Of Rugby, Beer, and Ballet: The Depiction of Manhood in a New Zealand Folk Drama

Abstract

For the last century, New Zealand university students have celebrated graduation with popular and satirical variety shows. For many years, every show included a male ballet. Once very well-known and loved, the male ballet is now rarely performed. Former members are sometimes embarrassed about their participation in a tradition that is now decried as sexist. I will use scripts, recordings, and oral history to provide a glimpse into the meanings of the male ballet. I will examine whether the decline of the ballet is due to enlightened anti-sexist thinking, or merely embarrassment at a tradition that appears unsophisticated by contemporary standards.