#BOYSDANCETOO

Hey guys! My name is Michael Marfori, but you can call me "Miko". I'm a 22 year old fourth-year student at the University of Florida, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Arts and Sciences with a minor in Mass Communication Studies. This blog is about all things related to male dancers. Enjoy!

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Movies that will make you want to start dancing

Photo by Pavan

Many of us are stuck inside our homes due of the recent COVID-19 outbreak. With nowhere to go and nothing really to do, many of us have a lot of free time now. If you’re bored out of your mind, then this is the blog post for you!

Watching movies is a great way to spend your time while you’re in quarantine. Here is a list of great movies that will make you want to get up on your feet and start dancing:

Step Up is one of the most iconic dance movies of the 2000s. Starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, the movie follows two young dancers who fall in love while teaming up to create a series of dance routines. If you end up enjoying this movie, make sure to watch the four other Step Up sequels and television series.

Dirty Dancing is another classic dance movie that everybody should watch. This coming-of-age, rom-com, dance film follows young Baby (Jennifer Grey) as she learns to dance from her vacation resort’s dance director, Johnny (Patrick Swayze). I guarantee that you will have the “time of your life” if you choose to watch this film.

Billy Elliot is an inspirational film that follows a young boy pursuing his passion for ballet, despite the negative stereotypes that are associated with dance. The movie has been critically acclaimed and nominated for multiple awards, including three Academy Awards. It was also adapted into a Broadway musical production, which was also critically praised.

Footloose follows a young teenager who tries to overturn his town’s ban of dancing. This movie is full of great dancing and acting. Plus, it features the classic song of the same, which will definitely make you want to dance.

Sources: https://nypost.com/2014/08/06/the-15-greatest-dance-movies-of-all-time/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_Up_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Dancing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Elliot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footloose_(1984_film)

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Famous male dancers that you might recognize

Although dance is often regarded as a female activity, there are many male dancers who have made their mark within the entertainment industry. Their work has left a tremendous impact in the “dance world” and has inspired plenty of others to pursue their passion in dance. There are a plethora of people that I can talk about, but here is a list of a few names that you might recognize:

Fred Astaire is one the greatest entertainers in American history. He is an American dancer, singer and actor, well known for his work in musical comedy films like Top Hat, Funny Face and Swing Time. Throughout his career, he has won multiple awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Academy Honorary Award.

Bob Fosse is an American dancer, choreographer and director, well known for his work in musical theater. Some of his notable credits include Sweet Charity, Cabaret and Chicago. With his very distinct choreography style, he was able to revolutionize dance in theater productions.

Mikhail Baryshnikov is considered one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. He is a Russian American ballet dancer, widely known for his work with several renowned dance companies like the American Ballet Theater and the New York City Ballet. His successful ballet career eventually led him to a successful acting career, starring in films like The Turning Point and White Nights.

Travis Wall is an American contemporary dancer and award-winning choreographer. He’s best known as a previous contestant and now seasonal choreographer on the hit dance competition series, So You Think You Can Dance. He currently co-manages Shaping Sound, a professional contemporary dance company.

Derek Hough is probably one of the most well known dancers today. He is an American ballroom dancer, choreographer, singer and actor, best known for his work on the hit dance competition series, Dancing with the Stars. He’s now seen as a judge on another popular dance competition series, World of Dance.

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Astaire

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Fosse

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Baryshnikov

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Wall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Hough

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Reasons why you should dance

Photo by David Merten

Steve McLendon is a professional American football player who currently plays as the nose tackle for the New York Jets in the NFL. He’s a brawny guy, standing 6′3″ tall and weighing 310 lbs. When he’s not practicing on the field, he says he enjoys taking ballet classes for additional training.

McLendon is not the only athlete who has reported taking dance classes to help his athletic performance. NHL goaltender Ray Emery, former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and NFL Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and Hershel Walker have all taken dance classes for additional athletic training.

Not many people recognize that in addition to being a fun hobby, dance offers many great benefits. Here are some reasons why you should consider dancing:

Dance helps improve cardiovascular health. Multiple studies have proven that moderate-intensity dancing lowers the risk of cardiovascular death. It’s even better than walking.

Dance helps improve body coordination. This is one of the primary reasons why many professional athletes take dance classes. Unlike many other forms of exercise, dance incorporates movement that comes from many different planes of motion and direction.

Dance challenges the brain and helps boost memory. There have been multiple studies that have proven that there is a positive correlation between dance and memory improvement. Dance helps the brain memorize various sequences and patterns and improves skills like organization and planning.

Dance helps improve mood.  Dance is an activity that allows its participants to be as expressive as they want. It’s also linked to improving self-esteem and decreasing stress, depression and anxiety.

Dance is an activity for everyone. Dance is an awesome way to socialize with other people. Whether you’re in a dance class, at the club or at home, it’s an inclusive activity that everyone can enjoy.

Sources: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steve-mclendon-ballet-is-harder-than-anything-else-i-do/

https://www.reference.com/world-view/athletes-ballet-d346034dabe6e199

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-dance#benefits-for-kids

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The stigma surrounding male dancers

Back in August 2019, Good Morning America host Lara Spencer went viral after making mocking statements about Britain’s Prince George taking ballet classes. In a very sarcastic tone, Spencer said, “Prince William says George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you, Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts,” which was followed by laughter from the GMA studio. After being widely criticized for ridiculing Prince George and other male dancers, she made a formal apology, calling her comment “insensitive and stupid”.

