The performance of gender in American dance

Abstract

With kinesiology defined as the study of human movement, then dance, as one of the oldest forms of physical activity, should be considered. Dance permeates contemporary American culture—from social dancing, to community dance studios, to popular television shows. Dance scholars and cultural theorists agree that the way a society dances elucidates cultural values. If we accept the notion that a culture’s dances reflect the values of that culture, then a scrutiny of American gendered dance practices is warranted. Contemporary society views gender differently than the societies of the socio-historical context in which common Western dance genres, such as classical ballet, were born and developed. By highlighting ways that most dance training reinforces gendered codes of behavior, this paper contributes to discourses surrounding the evolution of dance in America and evolving notions of gender, while also providing a lens that might be applied to a multitude of physical practices.