‘It has really amazed me what my body can now do’: boundary work and the construction of a body-positive dance community

Abstract

Boundaries around normative embodiments in physical cultures can be exclusionary if one’s embodied identity does not ‘fit’. Normative boundaries are particularly marked in codified forms of dance such as ballet. Moves towards body positivity aim to challenge these normative boundaries by redefining what dancers’ bodies can look like and how they should move. This paper stems from an appreciative inquiry undertaken with one such project, a gender-neutral, LGBTQ-friendly adult ballet school in the UK; a subcultural context that marks itself as distinct from broader cultures of dance. Interviews with learners are analysed through a Bourdieuian lens to explore the construction and maintenance of a body-positive subculture. Findings suggest that boundaries of ability were crossed, with celebration of all bodies’ capabilities, and boundaries of normative gender expression were transformed through a commitment to gender-neutrality and LGBTQ-friendly behaviours. However, boundaries around technical and aesthetic norms, while shifted or challenged, ultimately remained in place.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, and would also like to recognize the invaluable contribution made by the Irreverent Dance community, in particular those individuals who were active participants in the research process.