Leading the Way? Male Ballroom and Latin American Dancers

Ballroom and Latin American dancing is a leisure activity where the use of the body, grooming and costuming is central to success. However, given that dance is more traditionally associated with girls rather than boys and that male dance partners are often in short supply this raises some key questions and contradictions about hegemonic masculinity. This paper specifically explores the narratives and experiences of male Ballroom and Latin American dancers, interviewed as part of an ethnographic study of a dancing school in the UK. The findings help to diversify notions of masculinity and gender performance, as well as highlighting areas where male power continues relatively unchallenged.