A grandmother in Memphis, Tennessee is wondering why there was a grown man in a tutu dancing in this year’s Nutcracker ballet. The annual Christmas tradition is beloved by families across the region and dancing in the performance is a highlight for many young girls.
The concerned grandmother alerted me that one of the roles – traditionally reserved for a ballerina – had been given to a man – with facial hair. The grandmother said it was not right for children to be exposed to the sex and gender controversy that has gripped much of the nation.
Ballet Memphis tells me they have not heard anyone complain about the male dancer who identifies as a ballerina.
“As you can imagine, we value our dancers, our school and our parents, and their concerns are important to us,” the ballet’s spokesperson tells me. “That said, we have not personally heard of or received any communication regarding any such concerns.”
And I doubt any parent or grandparent would complain. The grandmother who contacted me was terrified about filing a formal complaint because she was afraid her granddaughter might be punished.
Ballet Memphis went on to tell me that they value the privacy and individuality of each of their dancers. And they are consciously inclusive of all sexual identities and gender expressions.
“We value the privacy and individuality of each of our dancers. We are consciously inclusive of all races, ages, religions, sexual identities, gender expressions, and abilities,” the spokesperson said. “Our primary focus is to bring love and joy to all people as Memphis’ professional ballet company, and “The Nutcracker” is a quintessential piece of that.”
In other words – the Ballet Memphis rendition of “The Nutcracker” sure ain’t your grandmother’s Nutcracker.
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