Ballet and its American Icon

By: Annika Wiesemann

Women and men are still not always treated equal in our society related to their job positions or their different roles in the family. Referring to the article “Balanchine women” from Ann Daly (2002) Ballet and its American icon (The Ballerina) supports this unequally image of women and men.  “The girl is like an instrument” (Page 280) and is directed by the man. The men manipulate and assist the dance of the woman so that women don't make any movements without the initiation of them. They are the doers and prevent women power and ballet supports the men´s leadership. The image of men and women are shown in a conservative way in ballet and it´s not easy to rebuild it. I think a beginning would be to let men and women do the same movements and to let women also support the men while dancing. Anyway women are shown as light weighted figures in Ballet and they’re attracting the audience by their look. It’s all about the beauty and the perfectness of a ballerina. This New York Times article discusses how “Ballet demands sacrifice in its pursuit of widely accepted ideals of beauty”.

It’s not just that sacrifice. It’s also the women’s acceptance to be lower status and be constructed to be looked at. Men are represented powerful.

I don't like that they are not shown equally but I can also not imagine women to lead the men. That shows that I am already influenced by the way women and men (genders) are shown in our cultural mediums like on TV, theatre, books, movies… 

Women's Agency

by: Lisa Gloff
The readings for this topic begin with an entry from Sojourner Truth, a female slave in the late 1800s, and end with a discussion on the role of female ballerinas in George Balanchine's ballet "The Four Temperaments." The piece from Sojourner Truth is entitled "Ain't I a Woman?" A hard-working but uneducated slave woman wonders why some men are saying that women are frail and need help getting into carriages, while another man says that woman don't have the same rights as men because Christ wasn't a woman. I love her simple logic that states, "Where did Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman!" She knows she is strong and as capable as any man, and has endured beatings and the births 13 children. In her mind, she deserves the same rights as men, and as White women. The website, womenshistory.about.com/od/sojournertruth, states that Sojourner Truth name means 'traveling preacher' and she in fact did travel and became a part of the suffrage movement and gave that speech in 1851 at a women's convention in Ohio. The next piece, “The Freedom of Woman” challenges Puritan views that the female body should be concealed, either completely or partially. The speaker is a dancer that feels that exposing her body is art, that it is ‘real, true, untrammeled.’ The article about Balanchine, “The Balanchine Woman,” goes into depth about how the female ballerina is portrayed in his ballets; there are conflicting views that feel that the ballerina is being 'manipulated' vs. 'supported' by the more powerful man. “If Balanchine did ‘glorify Woman’ the question remains: whose idea of Woman is she?” (p. 280) The point about the female being displayed, which is passive, vs. the male, who performs the action, was interesting to me. As I have watched numerous ballets over the years, I have always felt that the ballerina is a strong, powerful, graceful athlete. I felt that the male’s role was to highlight the ballerina, not control her. This article makes the point that Balanchine created his ballets for the male point of view, and “denies women their own agency.” See for yourself by viewing a live performance of Balanchine’s ‘The Four Temperaments” on YouTube

Ain't I a Woman

By: Brenna Norris

This wasn’t the first time I have read Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” and it definitely won’t be the last time.  This speech is so powerful for multiple reasons.  Women had finally started breaking the gender norms and began speaking out about inequality.  Sojourner Truth’s courage and determination is so powerful because not only is she making a very strong statement as a woman, but also as an African American. 

She is making a statement to society saying that if men think that women should get special privileges, that ALL women deserve those privileges.  She gives power to women as a whole saying even though we worship Christ, who is a man, without God and A WOMAN there would be no Christ.  She calls to women saying that if the first woman that God created was able to “turn the world upside down,” then so can we. Her speech isn’t just about being treated like “a woman,” but about stopping the inequality within the sexes.  Her speech, or performance, is so powerful and inspiring that we are still acknowledging, respecting and learning about it today.

Feminism has come such a long way since Sojourner Truth’s performance and this courage that she displayed has given other women courage to follow in her footsteps.  The feminist movement has been such a public outcry full of different forms of public performances, and these performances have slowly started breaking down social gender norms and stereotypes.

Below is a video of a woman named Alice Walker performing Sojourner Truth’s speech.  Watching someone else perform her same speech gives a new understanding and sense of power that continues to inspire women to continue to fight for change today.

Check out Alice Walkers reading here

We are all women,

we all deserve respect,

and we all deserve equal rights.

Together we are powerful.

