In the finale of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), can you see the masculine and feminine archetypes at play?
If not, here's a hint, another, and another.
Before you read on, imagine for a minute, if the men had danced the first dance, the women the second?
What are the implications, both positive and negative, of these archetypes? Meaning, what strengths does society perceive we have in spades, whether we do or not? And what weaknesses, are we perceived to have?
What can we, and do we, do with this understanding?
For a full recap of the finale, click here.
I was once the only girl in a doctoral level class on relationship development and mate selection, in the discussion traits were being labelled as masculine and feminine. I raised issue with the point and said "So being assertive makes me a man?". The first response was "You're just comfortable with your masculine side". "Really- masculine side? I am female by sex/gender- nothing male to me." While I argued that there is as much variation amongst men or women as a group as there is between individual men and women (and did recieve agreement form the class and yet it was basically, "but that's how we classify it")Our language and cultural constructs assign these stereotypes/archetypes. The most frustrating part of it was that they really struggled to see that this was in any way inherently damaging. The obvious answer why I was the only woman in the class...
Posted by: Leslie Graff | August 07, 2009 at 12:01 PM
I was struck by Adam Shankman's response to the final women dancers' performance, "You were fighting hard...but fighting together." I loved that!
I have to admit I cried watching that entire dance because of the beautiful imagery of women, together and individually, working to shed those things that are not us at the core. Things that cover our soul's expression. Things that society defines should "adorn" us.
Now getting (somewhat) to your question, the dance for the men may have matched traditional archetypes for men - but, in no way represented the uniquely strong and kind personalities of Evan and Brandon.
I saw the female dance as demonstrating power and focus, and the men's as bravado (and again, not true to these particular dancers' demeanor.)
Posted by: Janna | August 07, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Sorry, have to post another comment...
What would've been glorious was all 4 dancers dancing the women's dance. I think the journey that was represented in it is universal. Men, too, are finding their way...
Posted by: Janna | August 07, 2009 at 12:52 PM