"I just wanted the bullying to stop": 'Danseur' shows how male dancers combat stereotypes and homophobia in the ballet industry
Gormley’s Danseur explores the complex subjects of bullying, homophobia and stereotypes that male dancers face while illustrating the athleticism and vitality of ballet.
"I didn't want to stop dancing, I just wanted the bullying to stop," a male ballet dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, Patrick Frenette says at the beginning of ‘Danseur’ — a documentary highlighting the bullying epidemic in ballet. Patrick’s ballet journey started because of his sister’s dance class when he accidentally walked in and started whirling to the music.
His story of how he found his passion for ballet is strikingly similar to several other male dancers featured in the documentary, nearly all of them took up the dance form because of their sisters, mothers or female friends.
"Only 32 percent of males dancers say their fathers support them dancing”, according to Doug Risner, a Professor of Dance at Wayne State University.
