The tension – what I call the “pharmakon” (what they need and the contradiction of that need) – is between a common, conventional social construction of the masculine body and the male body dancing beautifully. Since these male dancers are beginners, really, I think we see them between the social construction of their masculine comportment (common, conventional) and the dancerly construction of their dancer’s comportment. Those are two really different things. Dance has to break the male body out of that constriction and construction.

The show is in a funny place. In order to be more than hacks on stage, it needs real male dancers who have broken out of that conventional masculine comportment. At the same time – thus the “pharmakon” – it is mass consumed, and so needs men who “dance like dudes.” That “dude”-thing works conventional masculinity back into or toward the transformed (dancerly) masculinity of beautiful dance.

Just to be clear: I don’t think this dancerly comportment is problematic. In fact, it is beautiful and a genuine expression of our highest expressive possibilities. Along with the voice, the dancing body is, for me, the real uniqueness of each person. What is problematic, or at least unnerving, for me is how the show can’t quite embrace that transgressive body – that body that doesn’t quite “work” in conventional ideas of men and their embodiment.

But that’s just asking a mass culture show to be, in some sense, counter-cultural. And that’s asking a bit too much. Alas.

The example of Herschel Walker is interesting. Sure, he trained in ballet, but that wasn’t much of a threat to his conventional masculinity because, well, he played both the most macho sport (football) and arguably the most macho position (running back). So, his play with ballet was easily instrumentalized: he used ballet, rather than being a ballet dancer. Then again, as you followed up…excluded and ridiculed…alas.

The Baryshnikov example is also interesting. Anecdotally, though I think a lot of men my age would remember the same, I recall his film break-out in White Nights (right title?). All the girls were a-gush about him, but boys in my school had the same refrain: “ballet? How gay!” Leaving the homophobic slur aside (ahem), it says a lot about how we already understood ourselves as boys, to-be-men. Ballet was just not in the cards for “proper” boys.

Yet girls loved Baryshnikov. Could it be we misunderstood girls all along and they didn’t really want this kooky idea of masculinity? Of course. Methinks boys and men have been making this mistake for thousands of years…ha ha.

As far as Dan the man with no plan Karaty. I could care less what he thinks or says. He’s a hack. And while we’ll never really know, I’d hazard a guess there’s a bit of jealousy fueling his statement.

Now John, I’m always intrigued by your take on gender in this show as to be honest, it’s not an issue that occurs to me whilst watching (aside from those uncomfortable comments Nigel’s made about dancing like a dude). And, having grown up studying ballet and being totally crushed out on Mischa Baryshnikov, those men who are not only comfortable in their skin but can extend outside of it I find to be wholly masculine. So in that context, I’d like to ask you to clarify your point as I don’t really understand it. Are you concerned by what the judges are asking of the men? Is it the language they use that poses a problem for you? Or just the seeming contradictions between “dance like a dude” and “extend outward” Personally, I don’t find those to be contradictory but I think I can see how some would, working with in conventional definitions of masculinity. Then again, lets look at Michael Vick. I don’t think any one would call into question his “dude-ness” but when he takes off from the line of scrimmage, he’s dancer like. He extends well beyond himself. Continuing on with the football connection – the dallas cowboys used to take class with the ballet company where I studied as a kid. Hershcel Walker performed with our star ballerina, Maria Theresea Balough. A strangely stunning performance if ever there was one. I know I’m circling a bit here but really, I’m just hoping for clarification from you as do enjoy your take on these things.

The apologist in all this (apologizing for art? apologizing for politics? who knows?) is Dan Karaty.