudiceregardlessof his sexual orientation.* Contemplate he arduousstruggletheirchild suffers and enduresas a gay, les-bian,orbisexualperson.Show sensitivityandsupport,regardlessof theirper-sonal belief system,if their son or daughter omes out to themas gay, lesbian,or bisexual. Rememberthat sexual orientation s a leading and contributingfactorto teen depressionand suicide.



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*Contact a local chapter of Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians (PFLAGwww.pflag.org)if necessary for information and support.

While these issues are certainly not limited to the realm of dance education, but are muchlarger in scope, they should compel us to question the pedagogical choices we make, the[in]actions we take or avoid in our departments, schools, and research, and the world we cre-ate for our students and ourselves.Notes1. Hamilton(1998) firstreportedher surveyfindingsregardingdance and homosexual males inAdvice for Dancers: Emotional Counsel and Practical Strategies (85-86). This researchinformed her courageousarticle, ComingOut in Dance: Pathsto Understanding, ublishedin Dance Magazine,November 1999.2. See Desmond's (2001) edited volume for interdisciplinary rossings in writingaboutdance

history,shiftingsexualities,and the dancing body.3. In this paperI focus on gay men and male youth in dance. For a selection of writingson les-bianism and dance, see Adair (1992); Bramley (1994); Briginshaw (1998, 1999); Leask(1998); andManning(1998).4. Unfortunately,manygay people, unable to escape the pervasivenatureof heterocentrismand

homophobic prejudice, internalizenegative feelings about homosexuality and themselves(Lehne, 1976;Margolies,Becker,andJackson-Brewer,1987). Because homophobiaand anti-gay prejudiceemergefroma complexheterosexistpatternof social, political, religious, famil-ial, economic, andinterpersonal alue systems, gay men andlesbians,by virtueof this accul-turation,may unwittinglycontribute o ongoinghomophobia,heterocentricbias, andtheirvar-ious and diversereproductions.

5. At the center of heterosexistprejudice s the organizingbelief thatheterosexuality s the nor-mative form of human sexual relations.Thus, the standardmeasurementused to evaluateandjudge all other sexual orientations s defined as heterocentrism.

6. I am not suggestingthatthe danceprofessionhas set as its taskthe goal of encouraging argerinvolvementby young boys and men. Nor do I predictthat ncreasedmale involvement wouldgeneratea significantrise in participationby heterosexualmen. I use this debate to reveal thecountless ways in which gay male presenceis denied, and gay contributionoverlooked. SeeCrawford 1994).7. The methodologicalapproach o autobiographical arrative employ is rootedin traditionsofinterpretivenquiry, eministtheory,and reflective practice.Forfurtherdiscussion,see Risner(2002).

8. Whendissected morethoroughly,we know thatmanyissues likely contribute o the complex-ity and continuationof sexual harassmentand abuse in educationalrealmsandin dance edu-cationspecifically:asymmetricalpowerrelationshipsbetweenteachersand students; eelingsof guiltand shamethatdevelop for abusedpersons;theunquestionedpotencyandexamplesetby those in authority;and the insidiouscycle of abusedturnedabuser.However,we rarelydis-cuss these complicatedissues candidlyin dance educationor, for thatmatter, n a pedagogi-cally sinceremanner.



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9. There is a vast literature n education,a few important itles of which includes:UnderstandingHomosexuality, ChangingSchools by ArthurLipkin (1999); Queer Theoryin EducationbyWilliam Pinar(1998); OvercomingHeterosexismand Homophobia:Strategies that WorkbySearsand Williams(1997), andThinkingQueerby TalburtandSteinberg(2000).10. Readersmightbe particularlynterested n the following from the disciplineof physicaledu-cation: Living in Two Worlds:Lesbian Physical Educators by Harbeck and Woods inComingOutof the ClassroomCloset by KarenHarbeck(1992); One Teacher in 10: Gay &Lesbian Educators Tell TheirStories by Kevin Jennings(1994); Homophobia n Sport byGriffin in The Gay Teenby Gerald Unks (1995). For additionalpopulartitles of interest,seeJocks: TrueStoriesof America'sGayMaleAthletes,editedby Dan Woog and Kevin Jennings(1998); Lesbians and Gays and Sports,editedby PerryYoungand MartinDuberman 1994);Sportsdykes:StoriesFromOn and Offthe Field by SusanFox Rogers (1995).11. See, for example, the short documentary ilm (available in video format),It's Elementary:TalkingAboutGayIssues in Schools (ChasnoffandCohen, 1996), for guidanceon age-appro-priate approaches or gay and lesbian issues in education.

