But now, we return to Tachev to find out why men in ballet are more important than men in tights, and discover why we as a society must help build a safer space for young boys to choose to dance and be celebrated for it .
What do you think is the reason for the current lack of interest in ballet among men?
“Regarding Australian culture, there’s a wider discussion about boys starting to dance ballet. For a long time I thought it was the father or the mother who didn’t want their boys to do it, and there was another dynamic, maybe in the class. Girls are just saying to boys, ‘What are you doing? So there really needs to be a larger cultural discussion.
If you think about ballet in the past, it was very much specific to women – lots of swans and a prince, but we don’t live in that era now; it’s a feminine ballet. We don’t tell these stories that often anymore. The dancers are full of energy. They are elite athletes. They’re healthy, they cross-train. The industry has changed. What ballet means to men hasn’t changed, but the industry has.
Let’s talk about those stories. There are many new works, and not just male and female partners and male supporting characters.
“Today’s life and the works created today are based on contemporary times. Now the pas de deux is no longer just about male and female dancers. It may be two men, it may be two women. We tell different stories, and this reflects In choreography.
But today’s choreographers also need a dancer who is fast, fit and energetic, on par with elite athletes. This is also how we train them. That’s how we take care of them from a health perspective because we know so much more about dance now, we actually focus on the science behind dancers’ bodies. When I was training, I wasn’t allowed to go to the gym, I wasn’t allowed to cycle, run, or ski. I wasn’t allowed to do anything that would develop what were considered wrong muscles at the time, that would change the appearance of a dancer’s body, or that might cause me harm. Now, we actually encourage this kind of cross-training because it eliminates injuries and allows dancers to become more versatile and ready for what choreographers need today. The choreography is different. The world is different. The industry has responded. The industry has evolved and updated its practices. This is reflected in our training and our repertoire. I wonder how long it will take to change perceptions.
For some little boys, the idea of wearing tight clothing is uncomfortable. Should we get them in the door first, let them fall in love with the art form, and then worry about what they wear?
“Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. That’s what we do at the Boys Ballet Project. We said there are no uniforms; we remove barriers and get them in the room and show them that this can be fun. This can be Physically. It can be engaging. They also meet other boys who are also passionate about ballet. Bullying is a big thing in Australia so we wanted to bring them together to form these. Connections. Australia attaches great importance to “partnerships”. We need to keep this thing going, and once they’re together, even if they don’t end up being dancers, they’re going to be people who change the culture.
The comment about tights still amazes me because look at cycling uniforms, look at the Olympics, that’s what everyone is doing now because they find it’s actually more practical to wear tights for physical activity. But I do think we need to remove barriers when they are young so that if they choose to do ballet later on, they will be aware of it.
Male dancers often talk about a mother who was a ballet teacher or a sister who took ballet classes. Should studio owners find ways to use siblings to encourage more boys into their studios?
“Yes. If they could have an opportunity once a week, once a month, or once every two weeks, have those brothers come in and give them lessons. It doesn’t have to be ballet. Just let them know that dance is fun. Let them know that in It’s fun to be together. Show them it’s a sport and they’ll have as much fun as possible.
Is there an age group of boys who give up ballet?
“We were affiliated with Kelvingrove Academy and they had a lot of young boys dancing and then something happened around year five or six and they started playing sports. They stopped coming in year seven.
What other obstacles are there for male dancers?
“We actually lose a lot of male talent because of cost. Talk about scholarships and funding again. Because of the bursaries and financial support that larger training institutions overseas can offer, studying abroad can sometimes be cheaper than studying interstate or even studying in another city. I think it’s a shame that we’re losing talent in this way and we need to tell people the success stories of our training institutions because they are just as good and you don’t have to leave at all to get a good education.
You mentioned scholarships. Do you think this is an important strategy?
“The cost of training ballet dancers in Australia is very high compared to European countries. So, yes.
Getting the boys together can be a costly endeavor. How important is it to provide opportunities for boys, who are often alone in studio sessions, to come together?
“Exactly. I didn’t even think about this project [the cost]. This is non-negotiable. It just needs to happen. We just have to make it work.
Australian male ballet dancers have spoken out about having to choose between sport and ballet. Do you think this is a factor in the decline?
“We have young boys who have stopped coming to us because they wanted to focus on sport, and then they come back to us later because they realize it’s what they enjoy more. But the focus of the discussion is peer pressure or bullying , or making a decision about sports just because they want to be with friends. I think it’s a crossroads when you have to make a decision, and you have to make a decision in dance as well, and the decision is to stay in classical ballet. Or into other dance genres These crossroads happen all the time in life but the point is when a decision has to be made, if that little boy doesn’t have the support of their family or peers unless they feel like they are. have When it comes to dancing, it’s really hard to make that choice.
What can we do to help boys make these connections and find support so that they ultimately choose ballet when it matters most?
“I think we need more exposure and education around this. Queensland Ballet is soon planning a similar Q&A with industry experts for boys. Telling the stories and successes of male dancers and sharing that you can travel the world And experience different things that may lead you to another career later on. We need to show physicality, show training and interact.
We have had a matching strategy for many years. We feature a lot of male dancers on social media, but a lot of people don’t even notice. We need to provide more opportunities, more exposure, and tell as many male dancers’ stories as possible. I would like to see more interest from those who can make an impact. Mainstream media and government influence this space. Where is the education in schools about ballet or the arts in general? Where are the art columns in the news?
There have been several attempts over the years to get more ballet boys trained. It feels like a constant battle. As choreographers take on more male-dominated storylines, e.g. Spartacusas well as more modern storylines such as touch by Christopher Rudd brings two men together to perform a romantic pas de deux, or more recently Oscar The Australian Ballet’s adaptation of the life of Oscar Wilde. As Tachev said, the world of ballet has evolved. Characters await.
So how do we now ensure that our ballet boys and male dancers feel supported to come out from behind as ballet dancers? How do we encourage mainstream media and the wider community to celebrate them as we do in the industry? How do we encourage young boys to aspire to be them and take their first steps in the studio?
How do we win when it comes to decisions about sports and dance at this critical age? How do we get the funding necessary to remove all barriers to participation?
In trying to answer all these questions, projects such as Queensland Ballet’s Ballet Project are vital. Students can register for Ballet Boys Program classes here.
Created by Nichola Hall, Informa Dance Association.