So I don't really THINK about dancing much and maybe that's why I love doing it. I just move to the music and connect myself with what I hear and feel, simple really.

But after hearing about and watching some male dancing recently, I just had to make a move and ask the question: how do men dance?

It all started by hearing Jian Ghomeshi on Q talking about the 2 male ballroom dancers on So You Think You Can Dance? Here, Misha and Mitch get a harsh lesson in gendered dancing by judge Nigel Lythgoe for performing both 'masculine' and 'feminine' styles.  None of the 3 judges could 2-step outside the traditions of guy-girl dancing, the clear divisions of who's leading and who's following, and the comfort of knowing and judging what 'masculine dancing' actually is.

My dancing is done in concerts, clubs, and kitchens, but some of my female friends are professional dancers. One knew about my interest in masculinity and showed me some works by DV8 and Scott Wells.

These male dancers surprised me because they were neither bending-gender (like Misha and Mitch) nor boxed-in by common stereotypes of what men should dance like. Yes, they were strong and bold, (if that's how you assume male dancing should be) but also realisitic, intimate, playful, graceful, social, emotive, acrobatic, and of course creative. The types of positions and postures available to male dancers is only limited by the range of their bodies and our culture's judgements of how men are supposed to express themselves through dance.

Also in the news lately was the Tony Award Winning David Alveraz for his performance in Billy Elliot.  Now here's a movie that taps into the theme of gender and dance and also leaps its way to mass audience appeal. Billy battles his way out of the boxing ring and family standards to join a ballet class because he DID think he could dance. You be the judge.

How do reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance (and we could add-in music videos here too) express how men should dance, rather than CAN dance?  I'd argue that lables of 'masculine dancing' are about as authentic as 'Fresh Frozen' groceries.

What preserves these stale gender packages and how can we keep free-styling our way to more priceless moments and motions?

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Paul does media education workshops and has both started and finished a couple of dance parties.