On education - how dance schools can attract more boys to their classes

Dance Magazine, Nov, 2003 by Rhee Gold

As a former dancer who had to overcome male stereotyping in the dance world, I'm often asked how teachers might attract more boys to their classes or schools. There are many ways to entice the male to your classroom; however, the priority has to be making the guys look like guys! If you have only a couple of boys and present them at performances in feminine costuming or movement, you're not going to attract many boys. And you won't find many fathers who will encourage their sons to dance.

My brother, Rennie Gold, owns our family school, which has close to 40 boys and a total enrollment of 400. Compared to many schools, that's a remarkable percentage. When I asked him what he thinks brings in his male dancers, he answered, "Being a male school owner puts me at an advantage over schools without the male influence." tie also told me he believes that many schools are decorated too "prissily" for the boys. "If there are [pictures of] ballerinas hanging everywhere on pink walls, the boys won't feel comfortable." Then I looked around his school and realized there were tons of pictures of male dancers, non-gendered paintings of dancers, and even a few ballerinas; it was a nice balance.

What else can yon do to increase the enrollment of boys in your school--and keep them once they're there?

The best way to attract boys is by having a male teacher on your faculty, if you don't, bring in male master teachers. If you already have boys in your school, ask the teacher to offer them some insights on what it's like to be a successful male dancer. When I was growing up, nay mother would take my brother and me coast to coast and all over Canada to train with Gus Giordano, Luigi, Brian Foley, Joseph Giacobbe, and other male masters. I would come home motivated to be a dancer because I wanted to be like those great teachers. I'm positive that that influence made the difference when it came to putting up with the torment that sometimes came with being a male dancer, especially at those moments when I felt like quitting dance altogether.

Always include photos of boys in literature or ads for your school. In your marketing text, be sure to say "he" and "him" instead of just "she" and "her." This makes it seem absolutely normal that a boy would register at your school.

Start the boys off slowly and don't make it a requirement that they study ballet right away. Some guys like jazz, and almost all of them think hip-hop is cool. Tap is another excel lent way to build enthusiasm for dance; many boys know Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly and relate tap dance to their success. AS your male dancers realize that ballet training is the key to developing a strong technique, the serious ones will want to take those ballet classes.

Although a dress code is important, I would allow my beginning level or recreational male dancers to take class in sweat pants and a T-shirt. I think society has attached a negative stigma to men in tights, which is carried deep in the guts of many boys who want to dance but who wouldn't risk being caught dead in a pair of tights.

When costuming for performances, don't forget the importance of presenting the boys in a masculine way. The tunic with puffed sleeves isn't going to cut it. This may mean making or ordering special costumes for the boys. The extra effort and money is worth it, if you want to attract more male dancers.

Choreography can be another key to success when encouraging boys to dance. Boys should be used in a way that enhances the choreography, not simply placed anywhere in line executing the same movement as the girls. Feel free to feature the boys at times during the piece; let them perform athletic jumps and once they're strong enough, get them into pas de deux class so you can choreograph some lifts. It seems that fathers love to see their sons lift girls! If you're choreographing solos for male dancers to songs with lyrics, use a recording by a male vocalist. Seeing male soloists dancing to a song by a female vocalist doesn't feel right to me.

Take your boys to see other male dancers perform. It could be a Broadway show or professional company that rolls through town; or it could be through the convention and competition circuit. Boys who see other boys performing gain a confidence they might not have otherwise.

Many boys have the desire to dance but are intimidated by negative stereotypes or discouraged by their parents, who can't get past the stereotypes themselves. Create a school and atmosphere where it's natural and expected to see male dancers, and you open a door for boys to experience the joy that dance Call offer.

DANCE MAGAZINE columnist Rhee Gold is co-founder of Project Motivate, which sponsors retreats and seminars to reinvigorate dance educators.