As we approach the end of the year it seems clear Billy Elliot will be the feel-good movie of the year and will probably scoop a few Oscars. I find myself hearing assurances from fans of the film that it will undoubtedly lead to a huge upturn in the number of young boys attending ballet classes. But it won't. No more than In the Name of the Father led to a reform of the British legal system. The prejudices about men in ballet will remain unchallenged by a sentimental rags-to-riches story.
It's difficult to pin down the real reason male ballet dancers get such a hard time. Homophobia is one obvious source of contemporary prejudice. It is true that there are many gay men in ballet, but not all male dancers are gay, as the prejudice would suggest.
Many perceive ballet as effeminate and correlate effeminacy with homosexuality. Yet prejudice against male dancers predates the first evidence of gay involvement in ballet - Diaghilev and Nijinsky in the early 20th century. Problems with the male body emerged through the 19th century and the male nude disappeared from painting and sculpture. Male dress also became suppressed when men adopted the plain, black, bourgeois suit. In the words of critic Ramsay Burt: "What became conflictual and consequently repressed was anything that might draw attention to the spectacle of the male body."
It was the spectacle of the male body and not the act of dancing itself that was problematic. Men could still engage in social dance and there is no indication of a decrease in the number of men participating. But to gaze at a man, onstage or in painting or sculpture, became awkward.
Despite studies on gender as social construct and trendy academic papers, little is being done to shift these attitudes. It is not just that the issues are divisive (just look at the fuss the Exploring Masculinities programme is causing here in Ireland) but stereotypes are difficult to shift. American Ballet Theatre dancer Ethan Stiefel, whose own life mirrors that of the fictional Billy Elliot, still lives with the prejudice he first experienced in adolescence. In an interview in the Village Voice he recalled an incident at the shop where he bought his motorcycle. When the question of his occupation came up, he wondered: "What do I tell these people? I'm proud of what I do, but do I tell the truth?"
Attempts to alter these perceptions usually cite dancers' physical strength. They are "more manly" because they need to be strong. The comments of Rachel Keen, assistant director of the Royal Ballet School, are typical: "I would like to find a footballer who could lift a seven-stone dancer with one hand and hold her up there in front of 2,000 people." On stage, a virile performance (particularly when partnering women) falls in line with the heterosexual ideal of the strong man. But instead of destroying male stereotypes, this reinforces them.
Even Billy Elliot plays on competitive instincts, thriving in the winner/loser culture. Billy is the "winner", moving from his working-class roots to perform for the amusement of middle-class audiences in Covent Garden.
The striking miners, who include Billy's father and brother, lose their battle and return to the pit. This winner/loser culture is one of the main problems facing men. Within ballet, the numbers of boys attending classes remain small and when policies of positive discrimination are introduced standards between boys and girls can differ substantially. (Many would argue that a female Billy Elliot with exactly the same talent would never receive the same opportunities.) This can have a knock-on effect in the professional world.
In 1994, Derek Deane as artistic director of English National Ballet launched a tirade against training standards when he accepted just one male dancer from the 100 dancers who made it to the final audition. There were 11 jobs on offer.
Another artistic director, David Bintley of Birmingham Royal Ballet, recently criticised public funding of ballet training. He was speaking after the parents of a 12-year-old boy took Birmingham city council to court for failing to provide assistance for the £11,600-ayear fees at the Elmhurst school in Surrey. "Children with talent who do not have money are falling by the wayside," Bintley said. "And the quality of young dancers who are coming through for me to select as the director of the company is suffering."
Even if it doesn't enlighten city councillors enough that they provide money to fund training, what Billy Elliot might do is help ballet gain acceptance in areas and social strata where it has been absent. It does highlight the power of the individual to change the prevailing attitudes. The "real" Billy Elliot on whose story the film was based, Royal Ballet dancer Philip Mosley, recalls that when he received a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School the neighbours celebrated with the family. As his mother says: "I'm delighted that all my children - a plumber, a joiner, an electrician, a hairdresser, a mobile-phone company executive, and a ballet dancer - have found themselves a trade."
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