Restoring the dignity of dance

I went to a recital for Nevada Union High School's dance department tonight, and was reminded once again why I love dance.

In this case, the cast was virtually all women (one guy made cameo appearance in a single number), and the style was almost entirely lyrical ballet. It's a style that accentuates the power and strength of a ballet dancer, while loosening up enough to ride the emotion of song lyrics.

When I interviewed the chief choreographer last week, she emphasized that dance is a woman's art. But not in the same way that cheerleading or the drill team is a woman's thing; dance is a setting where people pay to see the dancers perform for their artistic merit. The performers aren't piggybacking on any other athlete's talent; they aren't the sideshow.

Even better, the teenage dancers at NU are not relying on their sex appeal to draw audiences. Instead, they take their craft seriously, put in grueling hours and produce a respectable, entertaining product. They put their bodies to work, but in a dignified way. In a world that objectifies women, dance (done right) is redeeming for the female body.

Dance is such a fitting medium for expressing femininity. It demands strength, dedication and discipline. But it is graceful, deeply emotion, beautiful. Dance is a woman's art, and that is a paramount compliment both to dance and to women.