Why does male representation in dance matter?

Dance has historically embraced both masculine and feminine energies. In forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, and Kathakali, male dancers once held central positions as performers, choreographers, and gurus. Iconic figures such as the Nattuvanars in Tamil Nadu and Gotipua dancers in Odisha reflect this legacy.

However, the colonial period, coupled with the rise of Victorian moral values and the emergence of rigid gender binaries, led to a gradual feminization of classical dance. The British misunderstood and stigmatized Indian performance traditions as immoral or improper. Post-colonial Indian society, in its effort to re-establish cultural respectability, restructured dance as a “respectable” feminine art—primarily associated with devotional purity and domestic ideals.