The Sexual Politics of Ballroom Dancing

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Who Cares About Ballroom Dancing?

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 1-28

3. A Social History of Ballroom and Latin Dancing

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 29-50

4. Starting to Dance

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 51-73

5. Building a Serious Leisure Career in Ballroom and Latin American Dancing

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 75-89

6. Social Networks and Team Spirit

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 91-104

7. Performing Serious Leisure: Competitions

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 105-125

8. Gender, Ideals and Body Image

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 127-149

9. Conclusion

   • Vicki Harman

   Pages 151-165

10. Back Matter

    Pages 167-170

    PDF

This book presents an engaging sociological investigation into how gender is negotiated and performed in ballroom and Latin dancing that draws on extensive ethnographic research, as well as the author’s own experience as a dancer. It explores the key factors underpinning the popularity of this leisure activity and highlights what this reveals more broadly about the nature of gender roles at the current time. The author begins with an overview of its rich social history and shifting class status, establishing the context within which contemporary masculinities and femininities in this community are explored. Real and imagined gendered traditions are examined across a range of dancer experiences that follows the trajectory of a typical learner: from finding a partner, attending lessons and forming networks, through to taking part in competitions. The analysis of these narratives creates a nuanced picture of a dance culture that is empowering, yet also highly consumerist and image-conscious; a highly ritualised set of practices that both reinstate and transgress gender roles. This innovative contribution to the feminist leisure literature will appeal to students and scholars of anthropology, dance, sport, gender, cultural and media studies.

• ballroom dancing
• Latin dancing
• gender roles
• feminist leisure studies
• serious leisure studies
• performativity
• Masculinities
• femininity
• Beauty
• embodiment
• third wave feminism
• Consumption
• personal narratives
• social history
• social networks
• identity
• intimacy
• Strictly Come Dancing
• Dancing with the Stars
• sexualities

“In the post-Strictly world, this book makes a most valuable contribution to the leisure studies literature and to feminist work more widely. It provides a well-researched, fascinating qualitative study of dance and in particular of the attraction of ballroom dancing, why people do it and of ballroom dancing as a cultural phenomenon. Vicki Harman really gets inside the field and demonstrates how social and gender relations play out on the dance floor.” (Kath Woodward, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The Open University, UK)

“This is a unique insight into the sociological problem of ballroom dancing, as gender, culture and leisure. Vicki Harman provides an excellent combination of rich ethnographic data and critical analysis to situate the practice in the lives of its participants.” (Karl Spracklen, Professor of Music, Leisure and Culture, Leeds Becket University, UK)

“In this engaging, ethnographic account Vicki Harman gives us an insight into the many ways in which gender matters -- and is contested -- in the world of amateur Ballroom and Latin American dancing. In doing so she makes an important contribution to the sociology of culture, feminist leisure studies, and gender studies.” (Sarah Moore, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Bath, UK)

“Vicki Harman has produced a wonderful ethnography of gender and ballroom dancing as serious leisure. She shows how to do a broad study of gender by getting the ‘big picture’ of its fit with the activity itself.” (Robert A. Stebbins, FRSC, Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, Canada)

• Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK

  Vicki Harman

Vicki Harman is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at University of Surrey, UK. She received the ISA Young Leisure Scholar Award for research that forms part of this book (2016). She has published in journals including Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Sociology of Health and Illness, European Journal of Marketing, Identities: Global Studies in Power and Culture and Young Consumers.

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