"Men evoke more confidence", or why so few women are in leadership positions in ballet

Why are there so few women in leadership positions in Polish ballet? What can be done to change this? A researcher from SWPS University analysed this issue and described her conclusions in a paper published in Research in Dance Education.

In ballet history, as well as in modern times, there have not been many female leaders. Nowadays, only a few women create choreography and manage companies, and yet they still do not get as much recognition as men.

Many female dancers, few female leaders

According to the Dance Data Project data^[1], in 2022, out of 198 artistic directors in classically based companies worldwide only 58 (29%) were female, while 140 (71%) were male. On top of that, since 2021 the number of female artistic directors decreased by 4%. Among the top 30 largest companies worldwide (each with more than 75 dancers), only 8 were led by female artistic directors (27%), while 22 had male artistic directors.  

This highlights the notable lack of female artistic leadership in prominent, influential companies across the globe. On the other hand, women held 71% of the positions of heads of schools, 52% of executive director/CEO positions, and 57% of assistant/associate director positions. This is consistent with a common pattern in the labour market, where teaching occupations, which are considered less prestigious, are dominated by the female gender^[2]. 

In Poland, in the 2019/2020 season, women accounted for 59% of all employees of ballet companies. When it comes to dancers alone, there were almost twice as many female dancers as male dancers. This ratio is inversely proportional to the number of women in management positions, with the highest positions held mainly by men. Female choreographers, on the other hand, accounted for mere 19%.

Meanwhile, ballet leaders not only influence working conditions in a given place, but also decide on the repertoire, i.e. whose choreographic works will appear on stage. These decisions affect ballet as an art form and shape the ballet heritage. Therefore, the lack of women in leadership positions has a significant impact on the art of ballet, emphasizes the author of the study, Emilia Cholewicka, PhD, a culture expert, cultural economist from the Faculty of Humanities at SWPS University in Warsaw, and a dancer.

The author used statistics of the nine leading ballet companies in Poland, concerning mainly their repertories and employment structures in the 2019/2020 season. The data were supplemented by 17 in-depth interviews with professional dancers, graduates of ballet schools in Poland, conducted in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons. In her paper in Research in Dance Education the author outlines the mechanisms that perpetuate gender inequalities in the ballet environment, observed from a female perspective, considering them as an autopoietic (self-perpetuating) system.

Why are there so few women in high positions in ballet?

A number of factors contribute to the ratio of women in high positions in ballet. These include fierce competition, the sense of easy replaceability, high injury risk of the profession, the hardship of dancing en pointe, the extra hours of unpaid work involved, and a high level of body dependence, which directly affects the work and its effects. Further significant factors include the cult of the ideal, young body, which is specific to ballet dancers, as well as humility and unification as desirable traits in this profession. These factors often eliminate women from the sphere of leadership because, within the realm of ballet, leaders directly emerge from those who dance on stage.

What do Cholewicka's interviewees draw attention to? They often speak critically of ballet education in Poland. They recall ballet lessons, during which the place they occupied at the barre determined their position in the group (the best students are the most exposed, they are given the most attention, and because of the place they occupy, they have the best access to an extremely important tool of every ballet artist's work - the mirror in the ballet studio), and the discipline of teachers, whose strict attitude, and, above all, creating a sense of constant inadequacy in striving for perfection, and constant comparison, influenced their sense of self-worth and a tension between constantly competing young women. However, they also see certain advantages of ballet schools - that was where they gained their profession, learned diligence, perseverance and good time management.

They also point out that the violative cycle of a ballet career is still perpetuated. It starts at the beginning of ballet education, continues during one’s time in a ballet company, it is reinforced during the studying of ballet pedagogy and then transmitted and reproduced when one starts working, as a teacher - again in a ballet school. It is in these spaces that the autopoietic nature of the world of professional ballet is revealed. Several of the interviewed ballet artists admitted that after their experiences, they were unable to enter the ballet school building for many years after graduating.

The women interviewed as part of the study emphasise that men have a privileged position in this industry simply because there are fewer of them. Male dancers are favoured already at the stage of education. And they are the ones who later occupy high positions. The faster promotions and the lack of female leaders is due to the fact that very, very often men have the power and are just deciding, says a 32-year-old dancer, while another adds that in her opinion, men have some kind of greater credit.    

Support and sisterhood – a path to change

The author of the paper argues that much depends on those in management, who make decisions regarding gender ratios or quotas and provide top-down support for women in ballet - or conversely, leave them without institutional backing.

Increased number of female ballet company leaders and their awareness regarding gender inequalities can have a cascading effect. More female choreographers have the potential to reshape scenic narratives, the image of female dancers and their scenic and labour roles. Education must undergo a change as well.

These factors highlight the necessity of transformation within the ballet community, orienting it towards supportive practices, as opposed to perpetuating a system marked by internal discord and oppressive dynamics. The relationship between women represents a fundamental starting point, that should be nurtured from an early age, particularly within the ballet educational system. Although the autopoietic system, self-propelling by definition, is difficult to change, it also offers great opportunities. Regardless of the moment of change in the loop, its trajectory and dynamics must change. Sisterhood^[3], peer support, understanding and mutual help between women can bring positive changes, similarly to the necessary system-wide, top-down changes, such as greater visibility of works in women's choreography on stage, Emilia Cholewicka believes.

^[1] Dance Data Project®. 2023. Global Leadership Report. https://ddp-wordpress.storage.googleapis. com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/13131540/Global-Leadership-Report-2023.pdf.

^[2] Garcia-Mainar, I., V. M. Montuenga, and G. García-Martín. 2018. “Occupational Prestige and Gender-Occupational Segregation.” Work, Employment and Society 32 (2): 348–367. https://doi. org/10.1177/0950017017730528.

^[3] Hooks, B. Sisterhood: Political Solidarity between Women. 1986 https://www.jstor.org/stable/ 1394725doi:10.2307/1394725. “.” In Feminist Review no.23.