Mark out! : constructing and disciplining presentations of gender through dance

• Main Authors: Foong, Timothy Jia Le, Koh, Jeremy Wei Xiang, Lim, Calisa Shu Qi
• Other Authors: Ian Rowen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/151167
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The learning and doing of dance is rooted in larger social-cultural contexts and performance of gender. In Singapore, understandings of masculinity and femininity are based on traditional gender norms. To better understand the relationship between dance and gender in Singapore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 professional dancers who have diverse backgrounds and experiences in the commercial industry. 3 major themes highlighting the role of dance in the presentation of gender were identified: (1) Gendering Genres, (2) Learning and Teaching Dance and (3) The Commercial Industry. Findings suggest that while there are different ways of expressing masculinities and femininities, traditional gender norms appear to pervade the different gendering processes in the learning, teaching and working as dancers. This paper contributes to the dance and gender scholarship and provides novel insights into the Singapore dance industry.