Growing up in Palmerston North, Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Luke Cooper went through it all: exclusion, name-calling, feeling like the odd one out. The issues male dancers – and specifically, male ballet dancers – face are set to be spotlighted in the company’s upcoming performances of The Ugly Duckling in Wellington. Ballet master Nicholas Schultz said The Ugly Duckling was a moral story as much as it was a fairy tale. Although society had come a long way, male dancers were still bullied for pursuing their passion – especially in school environments. Persistent, lingering issues included slurs and speculation about male dancers’ sexuality or gender preference, or judgments being made about their “male-ness”.

Source: Stuff April 13, 2021 17:00 UTC