 the male dancer
written by balletboy             on 05.06. at 03:02:07 - as answer to: Re: GUTS by meganWho's the jerk who swore you to secrecy? In my estimation every boy should take movement classes and ballet. How can your son expect to be a good football or soccer player if he hasn't learned the basics of "centering" the body and not tripping over his own feet in swift movements? Many in ballet say that a boy cannot become a professional unless he started at age of 4 or 5 (Bourneville - Peter Martins origins) or pre-puberty (many American schools). With some, the teens is OK. I call this prejudice. Does your son want to become a professional? Why won't your family and friends believe he's taking ballet just to improve himself as a person? It's a great way to learn discipline over the body, or maybe people might think the word "control" is better than "discipline." It's a great way to gain exposure to the world of music, etc.. I have to advise...this might not be the right forum for him to participate in. There's danceart and balletalert. They have boards for teen boys. As far as the only male in the world interested in ballet, he's not. Rocky Graziano took ballet to help him in boxing; there are college football teams that take ballet classes for the benefit of coordinating movement; many famous actors have taken ballet as part of their training; etc.. But the "gay" question is tough! The truth, there are gays who got into ballet because the ballet world is supposed to be more accepting of gays. In some ways, that's a fallacy. Many gay males in ballet never make it to the level of principle danseur because of "company" fears about their gay activities. But that's a completely different story that would draw us from the facts. You don't have to assure others that your son is not gay. Your son is what he is. No matter what he chooses in life, you should be supportive. Your son will love you more for loving him. That's the truth! (I'm not saying your son may be gay, so don't get the claws out. I don't know him. I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to be gay...the world's not right for that right now!) If you son wants to study art, encourage him; if your son wants to study law, encourage him; if your son wants to be almost anything, encourage him! BUT, if your son wants to take drugs, shoplift, etc. take him down to your local police department to see the lock-up, the local coroner to see drug ravaged bodies, etc. "Discipline" is still necessary! If you son gets on this forum, there are few of us that will give him the serious answers he needs, and we'll try to point out the phonies who like to post garbage and trash. balletboy >Dear balletboy, my 14year old son will be beginning ballet soon and has the problem of stereotyping as you do. I am sworn to secrecy not to even tell members of our family. we live in country victoria where boys play football and girls netball and your'e quite right it does take guts to come out of the so called dance closet. please continue though and I'll get my son to join the forum, at the moment he thinks he's the only male in the world who wants to dance. And for those who think he's gay, well I can assure you, that the way he looks at the girls in town tights are going to be a problem.(: Answers to this message:
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