Exploring the Stereotypes of Gender and Sexuality in Ballet and its Impact on the Dance Community

Ballet has been deemed a feminine sport for hundreds of years. The famous words of choreographer George Balanchine, “Ballet is Woman,” remind us of this. While some may see classical ballet as a feminized birthplace of dance for queer men and women, the art form as a whole denies more flexible roles of masculinity. For men, the majority of roles are limited to strong princes, played by cis-gender men who fit the model of hegemonic masculinity. Dance is not exempt from oppression with intersectionality between dancers. An intersectional approach is imperative for understanding the exclusion dancers face, by challenging these notions we can unite the community

Animals in Prison: Is There Value in Inmate-Animal Rehabilitation Programs?

This paper demonstrates the benefits of animal rehabilitation programs in alleviating the mental harm of incarceration and improving outcomes for individuals upon their release. I.H.C. details the overwhelming mental health crises and conditions that inmates face in prison, arguing to redefine rehabilitation to center both practical preparations and on healing the underlying traumas and mental health concerns before release. His numerous examples drawn from prisons around the world thoroughly uphold the evidence that animal rehabilitation programs improve inmate wellbeing, decrease violent incidents in prison, enhance vocational and employment opportunities post-incarceration, and overall change inmates’ behavior – all benefits that ultimately reduce recidivism as well. I.H.C. concludes that “an effort of this magnitude” in implementing widespread inmate-animal rehabilitation programs “would be difficult,” but that “beauty and a certain type of freedom can be found on the other side of pain…if only we muster the courage to try.