Clubbing Masculinities: Gender Shifts in Gay Men's Dance Floor Choreographies

Abstract

This article adopts an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the intersections of gender, sexuality, and dance. It examines the expressions of sexuality among gay males through culturally popular forms of club dancing. Drawing on political and musical history, I outline an account of how gay men's gendered choreographies changed throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Through a notion of “technologies of the body,” I situate these developments in relation to cultural levels of homophobia, exploring how masculine expressions are entangled with and regulated by musical structures. My driving hypothesis is that as perceptions of cultural homophobia decrease, popular choreographies of gay men's dance have become more feminine in expression. Exploring this idea in the context of the first decade of the new millennium, I present a case study of TigerHeat, one of the largest weekly gay dance club events in the United States.

Keywords:

• dance
• masculinities
• homophobia
• gay
• gender
• clubs

Notes

1. Tigerheat has always served alcohol, but depending on its location, it has either assigned different areas for those under 21 or has used a wrist-band drinking system.

2. Since 2002, Tigerheat has moved several times but is still commonly considered part of West Hollywood's east side. This is despite the fact that its other locations have been on the edges of West Hollywood or actually in the western part of the district of Hollywood. Its other locations include its first move to the Hollywood Athletic Club (6525 Sunset Boulevard), then the Arena Nightclub (6655 Santa Monica Boulevard), and finally to the Avalon (1735 N. Vine St.) where it currently operates.

3. Although there are many women who attend TigerHeat (of various sexual identities) the focus of my chorographic analysis is on how males at the club do gender.