Boys in ballet - really fucking annoyed

[Boyscandoballettoo]

Please excuse the ranty tone of this thread - I have just had enough! Took my male toddler to a ballet class, and the number of negative comments or comments laughing about it from so-called family and friends has been overwhelming.

Please can people tell me AIBU to think it’s a bloody unisex sport?!? There have always been male ballet dancers! I do NOT understand the ignorance over it and even if it were a female sport traditionally, how dare people be so bloody sexist and make fun of a boy for joining in.

I don’t know why but it’s really pushing my buttons!

Anyone laughing or criticising is really showing their age, or narrow mindedness. Fgs

Showing their age? My husband and my son both started at 3, my husband is in his 70s so 69 years ago his parents thought boys doing ballet was fine.

Why are we blamed for everything is we are over 50?

My dd was a professionally-trained ballet dancer. Her full-time vocational training from 16plus included weight training in the fully-equipped gym at her dance school. Hours and hours of pilates and other strength training too. They are elite athletes. Doesn't make ballet a sport though.

Never mind ballet dancers being able to play 90 minutes of football, I'd like to see footballers rehearsing Swan Lake wearing pointe shoes for 6 hours. Or a full-on 90 minute contemporary class (that doesn't have a half-time break in the middle either). Or rehearsing the sword-fight scene in Romeo and Juliet. They wouldn't stand a chance.

Of course footballers couldn't do that, but they wouldn't lack the fitness. I am sure they are comparable in terms of fitness (I would say footballers are probably fitter in terms of cardio/running, no ballet dancers I knew ever ran, just hours doing strength exercises)

This is what billy elliot’s mum posted on mumsnet 20 years ago. (If mumsnet existed and if she had ‘tinternet.)

Of course footballers couldn't do that, but they wouldn't lack the fitness. I am sure they are comparable in terms of fitness (I would say footballers are probably fitter in terms of cardio/running
I doubt that actually. Dancers may not run, but obviously dancing is a cardio workout.

Of course footballers couldn't do that, but they wouldn't lack the fitness. I am sure they are comparable in terms of fitness (I would say footballers are probably fitter in terms of cardio/running

Dancing isn't just about strength...it's a tough cardio workout too. Many dancers will do cardio training alongside their dance training.

I'm sure both dancers and footballers develop in the way that suits their activity the best.

I'm sure both dancers and footballers develop in the way that suits their activity the best.
That's a non-response worthy of a politician
Are you willing to engage with SueEllenMishkes comment about dancers and cardio training?

You won't make it as a top level dancer if you don't develop all aspects of your fitness.

Interesting discrepancy in moderation @mnhq

I've long assumed there's a deliberate agenda, so I've kept a quick screenshot of posts I've reported.

Posts suggesting someone is a "fucking idiot" and "you're a fucking twat" are still live on the site. Yet suggesting someone is dense is de trop....

Maybe stop repeating it @jacqueshammer ?

@Trewser

I didn’t the second time. I asked a perfectly reasonable question. Sorry if that’s confusing you, I don’t know how to make it any easier.

Just so happens it was posted by a frequenter of a certain board though hey jaques

You know how much they hate us any excuse to report and try and get us banned altogether..

Well sometimes it's just cathartic to post even though you know it will get deleted!