A Night at the Ballet Like No Other

I was in dance until third grade. While I had to aspirations of becoming a fabulous ballerina, I think that dance is a wonderful part of every culture across the globe, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is no exception.

ABC News did a story on this exceedingly refreshing and talented dance group. What is so different about this group of ballerinas? Well, first off, they are all men. Secondly, they take the time-honored and much loved ballet and perform a satirized version that has wowed and entertained people for years.

I can appreciate this on two levels. First, I've been known to enjoy a good satire. But, what I like even better than satire are reversed gender roles and norms. This group shows that the grace, talent, and beauty of ballet is not solely the domain of women. By having men fill roles that are usually reserved for women, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo gets their audiences thinking about gender and art. And, what feminist doesn't appreciate that?

Drag performances not only make us think about what actions, characteristics, and clothing are assigned to a specific gender, but they also force us to consider how all gender is performative and socially constructed (there's a little Judith Butler for you to nibble on).

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/er-photo