Male-led ‘Femmes’ ballet highlights gender imbalance in dance: choreographer
MONTREAL — The recent controversy over a male-led ballet performance that was billed as an homage to women highlights the need to address gender inequality in the dance world, according to a former ballet dancer who brought the issue to public attention.
Kathleen Rea launched a petition last week to get Montreal-based Les Grands ballets canadiens to add a female choreographer to an upcoming show entitled, “Femmes,” after she learned it was created by three men.
The now-closed petition, which collected almost 3,000 signatures, criticized the campaign’s “objectifying” marketing language, which referred to women as “one of culture’s most generous symbols.”
Rea, 48, a choreographer based in Toronto, said her frustration grew when she learned the National Ballet of Canada’s 2018-19 lineup doesn’t include any pieces choreographed by women. She said it made her realize little had changed in the years since she’d danced with the company.