Women and Ballet

It wasn't until around 1730 that women had any key rolls in ballet. Men were prominent in all productions and had a higher advantage over the women. Women were forced to wear headdresses, masks, and heavy clothing while they danced, which greatly restricted their movement. Men however, could wear tights and leotards which was the perfect attire for ballet. Men could do all of the big jumps and leaps without any anchors, while women were completely held back and weighed down. In 1730 women began to rebel and force their way into the show. Their costumes transformed from big and heavy to small and light. Women would remove their heavy costumes directly before their show so that the directors or choreographers couldn't do anything about it. During the 18th century women ballet dancers became much more popular. They also expanded the ballet vocabulary and added more jumps and turns for the females. Pointe shoes which allow the dancer to dance on the tips of her toes are only for females. Males dance in flat shoes at all times, but it's hard to find a professional female who is not dancing on pointe. Today, males and females share principal roles in ballet. Some would say that females are more important, but most believe that they are equal beings in the world of ballet.