Choreographer Rosie Kay forced to resign from her own company

[peonyred]

This is a share token so you can read the story. Another Janice Turner article. Simone suggested Crowdfunding for her new company.

Rosie Kay: I resigned from my own dance company after I was accused of transphobia

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/3935bc4a-5858-11ec-a3f7-65d2d47c7fea?shareToken=d4efe0ddb11ede84d52835a0a02d70e3

Wait, people hadn't been informed of the presence of trans people in the building (like they are special VIPS, or royalty or something)...but I thought you couldn't tell if someone was trans? So how would you know if someone was trans or not?

@WeeBisom

Wait, people hadn't been informed of the presence of trans people in the building (like they are special VIPS, or royalty or something)...but I thought you couldn't tell if someone was trans? So how would you know if someone was trans or not?

Good point. I mean, there is no difference between males and females and there is no way of telling them apart so there is no way of knowing that someone is trans...except when there is. Oh, wait. There isn't.

Oh yes there is @AlfonsoTheUnrepentant That's why they also had a moment to ponder having apparently being asked what was in their knickers!

You know, the stuff They always come out with... that nobody ever actually says or thinks.

I know, @HoardingSamphireSaurus. My tongue was very deeply in my cheek when I wrote that post.

The thing that strikes me about the screenshots is they don’t seem to suggest a team player. If I’d read those and then found out the writer was going to be in the same company -

• it’d be ‘wow, you’d better be a superstar level dancer, because you sound like a total nightmare to work with.’ The poor costume department. The poor administrative staff.

This person’s dancing really needs to be of a level to make all the angst worth it.

@KeflavikAirport

Well, it's certainly a tough industry but (speaking in general terms here) that should not mean you have to put up and shut up if your employment rights are being shat on.

Of course not!

But, erm, is everyone being commanded that they must remember to address you by the right pronoun at all times (when you are one in hundreds, and really not even slightly important to anyone except yourself) really an employment right? Not a privilege that a new arrival has not yet done anything whatever to earn?

Remembering my first job: it took about six weeks before the majority of the staff (the ones who knew I existed) remembered my name. Should I have taken the company to an employment tribunal or something?

Honestly, if I were a prospective employer, I simply wouldn't hire them, superstar level or no. I would want someone who could come in, do the job, take direction and get along reasonably well with the rest of the team (yes, there are always going to be frictions).

Someone who needs to be tiptoed around is not worth the trouble.

@WeeBisom

Wait, people hadn't been informed of the presence of trans people in the building (like they are special VIPS, or royalty or something)...but I thought you couldn't tell if someone was trans? So how would you know if someone was trans or not?

Oh, it's better than that: since the trans umbrella covers every single person who considers conself to be special and different from the normal old boring people who engendered them, there really is no way to tell they are trans, in most cases.

Trans does not have to involve any actual alteration at all from the cis child of a couple of years before.

"It did make me laugh when they complained nobody had been warned about the presence of trans people in the building,"

They've had fair warning now!

I know @AlfonsoTheUnrepentant

Just being really clear, for anyone who is still pondering...

The breasts comment in those screenshots was interesting in that they were offended that bigger breasts were indicative of a woman. None of us would be here without them. They seem to forget biology.

Why would dancers need bigger breasts unless they are dancing burlesque or private shows? Big breasts are seen as a disadvantage in most kinds of dance.

@AlfonsoTheUnrepentant

Honestly, if I were a prospective employer, I simply wouldn't hire them, superstar level or no. I would want someone who could come in, do the job, take direction and get along reasonably well with the rest of the team (yes, there are always going to be frictions).

Someone who needs to be tiptoed around is not worth the trouble.

In common parlance such a person is called a prima donna; in opera circles, probably not.

The breasts comment in those screenshots was interesting in that they were offended that bigger breasts were indicative of a woman. None of us would be here without them. They seem to forget biology.

Their issue was that “to assign physical bodily attributes as ‘male’ or ‘female’ is transphobic.” 🤦‍♀️

@AlfonsoTheUnrepentant

Why would dancers need bigger breasts unless they are dancing burlesque or private shows? Big breasts are seen as a disadvantage in most kinds of dance.

I'm guessing that either they wanted to re-use a costume from a previous production rather than create a brand new one, or they were going to make a brand new costume but wanted it useable in subsequent productions.

