Wenn Achill tanzt...

What do Superman and Nureyev have in common? Why do many people assume that the dancing man is necessarily gay? Why is there a lack of men in stage dance today? Dance historiography tends to overvalue male dance skills, which inevitably implies a devaluation of female dancers. In feminist-oriented dance research, however, the image of the dancer has so far played a secondary role. The author raises questions about the construction of 'masculinity' and describes, starting from the ancient hero myth, the function of changing images of men. From court ballet to the present day - often varied and ultimately hollowed out - the hero appears on the dance stage as an outdated model. Since the mid-1980s, Australian Lloyd Newson has been addressing the darker sides of male gender norms with his DV8 Physical Theatre. The Achilles' heel of man becomes particularly visible when Achilles dances...