Men of dance: negotiating gender and sexuality in dance institutions

Studies suggest that feminised and female-concentrated contexts provide men with opportunities to challenge prevailing gender norms and dominant masculinity understandings. This qualitative study offers insights into the backstage spaces of professional dance institutions in Scotland, which are not only feminised and female-concentrated, but also ‘gay-friendly’. This article analyzes how these settings are experienced by male dancers in regard to gender and sexuality. It also discusses the ways in which the unwritten rules of these institutional settings offer opportunities for male dancers to challenge and renegotiate gender and sexuality norms. The discussion unfolding relies on observational data collected in 4 professional dance institutions and on 28 semi-structured interviews with men involved in the sphere of professional dance in Scotland. Findings suggest that backstage spaces of dance institutions are experienced as safe spaces where male dancers can challenge heterosexual hegemony and ‘undo gender’. This condition creates increased possibilities for self-reflection and self-questioning, which often result in male dancers problematizing dominant discourses regarding gender and sexuality. This article provides novel insights into the ways that gender and sexuality are constructed and negotiated when prevailing norms are challenged.