Dance presents beautiful and complex ambiguities. As an elemental mode of expression it has the potential to communicate ideas and emotions that are profound, timeless, and universal. Importantly, as embodied movement, dance opens up a limitless landscape of interpretative possibilities, and this ambiguity of meaning is one of the primary reasons why dance is a powerful communicative medium. Gender is perhaps the basic category we used for sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when discussing representation. Essential elements of identity have come from concepts of gender e.g. what does it mean to be a boy or a girl? Human beings grow up with an awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate' characteristics for each gender. The overreaching aim of this research is to demonstrate that dance forms and practices offer a rich set of sources for exploring the possibilities and the limitations of the study of the gender and dance more specifically masculinity and dance. It is evident by now that this study is sought to understand the area of masculinity by placing dance as a central focus, and by analyzing few different dance forms. Overall the running thread in all the chapters has been to establish an understanding of masculinity and dance. Gender is not a fixed objective reality. It is socially constructed; there lies a sharp distinction between the constructs of nature and culture in regard to men and women. The questions of how dance produces gender? Or how dance is gendered? remains crucial to the understanding of the relationship between dance and masculinity/femininity. 'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of rigid stereotypes, as is femininity. Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the strength, physical and intellectual, power, physique and independence (of thought, action). Male characters are often represented as isolated and not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they capitulate to being part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial equilibrium. It is interesting to note that the male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity. Male or masculine, shifts at many different levels, as seen in the dance forms, the ideas of what is masculine vary across dance forms. In Tango as discussed in chapter one, the emphasis is on aggression and control of the female dancer. In this dance the pre eminence of the male dancer is the key focus of the dance form. Masculinity without femininity, men without women, is perhaps unthinkable. The question of gendered understanding of dance is also important when analyzing dance in India like in Kathakali. Kathakali is primarily a male dance form, as discussed in chapter two. Its text, movement, makeup, costume and even is music clearly speaks about the maleness produce through a dance form.
The overreaching aim of this research was to demonstrate that dance forms and practices offer a rich set of sources for exploring the possibilities and the limitations of the study of the gender and dance more specifically masculinity and dance. It is evident by now that this study is sought to understand the area of masculinity by placing dance as a central focus, and by analyzing few different dance forms. Overall the running thread in all the chapters has been to establish an understanding of masculinity and dance. The questions of how dance produces gender? Or how dance is gendered? remains crucial to the understanding of the relationship between dance and masculinity /femininity. 'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of rigid stereotypes, as is femininity. Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the strength, physical and intellectual, power, physique and independence (of thought, action). Male characters are often represented as isolated and not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they capitulate to being part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial equilibrium. It is interesting to note that the male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity. Male or masculine, shifts at many different levels, as seen in the dance forms, the ideas of what is masculine vary across dance forms. In the end it's an attempt to the see dance a not a gendered statement rather a human experience and expression.
A Kathak dancer, sociologist and a Dance Movement Therapist / educationist. She has been professionally involved with onstage choreography and dance movement therapy/education workshops for: institutions, corporates, social organization, and dance academia, within and outside the country. Her professional clients also, involve Pogo, DD National, National Geographic and Discovery Channel and others. As a sociologist, Shushmita wrote her M.phil dissertation on dance and Masculinity. Her multifaceted abilities have also taken her to the field of theatre wherein she has worked as an active theatre artist.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist