Boys in :

muscled tattooed body covered to get involved and enjoy the athleticism and hopes to encourage more boys to learn only by a pair of tight nude physicality” of ballet. and more girls to try cricket. shorts is dancing across a bright Project B is also offering Boys Only! Royal Ballet and cricket The Dancers and empty studio. It looks like workshops and Ballet Boys Masterclasses enthusiast, Alexander Campbell, the RAD’s Michelangelo’s David came throughout the UK, and providing additional Ambassador for the project is honoured for to life, his perfectly defined bursaries and financial support to ensure the role: “Cricket and ballet were a huge part bicepsA and triceps flexing in complicated that a diverse range of boys have the chance of my life growing up, and continue to be a Who Are acrobatic tricks, the legs and abs tensing in to participate. huge part of my life today. They are fun and flawlessly executed pirouettes and the whole engaging at all levels, and I am delighted to sculptured body powerfully flying across the oreover, the RAD is part- have the opportunity to introduce children room. nering with Patron’s Orga- to my favourite art-form, as well as my Smashing Ballet This viral ballet performance by Sergei nisation Marylebone Cri- favourite sport.” Polunin on the notes of “Take Me to Church” cket Club (MCC) and has with its 22 million views on YouTube has launched a six week pilot amish Scott, a professional inspired numerous boys around the world scheme in primary schools at the Birmin- to join ballet. In the past year the Royal toM promote the strong connection between gham Academy who was in- Stereotypes Academy of has seen an increase dance and sport, and challenge traditional volved in the organisation of over 20 per cent in the numbers taking stereotypes of both cricketers and dancers. of Project B, also talks about By Denise Minichini part in its boys’ ballet activities in the UK, The pilot comprises of a series of workshops the existing prejudice arou- showing an overall increase in male ballet delivered by both an RAD Registered Tea- Hnd male ballet dancers: “There is definitely dance. However, the situation is still far cher and a MCC coach. Focusing on stren- still stereotyping surrounding male dancers from ideal and only 1.8 per cent of all global gth, stamina, balance and fitness and the and it still puts boys off joining. People think RAD exam candidates are male. links between sport and dance, this project all male dancers are feminine, but it’s false. As shown in a sociological research on Many boys are put off starting ballet because The has launched Project B, a range of masculinity and dance, led by Jennifer Fisher they fear being teased by school friends!” initiatives to fight stereotypes surrounding male ballet dance and Anthony Shay in 2009, the public However, he admits that he has been quite and to encourage more boys to join ballet around the UK by 2020. performance of dance is still regarded as a fortunate, as most of his friends, except feminine activity, so that men who dance “People think for a couple, are dancers themselves: “All often operate in a sea of stereotypes. There is my friends are really supportive and have still a stigma attached to male ballet dancers all male always encouraged me to pursue dance as a who are commonly portrayed by western career. I did encounter a bit of teasing while society as feminine, weak or homosexual. I was at primary school, but I didn’t ever let For this reason, the RAD has launched dancers are it bother me that much.” Project B and is investing over £30,000 in Hamish took part in the launch of Project B, celebration of its upcoming centenary feminine, but together with Iain and a couple of younger in 2020, in order to support male dance dancers, and performed with them to show provisions. Project B includes a wide range the progression of the male dancer. Hamish of initiatives to broaden access to dance for it’s false.” also helped Iain put on some Boys Only! boys and encourage more to take up ballet. workshops: “These were a great opportunity for the boys to get really inspired about dance ain Mackay, principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and future Artistic Director of the Yorkshire Ballet School from January 2018, has the role of RAD Male Dance Ambassador, and is working Ito challenge stereotypes surrounding male dance, and ballet in particular. For the occasion he has created a fun and simple choreography to celebrate boys who dare to dance, which can be downloaded for free on the smartphone app Seenit. Iain used as inspiration all the boys he taught at the RAD and combined their passions outside of the studio with ballet elements: “This inspires them to develop inside the parameters of a ballet class. Whether that be developing their favourite footballer’s elaborate goal celebration, jumping and posing