First Wave Feminism

by: Norma Sevilla


Throughout time, women's feminist movements for social justice and equality have been divided into three waves. First-Wave feminism, which is our main focus for this week, flourished during the mid 19th and early 20th century. Their main focus during that time was women's emancipation from political restrictions, such as women's suffrage (women's right to vote).The reading that stood out to me the most from this week was "The Freedom of Woman" by Isadora Duncan. I really liked her interpretation of the body and I liked how she sees it as something beautiful and pure. She goes on to explain how exposing one’s body, while performing, is beautiful and pure. Throughout time people have created social taboos against women’s bodies so I think it’s crucial to have articles like “The Freedom of Woman” that tell us that bodies are beautiful and they are nothing to be ashamed of. As Duncan puts it herself, “the body is beautiful; it’s real, true, untrammeled. It should arouse not horror, but reverence” (Duncan 1992, 48-49). As I was reading "The Freedom of Woman," it reminded me of Pina Bausch's "Cafe Muller" (1978) and the trailer from the documentary "Pina Bausch: Dancing Dreams" we saw in class. Duncan's and Bausch's choreography is so different from the kind of dances I’m used to seeing but they are so unique and fascinating. I love how their choreography isn't just simply dance but art, theater, and different representations of life

My Granny

by: Jasmine Morrow

This past week, my granny passed away. This entire week has been extremely difficult for me, but I am trying to find ways to remember the great things about her life and how she has impacted mine. When I was younger I was the ultimate “tom boy”. I wanted to do everything the boys did. I wanted to play football, skateboard, climb trees, play video games, everything. I can remember one time I was sitting, slouched over, legs open and my granny hollered at me. She told me that I was a young lady and ladies don’t sit and act like little boys. I remember crying to my mom and my granny told me that I would thank her later.

Well that later has come. I am still a “tom boy” at heart, but I have learned throughout my life what my granny was really trying to tell me. She was born during a time where people of color were not allowed to do much of anything. She grew up in the country of Georgia. She has seen Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. She was able to grow up in a time when she was able to see real change taking place. She wanted me to understand that as a Black woman in this country we at one point were the lowest of the low. She wanted me to understand just how much oppression Black women have endured so that in my lifetime I could continue to make a change.

My granny is the reason why I am the feminist I am today. That is why the monologue about the woman who had a good experience with a man reminds me so much of her. When I was reading that monologue, Because He Liked to Look at It, I was instantly touched. This woman did not truly understand her worth as a woman. She did not see her true beauty within herself. Although I am sad it took a man to be able to open her eyes, I am happy she was finally able to see. My granny wanted me to always understand that I was beautiful and strong. She wanted me to understand to that I could do anything because I was a woman.

Our Bodies Ourselves

By: Yussett Navarrete
In the vagina monologues they have what they call, “vagina fact.” I was reading them and I came across the topic of genital mutilation. According to these vagina facts genital mutilation is when a girl gets her clitoris cut or removed then gets part or all of her labia sewn together.  It also says, “Genital mutilation has been inflicted on 80 to 100 million girls and young women.”  I was in total shock of the amount of girls and young women that are forced to undergo this procedure. Reading this made me think of labiaplasty. According to the book,Our bodies, ourselves labiaplasty is a surgery that some women undergo in which, their inner vaginal lips are cut and shortened to make them smaller or more symmetrical. In Our bodies, ourselves they also mention that some men are pressuring their female partners to have surgery so they more closely resemble the women in pornographic movies. This made me realize that the media has a lot to do with what we think of our body images. Every single part of our body no matter how hidden it may be can’t escape the criticism of society. According to www.ourbodiesourselves.org  “Every part of the female body is picked apart and scrutinized, with most articles telling us outright which products we should buy to fix--or at least camouflage--our numerous "flaws."” Women are pressured into looking like the supermodels in the magazines, the women in pornographic movies, and the women we see on television etc. Reality is that those women we see in the magazines or on television don’t really look like that in real life. They use photoshop to make them look skinnier with a smaller chin, no blemishes, longer legs, nicer lips, young, etc. Many are airbrushed and have had plastic surgery. In the article provided by www.Ourbodiesourselves.org they say, “Real women with pubic hair and breasts that aren’t perfect round orbs begin to seem unnatural compared to the altered images we see in the media.” This proves that we are brainwashed by the media to believe that to be beautiful you need to look like the supermodel in a magazine when in reality that supermodel doesn’t even look like that herself. Many women that are in the pornographic business have undergone labiaplasty to make themselves look more appealing and beautiful to the viewer. Then the viewer perceives this image of how a woman’s vulva “should” look like to be sexy and attractive. I believe that this is a trend that will always continue but, we need to learn to appreciate and love every part of our body just the way it is because no one is the same. We are each one of a kind.

