Ballet dancing is a spectacular event to witness in your lifetime due to its uniqueness, style and performance by both the ballerinas and their coaches.
Male ballet dancers encounter some challenges that are gender specific such as difficulty in wearing a pointe ballet shoes that we are going to examine in this article.
This article is going to explain why male ballet dancers don’t go on pointe for training or actual performance.
Why do male ballerinas don’t go on pointe?
The most popular assumption that male ballerinas don’t go on pointe is not entirely true. Male Ballerinas do go on pointe but the percentage of those who do is relatively small compared to those male ballerinas who don’t.
The major reasons why most male ballerinas don’t go on pointe is attributed to many reasons such as limited flexibility, body size, aesthetics, foot and bone structure as well as lack of composition from choreographers.
However, As a male ballerina, you have every right to go on pointe if you want to but you have to train more to get familiar with the process if you want to succeed in it.
Reasons why male ballerinas don’t go on pointe.
The following are both the major and minor reasons why male ballerinas don’t go on pointe.
- Limited leg flexibility than females.
- Lack of compositions from choreographers.
- Difficulty in finding the right size.
- More muscles than women.
- Body size ( too big and heavy)
- Aesthetics ( aesthetically more beautiful women)
- Foot and bone structure.
- They don’t look good.
- They were meant to be more solid and earthly than their female counterparts.
Limited leg flexibility than females.
Male Ballerinas don’t go on pointe generally because they have limited flexibility on their legs as compared to their female counterparts.
The ability to use your legs in a fluid and flexible manner is important especially if you want to go on pointe because it will not only help you perform better but will prevent you from hurting yourself in the process.
The feet of female ballerinas are less sturdy and solid than that of male ballerinas naturally, which is why the lack of flexibility on the part of males is a big factor in their availability to go on pointe.
Lack of compositions from choreographers.
Another significant reason preventing male ballerinas from dancing on pointe shoes is the apparent lack of composition and the limited roles they get from choreographers.
As a ballerina, dancing on pointe is not a matter of your choice alone, but that of what composition is brought to you by a choreographer especially if you work in a team with rules and guides put in place.
It is not out of place to say that ballet dance is a female-dominated industry that has a limited role for the male part from the traditional ones that have been in place for more than a century.
Difficulty in finding the right size.
Males generally have bigger and wider feet in comparison to women. Finding the right pointe shoes to go on for the male is a very big issue that is preventing them from dancing on pointe.
Ballet dancing requires that the shoes not only fit you but are flexible and comfy enough to make you do all the necessary turns in a smooth, professional and easy manner which is very hard if the pointe shoe is too big or too small for your feet.
Except if the male ballerinas will take time to painstakingly sew their pointe shoes according to their sizes, finding the right size for them is always going to be a challenge that will continue to serve as a barrier preventing them from going on pointe.
More muscles than women.
The muscles in men are significantly higher than that of the female which will show prominently during ballet dancing.
The presence of such muscles also is a barrier to men going on pointe because the general rule is for ballet dancers to not be heavy and muscular.
Body size ( too big and heavy).
Men’s body size is bigger than that of female ballerinas.
Due to such a heavy physique, male ballerinas find it difficult to go on pointe because it will be hard for the shoes to accommodate their heavy frame as well as to carry their weight without disintegrating.
This body size makes it highly unlikely for male ballerinas to comfortably be on pointe and perform optimally like their female colleagues.
Aesthetics ( aesthetically more beautiful women).
Pointe shoes generally look better on female ballet dancers than on men. This is because aesthetically men. Don’t look good in pointe shoes.
On the contrary, it makes them appear sissy which makes it awkward. The pointe shoes on men are not appealing to the eyes coated when a woman uses the same shoes.
Foot and bone structure.
Our anatomy and structure between men and women differ. The feet and bone structure of men always prove to be a barrier to them putting on pointe shoes because they are not designed to imitate females in flexibility, fluidness and ability to manipulate and use it.
They were meant to be more solid and earthly than their female counterparts.
Men are not supposed to feel, look and dress the same way as females do even if it’s ballet stage.
The solid structure of men, with the tender and lean structure of the female, makes them quite apart.
This means that for men to wear pointe shoes, it will make them look awkward which is a stumbling block to the adoption of the shoes and using them either as part of a ballet team or individual.
Why do they go on pointe?
Men go on pointe for several reasons which include:
- To break stereotypes.
- Training to know how to partner better.
- To strengthen their feet.
- To raise awareness.
- To showcase individual talent.
- Part of all men’s ballet group.
To break stereotypes.
The general assumption is that men don’t go on pointe. As a result of this assumption, male ballet dancers decide to go on pointe and perform various roles so that they can back break the general stereotype of them not doing so.
This is to show that although it is the female ballerinas that usually go on pointe, male ballerinas can also follow suit if they want to without any restrictions from any quarters.
Training to know how to partner better.
Men also go on pointe to help themselves in becoming better partners to their ballet counterparts when the need arises for them to perform together.
This training that they do helps in making the male ballet dancers to understand more of the intricacies involving going on pointe and helps them become better professionals in the long run.
To strengthen their feet.
Male ballerinas also go on pointe in their bid to strengthen their feet and become better versions of themselves.
Because going on pointe requires so much strength, balance and ability to manipulate your legs and increase their general flexibility, male ballerinas find it more convenient to train in them so that it can help in strengthening their feet and get them to be more balanced.
To raise awareness.
Another factor why Male ballerinas going on pointe is to raise awareness about ballet in general and the activities of male ballerinas in particular.
It is usual to find people surprised when male ballet dancers appear on stage wearing pointe shoes which is strange to many people who are watching for the first time.
This will help draw more attention to them and they will use the opportunity to across the message they want to pass across to the audience or the general public.
To showcase individual talent.
Some male ballerinas go on pointe to showcase their talents and capacity as ballet dancers.
The talent that each of the ballet dancers has is not the same. Some are more talented and versatile than others while others are more flexible and passionate.
When a male ballet dancer decides to train on pointe or even wear one to a performance, he can do so to show how talented he is and to promote himself for sponsorships, deals and a chance to gain fame.
Part of all men’s ballet grouP.
Another factor why men go on pointe is if they are in an all-male ballet group. Some ballet groups consist of a mix of genders while others are either all female or all male for some specific reasons.
As a result of the increasing popularity of Ballet dance across the world, ballet groups decided to form an all-male group which gives them the leverage to perform all traditional female roles by the male and it usually involves putting on pointe shoes most of the time.
Conclusion
Male ballet dancers don’t go on pointe not because they can’t do so physically and psychologically but because of one of the following reasons;
- Limited leg flexibility than females.
- Lack of compositions from choreographers.
- Difficulty in finding the right size.
- More muscles than women.
- Body size ( too big and heavy)
- Aesthetics ( aesthetically more beautiful women)
- Foot and bone structure.
- They don’t look good.
- They were meant to be more solid and earthly than their female counterparts.
However, whenever they decide to go on pointe they can do so even though it is not what the general public or ballet viewers are used to seeing during shows and performances.