like super heroes, spinning across the room like Angry Birds, or creating patterns and shapes like building blocks in Minecraft. Regardless of the inspiration, the result is the same: a strong, well held upper body and grace and strength in abundance – what every male dancer represents.” Iain hopes that his choreography “will motivate and excite aspiring male dancers THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE 2 without any fear of teasing or bullying, being because there are just classes that are full of “I do think it in an environment of like minded boys.” girls.” “I haven’t told any He performed with over fifty young male The solution sounds obvious to her: ”I really stops boys from dancers in a flash mob in St. Pancreas Station believe more schools should do boys only of my friends that in London, as part of another initiative for classes.” She knows the challenges and the starting to Project B: “It was great publicity for ballet difficulties of setting up these classes but she I do ballet. I know and to try and encourage more young boys also thinks these should not stop anyone: that if I mentioned dance because to start dancing.” He believes events like the “Yes it’s hard, yes you might only have one or Boys Only! workshops and the flash mob are two to begin with, but i think once they start ballet they just of the stigma, encouraging young boys to take up dance like I did, then it’s like a snowball effect and and he hopes they “continue so that we can more boys join.” wouldn’t shut up because they reach out to more potential young dancers.” er weekly class is in fact more about it because think it’s a girly owever, Natalie Pearl, prin- successful than ever. In the cipal of the award-winning bright studio on a Thursday they think it’s for thing, because First Position School of Dance afternoon, around fifteen in Bournemouth and organi- boys are jumping around, girls.” there are just ser of the only free Boys Only! pirouetting across the floor classes in the country, com- Hand having fun. There’s not a in sight, Hplains about what is being done in the coun- their ballet shoes are black or white rather classes that are try to fight male ballet stereotypes: “Other than pink and they are wearing shorts and than Project B and the Billy Elliot phenome- baggy t-shirts. They look like they could fit full of girls.” non which is kind of passed now, absolute- in the video game Angry Birds rather than ly nothing is being done ballet-wise to stop among fairies and butterflies. It’s clear that these stereotypes.” She says that there are they are a very tight group of friends and talk events to promote street dance and contem- about the ballet class with enthusiasm. But porary dance to boys but ballet is being left most of them still struggle with telling their on the side. friends outside about ballet and this is one Natalie believes that this lack of initiatives of the reasons why a few of them took part to encourage more boys to join ballet and in Project B. destroy the stigma held by society has a Brandon, a tall and confident looking kid negative impact overall: “I do think it stops who does other sports and kinds of dance boys from starting to dance because of this in addition to ballet says: “I haven’t told my stigma, because they think it’s a girly thing, friends that I do ballet, they know I do other

THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE 3 THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE 4 “I tell lots of my friends and people but most of them don’t believe me and say I’m lying.”

kinds of dancing but not ballet. I know that quite mean to me and not really nice.” “In schools, when [if I mentioned] ballet they just wouldn’t shut up about it because they think it’s for girls.” atalie reckons that further they talk about William, a shy and freckled boy also explai- steps could be taken to get rid ned: “I tell lots of my friends and people of the prejudice that surrounds sports and fitness, [that I do ballet] but most of them don’t be- male ballet dancers at a higher lieve me and say that I am lying. My two best level: “Education-wise, maybe if they added friends know but the others are not really in schools when they talk about dance and ballet fine with it and just don’t believe me.” Nsports and fitness, if they added dance and It is clear that the stigma attached to male ballet into it for boys, then it would start into it for boys, ballet is still very much present in everyone’s to erase this myth that there is about boys mind. Jack, who was reluctant to start ballet doing ballet.” then it would start a year ago but now really enjoys it, is also afraid to tell his friends: ”I feel like they For more info on Project B: https://www.rad.org.uk/learn-to- to erase this myth.” wouldn’t be kind about it, and would be dance/project-b

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