WorksCitedAdair,Christy.1992. Womenand Dance: Sylphsand Sirens. New York:New YorkUniversityPress.Albright, Ann Cooper. 1990. Mining the Dancefield: Spectacle, Moving Subjects and Feminist

Theory. ContactQuarterly15(2): 32-40.. 1997. Choreographing Difference: The Body and Identity in Contemporary Dance.Middletown,CT:WesleyanUniversityPress..1998. 'Techno Bodies or MusclingwithGender n ContemporaryDance. Choreography nd

Dance 5(1): 39-51.Anderson,Dennis. 1995. LesbianandGay Adolescents: Social andDevelopmentalConsiderations.In TheGay Teen.Editedby GeraldUnks, 17-30. New York:Routledge.Banes, Sally. 1998. Dancing Women:Female Bodies on Stage. New York:Routledge.Besner, Hilda and CharlotteSpungin. 1995. Gay and Lesbian Students:UnderstandingTheir Needs.

Philadelphia:Taylor& Francis.Bond, Karen.1994. How 'WildThings'TamedGenderDistinctions. Journalof Physical Education,Recreation and Dance 6(2): 28-33.Bramley,Ian. 1994. Cartoonstrips.Dance TheatreJournal 11(2):41-43.Briginshaw,Valerie.1998. Theorising he Performativityof LesbianDance. Proceedings of the 215'Conferenceof Societyof Dance HistoryScholars,Universityof Oregon,269-277.

.1999. Choreographing esbianDesire:Filling the Spaces, Bridgingthe Gaps. Proceedingsof the 22nd Conferenceof Society of Dance HistoryScholars,Albuquerque,New Mexico, 95-101.Bristow,Joseph.(1988). How Men Are. New Formations6 (Winter):119-131.Buckroyd,Julia, ed. 2000. The StudentDancer: EmotionalAspects of the Teachingand Learning ofDance. London:Dance Books.Burt,Ramsay.1995. The Male Dancer: Bodies, Spectacle,Sexualities.New York:Routledge.Case,Sue-Ellen,PhilipBrett,andSusanFoster,eds. 1995. Cruising hePerformative: nterventionsntotheRepresentation f Ethnicity,Nationality,and Sexuality.Bloomington:IndianaUniversityPress.



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Chasnoff, Debra and Helen Cohen. 1996. It's Elementary: TalkingAbout Gay Issues in Schools.Directedby DebraChasnoff;Producedby Helen S. Cohen and Debra Chasnoff. Ho-ho-kus,NJ:New Day Films [37 mins].Crawford,John. 1994. EncouragingMale Participation n Dance. Journal of Physical Education,Recreationand Dance 6(2): 40-43.Daly, Ann. 1991. UnlimitedPartnership:Dance and Feminist Analysis. Dance Research Journal

23(1): 2-5.. 1992. Dance History and Feminist Theory:ReconsideringIsadora Duncan and The MaleGaze. In Genderin Performance:ThePresentationof Differencein the PerformingArts.Edited

by LaurenceSenelick, 239-259. Hanover andLondon:TuftsUniversityPress.1998. 'Woman,'Women and Subversion. Choreographyand Dance 5(1): 79-86.2000. FeministTheoryacross the MillennialDivide. Dance ResearchJournal32(1): 39-42.

Desmond,Jane,ed. 2001. DancingDesires: ChoreographingSexualities On & OffStage.Madison,WI:Universityof Wisconsin Press.

Foster, Susan Leigh. 1996. Corporealities:Dancing Knowledge, Culture,and Power. New York:Routledge.

Griffin,Pat. 1995. Homophobia n Sport:Addressingthe Needs of Lesbian and Gay High SchoolAthletes. In TheGay Teen.Editedby GeraldUnks, 67-78. New York:Routledge.Hamilton,Linda. 1998. Advicefor Dancers: Emotional Counsel and Practical Strategies.New York:

Jossey-Bass.. 1999. ComingOut in Dance: Paths to Understanding. Dance MagazineNovember: 72-75.

