For Everyone, Female Dancers

The dance world is mostly made up of gay men and straight women. It is a world in which the men have, in general, received a great deal of encouragement because there are fewer of them. As the majority, women in dance have a far different experience from men; women often start their training at a younger age and must be extremely proficient to be successful. It seems that this culture of strongly encouraging men allows for a certain level of freedom and power in male dancers that is often lacking in their female counterparts. It is often assumed that positions of power are to be held by men. While certainly there are exceptions to this observation, I see that the dance world can have negative effects on the expectations and aspirations of female dancers.
I know many female dancers who after having wonderful careers as dancers decide to become Pilates instructors or drop dance altogether. While there is nothing wrong with becoming a Pilates instructor, what bothers me is that there are so few women in the contemporary dance world who choose to be in leadership roles as directors or choreographers. This phenomenon makes me wonder whether this is in fact a choice and or if is it a result of lack of encouragement in their creative efforts.
I feel that the modern dance world is one with very strong female figures who have made enormous impacts on dance. However, in the world of contemporary movement there are fewer models. Here at Juilliard, over the past three years I have been at the school, there have been nine choreographers brought in for the New Dances project and only two of them have been women. As an aspiring dancer/choreographer I find this discouraging.
The undermining of female sense of power at Juilliard is subtle, but present. In the December New Dances I was in a piece in which a woman, my friend, gets passed from man to man for the majority of the second movement. I don’t think the choreographer gave a moment of thought to the implications of this simple act. To a female audience member this action stands out as a statement of female powerlessness. That the male choreographer had no point of view on this statement (he unintentionally made) was revealing; it revealed underlying male control. I’m positive that if someone were to ask the choreographer about his piece he would be shocked to hear this type of interpretation. However, the most offensive part is that this interpretation never crossed his mind.
Female dancers need to expect more and be upset when they don’t get it. In a small world of strong male relationships, it often feels as though gay men are not aware of the female experience. While I feel my generation of dancers will change this dynamic, there are things that cannot wait. There are a few strong female models in my life that are invaluable to my generation and I am grateful for them; their influence is liberating. Women need to feel fully supported and encouraged to be able to be as creative as they can be. Half of any creative endeavor is having the guts to try something without fear. Some are born gutsier than others, but it often comes down to encouragement.