Attracting and retaining boys in ballet: a qualitative study of female dance teachers

Dance provides both psychological and physical benefits and yet many boys miss out due to societal perceptions surrounding the feminization of dance. These perceptions can lead to bullying of boys who dance. Since dance teachers are in a unique position to engage boys in dance, it is important to investigate their perceptions. This article reports the experiences of ten female dance teachers from the UK vis-à-vis attracting and retaining boys in dance, especially ballet. Here we focus on three salient themes that emerged from the data: “dancing boys in social context”, “parental and teacher support”, and “improving the dancing boy's milieu”. The dance teachers identified a number of strategies for engaging and retaining boys in ballet, such as privileging boys within the dance studio and improving opportunities to dance in schools. This article posits potential strategies to engage boys in ballet that could potentially empower all genders within the dance-world.