Gender and Dance
Time for a step-change in how we view men on the dancefloor is a fabulous starting point because it outlines the complexities about how masculinity operates in Australia and this how it impacts on perceptions of male dance.
The obstacles for boys in dance are twofold: "First, there are the self-evident gender roles and models connected to men. Second, there are the quiet, implicit, and seemingly neutral practices within dance education in which the dancing boy's body breaks into or enters a foreign/unconventional area." [Dance and gender: Is there any change?]
Dancing a Man's Game is a 1958 documentary by Gene Kelly which brings together male role models from the world of sport and shows how their movements are portrayed in (tap) dance. It seems to be available online from the US in DVD format.
Some suggestions for theoretical backgrounds can be found in Men who Dance: Aesthetics, Athletics & the Art of Masculinity, which uses case studies of male (ballet) dancers to discuss the ways particular discourses and social interpretations of gender have created their lived and embodied experiences of masculinity. The thesis on which the book is based can be found here.
theoretical approaches
An Introduction to Dance and Gender,
Gender, School, Society and Inclusive School has a fabulous and very detained explanation of the difference between sex and gender in the first section.
Ballet
You shouldn't tell boys they can't dance explores this history of masculinity in regards to US ballet and explores stratetgies that worked to retain boys in bakklet class.
Negotiating Masculinities within dance explores key issues for men in ballet - the readftiosn of families nad friends, social stereotypes nad hte percieved homosexuality/ effeminacy of make dancers.
What male ballet dancers can tell you about being a great partner is a very basic into based on an interview with Marcel Gomes.
Ballerinas in the Church Hall is of tangential interest (it's more about literary and historical issues around dance) but it includes a look at suburban ballet schools as a feminine oasis in a patriarchal world, which might give an interesting context to your discussion of the importance of appearance and competition in this world. In Defence of Ballet: Women, Agency and the Philosophy of Pleasure makes a similar argument.
Boys-only ballet initiatives
Project B (RAD)
Boys Dance 18 (Australian summer school)
London Boys Ballet School
List of dos and don't for recruiting and retaining boys
https://dancestudioinsurance.com/teaching-boys-ballet-attract-engage-male-students/
https://www.dance-teacher.com/ways-to-attract-male-students-2408829470.html
Jazz
Hip Hop
Musical theatre
Ballroom dancing
Tap Dancing
Steps in Time: An Exploration of Tap Dance Education is an excellent history showing how tap dance developped from indigenous american roots.
Heels and Gumption: Tap Dance Empowered by Women is a historical overview of the impact of women on the development of tap dancing.
One of things I'm trying to find is stuff on the original tap dogs shows (by Dein Perry) because these really changed the world as far as boys and tap were concerned because they recreated tap as an essentially masculinist style of dance with male working class attire (jeans, work boots, bared torsos), construction-site -style sets and seriously macho choreography and stage effects. Here are some reviews: Tap dancing Drum and Bass Steam Train, Tap Dogs return home with new tricks,
If you're looking for interesting angles on this topic have a look at the points in this Gender and Dance course outline.
How I think you might do this topic:
1. Define masculine and feminine as you'll be using them (Include theorists like Butler who say that gender is more about performance than embodiment)
2. Explore how these ideas are represented in particular dance genres (through reviews, performances and/or even advertising)
3. Relate this to particular experiences discussed in surveys, interviews or case studies
4. Suggest solutions to this dichotomy
One of the things I would definitely think about for primary research is content analysis of reviews which uses very gender-loaded words to describe various dance forms. You could also show clips of different dance forms to focus groups and do content analysis of the resulting discussions.
An alternative that could bring your ideas together:
You could also look at how different cultures represent dance as masculine or feminine - Western culture sees dancing as feminine and views male dances as effeminate, but the is not the case in south Asia or the Middle East (Just think about Bollywood!). And if you include traditional forms of dance, what about the Maori Haka!
How I think you might do this topic:
1. Define masculine and feminine as you'll be using them (Include theorists like Butler who say that gender is more about performance than embodiment)
2. Explore how these ideas are represented in particular dance genres (through reviews, performances and/or even advertising)
3. Relate this to particular experiences discussed in surveys, interviews or case studies
4. Suggest solutions to this dichotomy
One of the things I would definitely think about for primary research is content analysis of reviews which uses very gender-loaded words to describe various dance forms. You could also show clips of different dance forms to focus groups and do content analysis of the resulting discussions.
An alternative that could bring your ideas together:
You could also look at how different cultures represent dance as masculine or feminine - Western culture sees dancing as feminine and views male dances as effeminate, but the is not the case in south Asia or the Middle East (Just think about Bollywood!). And if you include traditional forms of dance, what about the Maori Haka!