Day After Day In Class, Ballet Dancers Are Moving Themselves Past The Genre’s Gender Conventions

“Women can jump higher and complete more turns than ever before, skills traditionally associated with male dancers. For their part, men are training to incorporate the stretch and finesse that has long been standard for female dancers. Rather than distorting the form as some ballet purists fear, dancers who push the gendered boundaries of training ‘are more versatile and can be stretched in different ways,’ said [NYCB ballet master] Jonathan Stafford.” — The New York Times