Historical Context
Origins of Dance
Dance is traced back to the beginning of time.
3300 BCE: First Dancing
1400: Ballet
1600: Masque
1795: Classical Persian
1800: Tap
1890: Merengue
1900: Jazz and Acrobatics
1950: Contemporary
1970: Hip-hop
2018: Dance nowadays.
Today, the commercial dance world has a heavy focus on hip-hop, but other styles such as jazz, tap, and contemporary are still popular in competitive dance studios.
Origins of Abuse in Dance
It is believed that Egyptians were the first people to dance, as Archaeologists discovered paintings of dancing figures in caves and rock shelters.
When it comes to misogyny and the mistreatment of women, this has been not only accepted but also condoned for centuries. The Public Broadcasting Service writes, “More than 2,000 years ago, Roman law gave a man life and death authority over his wife. In the 18th Century, English common law gave a man permission to discipline his wife and children with a stick or whip no wider than his thumb.” Because of this, it is said by feminists that current violence against women is the result of the deeply entrenched patriarchal culture that encourages and rewards male domination; in a patriarchal culture, men are more likely to use violence to keep their dominant position.
Abuse in Dance Now
Abuse in the dance community involved many forms of abuse, such as sexual, physical, and verbal, along with discrimination. The dance industry favors those who are skinny, white, and not living with a disability; those who fit these standards tend to have a higher chance of booking jobs and being accepted in the community. Dancers internalize poor ideologies, such as Eurocentrism, white supremacy, and ableism, which negatively affect their mental and physical health as they start to view these norms as the only correct way to live.
Violence against dancers has been seen for many years. Dancers have long suffered from a culture of silence, where they are reluctant to speak up against the hierarchical structure and power imbalances between directors, choreographers, and dancers, out of fear of losing opportunities and their means of support. There is a history of body image issues, racial prejudice, and gender bias in the ballet community.
In early 2021, according to Point Magazine, Dusty Button, a former Boston Ballet dancer, and her husband, Mitchell Taylor Button, were accused of sexual abuse. The article states that the couple used their power in the dance community—such as their high status—to earn the trust of their victims, ultimately conditioning them for abuses, including rape.
Statistics
About one in five dancers, 20.8%, had symptoms of either depression, generalized anxiety disorder or eating disorders.
More than a quarter of the dancers, 26.9%, wanted or needed support from a psychotherapist or psychologist for personal or mental health problems.
Dancers facing symptoms of depression
11.1% female
6.4% male
Dancers facing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder
16.0% female
6.4% male
Dancers facing symptoms of eating disorders
14.8% female
6.1% male
Abuse in the dance world is affecting women to a further extent than it is to men. These statistics help highlight the misogyny within the industry.
899 dancers took a survey answering the question, "Do you think that your dance community does enough to address mental wellness?" 81% say no, and only 6% say yes.
This graph shows that despite the high rates of mental illness in the dance world, particularly for women, the industry is not doing enough to help these dancers.