I was there in the room

By: Patrisha Wright 

While reading The Vagina Monologues, the monologue that struck me the most: “I Was There in The Room” because it accentuated a birthing video called Lady Giving Birth. When I saw the vagina giving birth to a baby, I asked myself why in the world I started watching it. I threw my hands up in the air and asked aloud “why are there videos like this on Youtube?” I felt a little disgusted as I trudged on with the clip and horrified at the thought of scissors cutting at the vagina. I shiver at the thought and am amazed at the woman giving birth, because afterwards, her vagina will be in enormous pain. I hope someday I will never need to experience an abnormal birth, because in the clip, her baby is facing downwards when it should be up, hence, the need for cutting the vagina. At the end of the clip, she delivers a healthy baby. Eve Ensler points out that she saw her all spread out, “mutilated, swollen and torn, bleeding all over the doctor’s hands that was calmly sewing up her vagina” (Ensler 121-125). Ensler illustrates the abuse that a woman’s body is inundated with during child birth but also the beautiful blessings bestowed upon them. The vagina is a powerful thing because it is capable of giving life, and men are unwilling to understand, appreciate, and demonstrate respect towards women’s bodies. As a result, they take women for granted-turn them into objects, and playthings without any regard to the consequences women will face. Women sacrifice their vaginas to bring life into the world. The vagina needs love. There are women who are victims of rape and their vaginas should never need to tell a story of violence. This monologue is empowering to women’s vaginas and also voices a demand that women be respected. 

I Call it CUNT

By: Krista Ahlgrim

I am rejecting the negative connotations you have put on it and reclaiming it for the sexual, powerful, vital, word that it is. CUNT. It is beautiful really. I don't know why in hell anyone would use it in a negative manner. Everyone likes them. Boys are fascinated by them, men cant get enough of them, women spend a good amount of time with it. I like to call it "me" time. Cunt Time. Personal time with me, myself, and my cunt.

When I hear the word thrown around in such a horrible way I always think to myself,

has a cunt really ever done anything bad?

What did a cunt ever do to you besides give you extreme pleasure, warmth, electricity through your entire body, love, tingling sensations..... hmmm now I am confused.

Maybe your missing the cunt?

Not getting the cunt?

Jealous of the cunt?

Abusing the cunt?

Hiding from the cunt? (you scared, scared thing)

Go ahead, call me a cunt. I like the word.

C U N T

cunt.

Found this video of this monologue and I fell in love with her. Enjoy Friends

Sth about Gender

By: Huixian

This week we will learn the construction of gender. Actually, I feel interested after I read Girls Find Safety Posing as Boys on Tehran's Mean Streets by Elaine Sciolino with Nazila Fathi. In the article, it said “ Some girls have taken to disguising themselves as boys. They cut their hair short, wear loose-fitting clothes and speak as little as possible. It is a growing phenomenon mainly among lower-class runaways who believe that the disguise gives them a degree of freedom and protection they could not enjoy as girls. Posing as boys on the streets makes it easier to avoid rape and falling victim to prostitution rings.” As female, we definitely do not want to pretend as a male. However, I believe, the girls in Tehran’s have no choice. In order to be in safe, posing as boys is the only way to protect themselves. Male plays a dominant role all the time. Sometimes I wonder, can boys understand the pain that girls suffer? Do they willing to pretend as a girl everyday?


On the other hand, I remember back there’s a film “ It’s a Boy Girl Thing”. It talked about sworn enemies find themselves in each other's bodies, and use this to ruin each other's lives. They had to learn how to control an opposite gender’s body. They need to imitate each other’s acts, gesture, the way they speak, and so on. It is funny and worth to see! I recommend it.




Tomorrow, we will have a little “Drag King” party. As an international student, to be honest, I have no idea about what “Drag King” is when I heard it first time. But now, I am kinda get the idea about drag king. I am looking forward about it.




Girls Find Safety Posing as Boys on Tehran's Mean Streets


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/19/international/middleeast/19IRAN.html






It’s a Boy Girl Thing


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482527/

Challenging Conformity

by: Kristi Reid 

If your son wanted to dress like a princess, would you let him? If your daughter wanted to cut her hair into a Mohawk, would you let her?

