Women dragged by men in ballets

[Alexandra]

"Shambards" inspired a friend to write me, asking if a woman wasn't dragged out at the end of "The Concert." I thought we might try to come up with a list of ballets in which women were dragged, and/or their necks were endangered.

[BW]

If I recall correctly, in Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel the heroine (Ansanelli) is dragged a bit by her beloved (Woetzel), however he uses her arm - not her neck, thankfully.

I remember someone getting very put out by this particularly move, whereas I didn't see it at all as being violent or in anyway against women.

[aspirant]

I suppose that "dragged" is all in the eye of the beholder. Is the Sugar Plum Faerie dragged in Balanchine's 'Nutcracker' when she steps precariously onto that little bit of slidey-marley? Is it a drag when the man supports the woman in some sort of split and runs either back or forward with her (maybe only a drag when her shoe catches on the tape!) There is quite a bit of dragging and otherwise rolling/kicking about in 'Manon'

I guess my point is that many other elements of classical choreography could be considered equally as offensive/violent but we've grown so accustomed to looking at them (mens hands being where they need to be to execute lifts, pushing and pulling and throwing to various degrees etc.) Perhaps the issue is with the vertical idea of ballet suddenly finding its way to the floor (where you are only supposed to be for a moment at best before the anti-gravity returns!)

[Farrell Fan]

Before that woman is dragged out in "The Concert," she's been hit over the head by a milquetoast turned caveman. "The Concert" also features women kicked in the rump, bent into undignified positions, and trampled underfoot. But it's all hilarious, or should be. The context is what's important.

[Alexandra]

I'd say if you're on your own feet, you're being "pulled." But there' is a lot in 20th century ballet that is misogynist. (I disagree that "presenting a woman" a la 19th century ballet is, but there's a feminist line, especially among modern dance-oriented writers, which would argue strongly to the contrary.)

[carbro]

A lot of misogyny in 20th C. works, yes, and the 21st seems off to a less-than-promising start.

[Alexandra]

By mid-century, we might have very clean floors!

[Watermill]

At Oregon Ballet Theatre, James Canfield bent, folded, spindled and dragged a woman at least once a year in his original works. To be fair, it was usually within the dramatic context and often worked very powerfully. Edie stands out as the best example of a successful exploration of distaff mistreatment: hard to draw the line between masochism on the part of the title character and abuse on the part of the men in her life. Brilliantly danced and acted by Tracy Taylor, it stands out as a highpoint of the Canfield years. I agree with Farrell Fan: Context is everything.

[Mel Johnson]

And then there was the time I was dragged across the stage by the hair by a woman.

Well, not hair, exactly, more a handle under a long wig that attached to a harness under my costume. It DID look like she was dragging me by the hair, though. This was Li'l Abner and I played Hairless Joe. It was the Sadie Hawkins' Day ballet.

[Old Fashioned]

If I remember correctly, there was quite a bit of dragging towards the end of Julia Adam's Ketubah, and it did NOT look like it was in context. Does anyone know if being dragged around on the ground has anything to do with Jewish weddings?

[Dale]

If I remember correctly, there was quite a bit of dragging towards the end of Julia Adam's Ketubah, and it did NOT look like it was in context.  Does anyone know if being dragged around on the ground has anything to do with Jewish weddings?

Not in the dozen or so I've been to, and that includes Orthodox weddings.

[Cygnet]

I'd say if you're on your own feet, you're being "pulled."  But there' is a lot in 20th century ballet that is misogynist.  (I disagree that "presenting a woman" a la 19th century ballet is, but there's a feminist line, especially among modern dance-oriented writers, which would argue strongly to the contrary.)

Yeah Alexandra! Even MacMillan's Juliet is thrown around like a sack of laundry,

then used as a mop before before the end.

[Watermill]

What's that DTH piece with the repressive and cruel Preacher? Isn't there some physically abusive choreography in that?

Seriously, as a teacher (drama) who works a lot with what we now call "youth at risk", violence toward women on stage or screen had better be an intrinsic element of character and story. The price paid by those who suffer it directly or indirectly (children) is enormous. I'm glad these threads are keeping the question in the air.

[Ari]

Even MacMillan's Juliet is thrown around like a sack of laundry, then used as a mop before before the end.

Most of MacMillan's choreography features women being dragged/thrown/abused in some way. The fact that it occasionally coincides with the story (as in the scene in Mayerling between Rudolph and Stephanie on their wedding night) doesn't hide the fact that MacMillan revelled in violence towards women.

[Alexandra]

Wave of the Future: Balletica Amazonica, a company of Large, Weight-Lifting Women who push the boundaries of classical ballet, turn classicism (and their partners) on its/their ear, stand on the edge of creativity -- and throw men off it. Not to mention dragging them, snapping their necks, twirling them in mid air (as Nureyev did to Miss Piggy in his "Swine Lake"), skidding them bare-legged along a splinter-studded stage and throwing them around like volleyballs. THEN people might think this is odd behavior. Especially when done to Chopin.

[carbro]

Do you anticipate a problem in casting all roles? I foresee males who are cast in such works beating a path to the exit.

Wonder what would happen if -- for once -- women in these circumstances refused to participate in degrading roles? Frankly, I fear the drive and competitiveness for more roles trump feminist principle.

[Mel Johnson]

MacMillan revelled in violence towards women.

Perhaps a bit of an extreme conclusion; one would have to ask LADY MacMillan about that sort of thing in order to be sure.

[sandik]

What's that DTH piece with the repressive and cruel Preacher?  Isn't there some  physically abusive choreography in that?

Are you thinking of "The Beloved" by Lester Horton? There's a great deal of dragging and flinging in it, and then he throttles her at the end.

The work (at least to me) does not feel like misogyny -- the major theme is religious fundamentalism and jealousy, but it is very raw and quite effective.

There is some dragging around in Christopher Wheeldon's "There Where She Loved" (at Oregon Ballet Theater earlier this month). A colleague speculated that it was something that Wheeldon "learned" from the MacMillan repertory.

[atm711]

Before MacMillan there was Tudor's 'Undertow'---one woman is gang raped and another murdered. :sweating:---so women have made some gains---dragging doesn't seem all that bad.