Hanna,JudithLynne. 1988. Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity,Dominance, Defiance, andDesire. Chicago: Universityof ChicagoPress.Harbeck,Karen.1992. ComingOutof the Classroom Closet: GayandLesbianStudents,Teachers,andCurricula.New York:HarringtonParkPress.Jennings,Kevin. 1994. One Teacher n 10: Gay & LesbianEducators TellTheirStories.Boston:AlysonPublications.Kimmel, Michael and Michael Messner,eds. 2001. Men's Lives. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn andBacon.Leask,Josephine.1998. Queer:The Female Side of Dance. Ballett International. August):22-23.Lehne, Greg. 1976. HomophobiaAmong Men. In TheForty-NinePercentMajority:TheMale SexRole. Editedby Deborah David andRobertBrannon,66-88. Reading,MA:Addison-Wesley.Lipkin,Arthur.1999. UnderstandingHomosexuality,ChangingSchools.Boulder,CO: WestviewPress.Manning,Susan. 1998. IsadoraDuncan,MarthaGrahamund die Lesbische Rezeption. Tanzdrama

Magazin44/45:18-25.Margolies,L., M. Becker,and K. Jackson-Brewer.1987. InternalizedHomophobia n Gay Men. InHomosexualityand Psychotherapy:A Practitioner'sHandbookof AffirmativeModels. EditedbyJohnGonsiorek,59-69. New York:The HaworthPress, Inc.Meglin, Joellen,ed. 1994. Gender ssues in Dance Education. Special sectionof Journalof PhysicalEducation, Recreation,and Dance 65(2): 26-47.Pinar,William,ed. 1998. QueerTheory n Education.Mahwah,NJ: LawrenceErlbaumAssociates.Risner,Doug. 2002. MotionandMarking n ReflectivePractice:Artifacts,AutobiographicalNarrative,andSexuality. ReflectivePractice 3(1): 5-19.



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Rofes, Eric. 1995. MakingOurSchools Safe for Sissies. In The Gay Teen. Editedby GeraldUnks,79-84. New York:Routledge.Rogers,Susan Fox. 1995.Sportsdykes: toriesFrom Onand Offthe Field. New York:St. Martin'sPress.Sears,James andWalterWilliams,eds. 1997. OvercomingHeterosexismand Homophobia:Strategiesthat Work.New York:ColumbiaUniversityPress.Sedgwick, Eve. 1985. Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. New York:ColumbiaUniversityPress.

. 1990. Epistemologyof the Closet.Berkeley: Universityof CaliforniaPress.Shapiro,Sherry,ed. 1998. Dance, Power,andDifference:Critical and FeministPerspectiveson DanceEducation.Champaign, L:Human Kinetics.Stinson, Susan. 1984. Reflections and Visions: A HermeneuticStudy of DangersandPossibilities inDance Education. Ed.D. dissertation,University of North Carolinaat Greensboro.Ann Arbor:UMI.

.1993. Journeyowarda FeministPedagogyfor Dance. Women&Performance:A JournalofFeministTheory6(1): 131-146.

. 1998. Places Where I've Been: Reflections on Issues of Gender in Dance Education,Research,and Administration. Choreographyand Dance 5(1): 117-127.

,Donald Blumenfeld-Jones, and Jan Van Dyke. 1990. Voices of Young Women DanceStudents:An InterpretiveStudyof Meaningin Dance. Dance ResearchJournal22(2): 13-22.Talburt,Susan and Shirley Steinberg.2000. ThinkingQueer:Sexuality,Culture,and Education.NewYork:PeterLang.Thomas,Helen, ed. 1993. Dance, Gender,and Culture.New York:St. Martin'sPress.Unks, Gerald, ed. 1995. The Gay Teen: Educational Practice and Theoryfor Lesbian, Gay, and

BisexualAdolescents. New York:Routledge.Woog, Dan and Kevin Jennings. 1998. Jocks: TrueStories of America'sGayAthlete. Boston: AlysonPublications.Young,Perryand MartinDuberman.1994. Lesbians and Gaysand Sports.New York:ChelseaHouse.


Rehearsing Heterosexuality

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