Gender identities have long been constructed to fit into a controlled box, and if anyone stepped outside the parameters would be ostracized. Under such conditions people may answer either questions with a no, or no to the initial and yes to the latter. Either way it is because some things are more or less accepted than others. Judith Butler calls attention to “sex, as a biological facticity, and gender as the cultural interpretation or signification of that facticity.” (394) By falling into this belief one sees how gender is constructed and made to fit in this box. Those who choose to allow their son or daughter to step outside the box are challenging conformity.

One parent who challenges conformity and allows his son to dress up as a princess declares “We are following his lead and supporting him for who he wants to be.” (Hoffman 1) Although they may be discriminated against because they allow their son to be his own person without any person telling him that’s wrong, they are changing the way gender roles are constituted. They are creating a world where everyone is accepted and no one gender is accepted. They are reconstructing what it means to have a gendered identity and breaking the historical idea.

How do you challenge conformity?

I would let my son dress as a princess and I would let my daughter sport a Mohawk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/new-challenge-for-parents-childrens-gender-roles.html?pagewanted=all

The Construction of Gender

By: Yesenia Rayo

Reading the article “Girls Find Safety Posing as Boys on Tehran’s Mean Streets” made me think about how at a very early age we learn about gender roles and that in some way we need to stick to them or else we will be punished by society. Little girls shouldn’t have to dress as men to have a better life or have more opportunities. One of the girls said that dressing like a man was the only way to find a job and another girl said that “[she] wouldn’t have been able to survive in women’s dress” and that [she] would have been finished by now.” The same opportunities should be available for both females and males.  It is interesting that women have also had to dress as men in the United States in order to achieve their goals.

I’m currently reading a book called Medicine Women, Curanderas, and Women Doctors by Bobette Perrone, Henrietta Stockel and Victor Krueger (for my anthropology class), which focuses on the many struggles that early women healers faced for choosing a male dominated field. This book relates to the article because some women had to also act and dress up like men in order to succeed, for example Lillian Heath. Heath was the first women doctor in the state of Wyoming. During the period that Heath became a doctor society had not yet accepted this idea. So, in order to protect herself Heath had to wear men’s clothing and act like a man. Disguising herself as a man was the only option to succeed in her field.

I think that it takes a lot courage and strength to go against society but it’s necessary if we want things to change for the better. 

drag king-ing it...

by: Veronica Silveyra


Reading "Girls Find Safety Posing as Boys on Tehran's Mean Streats" by Elaine Sciolino reminded me a lot of myself. When I was younger, about 8-13 years old, I was such a tomboy. I loved wearing loose shirts or baggy sweatshirts, hair always pulled back in a pony tail, wearing boys skating shoes. And I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Even though I still wasn't fully developed, I knew that just because of the simple fact that I was a girl, my body was going to be looked at. So I covered up. Did anything possible NOT to look like a girl. And most of the time it worked. I hung out with the guys and they treated me like I was one of them. And I was hardly ever looked at as a piece of meat.

The lines "posing as boys on the streets makes it easier to avoid rape and falling victim to prostitution rings..." (Sciolino, 2003:1) and "no one bothered me. I wouldn't have been able to survive in women's dress. I would have been finished by now..." (Sciolino, 2003:2) is a reminder of how much pressure women go through everyday of their lives. Not being able to dress a certain way or wear certain clothes because of fear. Its insane that women have to dress in clothes of the opposite sex to gain respect. "What is a Drag King?" by Susie Bright was a nice way to lighten up the mood a little after reading Sciolino's article... I think. I thought it was a fun and healthy way to express oneself in a setting or space where no one is judging. Here was a short youtube video I found to show an example of a Drag King performance...

Vaginas

by: Tri Nguyen

It is very interesting the way a vagina is described as another living person that is part of the woman. It explains why her vagina is angry from the many situations that it is put through such as tampons, doctor exams, and even sex. The vagina has its own personality and thoughts, “It wants kindness. It wants change. It wants silence and freedom and gentle kisses and warm liquids and deep touch” (Ensler, p. 73). She is very blunt in the way she explains how her “vagina” feels because these are all very emotional feelings that a person would have instead of a vagina.

I can definitely see how an angry and emotional vagina could affect a woman very much. A woman’s vagina goes through many situations on a daily basis and it should be known that it “wants” many things. There are also many factors involved with the vagina that could either stimulate better sex or make it worse, according to an article in the Daily Pennsylvanian,  “Members of the audience were surprised to hear that the average length of foreplay in the United States is only about thirty seconds, while the average length of intercourse can be anywhere between two to seven minutes” (Nandhakumar, p.1). In the Vagina Monologues, it explains that you need to work with vaginas correctly and prepare it the right way and that foreplay is what it is all about.