IADMS New York 2002   [back to the Category]

Boys at the Barre: Examining Psychosocial Concerns of the Adolescent Male Dancer   [read the french version]

Author :  

Boys at the Barre: Examining Psychosocial
Concerns of the Adolescent Male Dancer

Deborah Williams CRNP, PhDc
DeSales University
Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
Marywood University
Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA



Problem
The question, “Why can’t we attract and keep boys in dance programs?” echoes from recreational studios to academic programs. Literature and research provide little support for methods useful in recruiting and retaining boys. Teachers and directors rely upon anecdotal or experiential impressions of what they believe male students need in attempts to draw male students. This has unreliable results and may result in more alienation than success. Once boys begin to dance, they often face a myriad of social and developmental problems, causing them to drop out of dance and/or experience psychological adjustment problems.

Approach/Analysis
Drawing upon Erikson’s Epigenic Theory of Personality Development, issues specific to the adolescent male dancer can be examined in the context of lack of social support. Reviewing three years of qualitative research and case study analysis involving over 150 adolescent male dancers reveals social problems unique to the adolescent male dancer; deficiency of peer group or role models, societal perception of male dancers as effeminate and the effects of that perception on the developing male’s self-concept, threat of physical violence in their academic setting, unintentional undermining of the adolescent male dancer’s self-concept by traditional practices and isolation from traditional support mechanisms. The result of unmet social needs in this population can lead to increased depression and anxiety, difficulty with maintaining relationships and increased risk of dance-related injury.

Conclusion
Social issues faced by the adolescent male dancer can intensify difficulty of developmental tasks and hinder healthy physical/psychological/ social development. Many boys hesitate to start or continue a dance program due to social perceptions that devalue the boy who dances.

Purpose
The purpose of this presentation is to explore developmental issues critical to the adolescent male dancer within a theoretical framework, outline emerging themes and discuss implications for practical application at micro and macro levels