Interview With Kathleen Mooore, former prima ballerina at ABT

Kathleen Moore (now Kathleen Moore Tovar), a former prima ballerina at American Ballet Theater and now a master teacher at American Repetory Ballet, says that most children are natural dancers. When you look at little kids they always are dancing around and where does that stop and why does it stop, what’s the thing that makes that break?" she asks.
One answer might be that parents don't even consider having their boys take ballet and that's a shame because ballet can do so much for boys and young people, Tovar says. It teaches them "coordination, balance grace presentation, just those things alone, how to follow directions - following directions is a huge thing in a ballet class.
Tovar believes that the lack of boys in ballet is partly a cultural phenomenon. She points out that in Eastern Europe and Asia and even Spain, boy ballet dancers are viewed in a much more positive way.
" I think it's a cultural thing and here it doesn't appear to be a manly thing," she says.
The cultural difference also has to do with the fact that the arts are state-supported in many countries in Europe and especially in Eastern Europe. That means that dancers can make a better living dancing in those countries. In the United States, dancer in smaller companies like American Repetory Ballet in New Brunswick, N.J., may have to hold two other jobs to suppor themselves, she says. An apprentice, for example, might only get $100 a week plus benefits.
But Tovar says that the negative view of ballet primarily comes from a perception that all male ballet dancers are gay. " I think that there’s so much homophobia and I think it’s funny because it’s such a great place to meet girls," Tovar ays.
The fear that boys who dance will somehow become gay reflects real ignorance about what makes someone become gay, Tovar says. "It's such a misperception that every male ballet dancer is gay," she adds. "In all my yeaers in ABT there were 35 or 40 men and rarely wasit even at a 50-50 point. There were so many straight men."
At her current company, one boy got no support from his parents and had to come to rehearsals and his performance himself - taking the bus to get there. Another boy had the full support of his parents, even though they didn't know much about ballet, and they were at every rehearsal and performance.
Another reason boys might veer away from ballet is the same reason that girls drop out of ballet is that dancers have a very demanding schedule and that is very likely to affect other activities and school. Many ballet dancers, of both sexes, drop out of ballet at age 16 or so.
Not only is ballet a low-paying career, it also may mean sacrificing college at least temporarily. The top ballet dancers often start their careers at age 18 or so, Tovar says. And if they don't attend college, there are fewer career options later in life when they retire at age 40 or so. Some universities, like Indiana University, now allow students to major in dance and get their college degrees, Tovar says.
Ballet had a resurgence in the 70s and 80s when Mikhail Barishnikov, who is a friend of Tovar's, was at his height, Tovar points out. " Barishnikov awas on the cover of Time amgazine and he was clearly heterosexual, really handsome, really talented and exotic," she recalls. Howmany people did it get into the studio? I don’t know. But I’m sure it allowed sone people who wanted to go less resistance."
The popularity of television shows like "Dancing With the Stars," may help encourage boys too, Tovar says. But fundamentally, the ballet world is an isolated world - a world unto itself - and most people don't see the sheer athleticism and talent needed for boys and girls to dance.