So they might have asked the dancer if they could wear falsies either to fit the costume they had, or so that the costume could be fitted to any subsequent dancer with larger breasts.

A costume for a female role fitted to a male-shaped dancer is probably only going to be re-usable for other male-shaped dancers in female roles.

The Royal Opera House story is mind boggling. I mean, ROH audiences pay a considerable amount of money to see performances from a traditional repertoire. There’s room for innovation but it still has to reflect what audiences actually want and will pay for.
I can see that the world of dance must be really difficult if you are uncomfortable with your gender and I wish them all the luck in the world in setting up their own companies that make art in the way they want and still manage to attract enough audiences to make it viable. I am sure it can be done with enough hard work, creativity and talent.
Rather than getting a job at the ROH and then whinging when it isn’t all exactly the way you want it to be…

Nope, they want to tackle the Royal Opera House after Rosie Kay has received her “just desserts”.

Those are good points, @Anactor.

Since reading those screenshots I've got The Pretenders, Brass In My Pocket on repeat in my head....

I got brass in pocket
I got bottle, I'm gonna use it
Intention, I feel inventive
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Got motion, restrained emotion
Been driving, Detroit leaning
No reason, just seems so pleasing
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my, imagination

'Cause I going make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got have some of your attention, give it to me

I got rhythm, I can't miss a beat
I got a new Skank, so reet
Got something, I'm winking at you
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my, imagination

Oh, 'cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got to have some of your attention, give it to me

'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here, no one like me
I'm special
(Special)
So special
(Special)
I got have some of your attention, give it to me

Female Dancers have bound their breasts for years. Dd was once asked to by a teacher. Thankfully that practice is becoming obsolete.

Alfonso sounds like it was a costume prop to play a part. My Dds have worn stick-on beards to play men and not been offended.

Remembering my first job: it took about six weeks before the majority of the staff (the ones who knew I existed) remembered my name. Should I have taken the company to an employment tribunal or something?

Of all the people I’ve worked with over the years there’s only been a handful who have spelled my name right (and it’s not an unusual name, just not a traditional spelling but easy enough to remember.)

India Willoughby mentioned on a tv interview months ago how they were personally noticing increasing wariness of employers due to them experiencing behaviour like this, and how frustrating India found it, as it did trans people no favours at all in terms of equality or employment.

@Sashimimimi

The Royal Opera House story is mind boggling. I mean, ROH audiences pay a considerable amount of money to see performances from a traditional repertoire. There’s room for innovation but it still has to reflect what audiences actually want and will pay for. I can see that the world of dance must be really difficult if you are uncomfortable with your gender and I wish them all the luck in the world in setting up their own companies that make art in the way they want and still manage to attract enough audiences to make it viable. I am sure it can be done with enough hard work, creativity and talent. Rather than getting a job at the ROH and then whinging when it isn’t all exactly the way you want it to be…

Nope, they want to tackle the Royal Opera House after Rosie Kay has received her “just desserts”.

Gawd, that screenshot...

Will world domination be enough one wonders?

@AlfonsoTheUnrepentant

Why would dancers need bigger breasts unless they are dancing burlesque or private shows? Big breasts are seen as a disadvantage in most kinds of dance.

I think (and I may be wrong, because it's a mess), but this is a biologically male dancer who identifies as female. Who has had to dance male roles their entire career, and found it distressing as it led to dysphoria. And who has now been given a female role as a trans dancer, by the ROH.

So the costume department have basically tried to make this dancer look biologically female to suit the role, somethign the dancer was unhappy with.

The broader issue is that the traditional ballet repertoire is basically nothing but traditional gender stereotypes. The strong brave prince rescues the tiny, beautiful princess. They marry and live happily ever after. It's stereotype on stereotype. As an independent woman who is quite happy to rescue herself, thank you very much, and sees a Prince as an extra headache to look after, I don't see it as representative of real life at all. Nor have I ever heard a gay dancer object to playing a heterosexual role. So I'm not quite sure why a transwoman should be distressed by playing a male role, if that's what their physique matches best. Or, if playing a female role, why they woudl not accept that there might be costume choices to match.

Life used to be simpler!

Thanks, Motorina. Now I get it.