This is just one example showing the social stigma surrounding male dancers. I’m thankful that I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t face any criticism for being a male dancer, but I always had a fear that it would happen one day. In this blog post, I’m going to break down the stigma, identifying what causes it and how to combat it.

Gender norms and stereotypes play a large role in the paradigm “dance is for girls and field/contact sports are for boys”. Often times in society’s eyes, a predominantly female activity performed by a man will cancel his virility. Likewise, a traditionally male sport played by a woman will nullify her femininity.

Although dance requires rigorous and extreme training, male dancers are often perceived as weak because dance is associated as being a female sport. Most commonly, male dancers are associated as being very effeminate and gay, which isn’t always the case. This idea also has had an effect on the participation of boys and men in dance.

Family members, particularly parents, also affect the participation, or lack thereof, of boys and men in dance. Because parents are great influences to children during their early stages of childhood, children can easily adapt their attitudes and behaviors. With that being said, if a parental figure has a negative attitude towards male dancers, they will most likely try to keep their son from dancing.

How do we combat the stigma? Some ways we can do this include having open discussions on gender norms and social constructions in dance education, challenging others and our own personal biases towards male dancers and supporting those who choose to pursue this sport. For male dancers, they should always choose to reject any stereotype that maybe perpetuated onto them and continue dancing confidently.

It’s important to understand that this stigma will not go away overnight, but we can always take active steps to challenge it. Just by recognizing that the stigma exists brings us one step closer to change and equality within the dance community.

Photo by Aldo Tapia

Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/lara-spencer-apologizes-for-ridiculing-prince-george-and-ballet-but-the-damage-has-been-done/2019/08/26/989ed7d2-c798-11e9-8067-196d9f17af68_story.html

https://dancesportlife.com/blog/male-dancer-stigma/

https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=newscience

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_stereotype_of_the_male_ballet_dancer

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From dancing to writing: my story

Hey there! My name is Miko Marfori, and I’m a Digital Arts and Sciences student at the University of Florida. Most relevant to this blog, I am also a male dancer.

I took my first two dance classes at In Motion Dance Project in Orlando, Fla., when I was about five years old, starting with hip hop and acrobatics. At the time, I was taking these classes recreationally while balancing other extracurricular activities, like taekwondo and soccer. Later that year, during my end of the year recital, I realized how much I actually loved dancing.

The following year, those two classes turned to three, and then subsequently those three classes turned to six. By the time I was around nine years old, I began taking my dance training seriously, spending around 20-25 hours weekly dancing at my local studio. From that age until I was 18 years old, I competed at various regional and national competitions and auditioned for professional gigs.

Dance has given me so many blessings in my life. I’m proud to say that I’m a five-time nationally ranked dancer and have worked with brands like Disney, Bright House Network and Tommy Hilfiger. One of my biggest dance accomplishments was performing alongside Mariah Carey at the 2010 Disney Christmas Day Parade Show when I was only 12 years old.

Unfortunately, there is a social stigma surrounding male dancers, and because of this, it made it a little difficult for me to be proud of all my accomplishments. Although I’m fortunate that I was raised in a supportive environment, I felt that my guard was always up, but it shouldn’t have been like that.

My experience as a male dancer is what inspired me to create this blog. While doing research on male dancers, I found that not one website or blogger has addressed this topic, which further strengthened my desire to create this. By creating this blog, I hope that I can do my part to help break the social stigma and strengthen the relationship between men and dance.

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Orlando, FL, is one of the most visited cities in the United States, especially during the springtime. A popular location that many tourists visit while in Orlando is ICON Park, located on International Drive. ICON Park is home to incredible restaurants and several great tourist attractions, including the popular Orlando Eye. Also, for those looking to get some photos to post social media, ICON Park is an awesome location for a photo op.

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The Orlando Starflyer is a popular ride that helps tourists get an amazing view of the beautiful Orlando city and is perfect for the springtime weather. It is the world’s tallest swing ride attraction, standing at 450 ft tall. Although the ride lasts around three to four minutes, it offers a thrilling experience for family and friends.

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The weather in Orlando is perfect during the springtime. A great way to enjoy Orlando in the springtime is by riding the Orlando Eye. It is a must-do attraction at ICON Park. It stands at 400 ft tall and takes about 20 min for each rotation, giving guests ample time to take in the views. It’s also one of the top tourist attractions in Orlando.

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In addition to the Orlando Eye and the Orlando Starflyer, ICON Park offers several other great tourist attractions, like the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Orlando. The SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium allows visitors to come face-to-face with fish, turtles, stingrays and sharks through a 360-degrees ocean tunnel. Madam Tussauds Orlando allows its visitors to strut and pose alongside wax figurines of famous stars and icons, including Taylor Swift, Muhammad Ali and Batman.

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With all of these springtime outdoor activities, it is important to take time out of the day to eat. In addition to the famous tourist attractions, ICON Park is home to several delicious restaurants. A favorite restaurant among the tourists is the Sugar Factory Orlando. The Sugar Factory Orlando offers a wide selection of food, beverages and desserts, including its famous smoking Goblet drinks. This place is definitely worth visiting, especially for those with heavy sweet tooth cravings.

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While daytime tourism is incredibly popular in the springtime, many of Orlando’s visitors are looking for places to visit and enjoy during the night as well. Tin Roof at ICON Park is a popular nighttime spot that many older guests like to visit. At Tin Roof, patrons can come in, eat delicious food and enjoy live music at the bar.

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Although all these activities offered at ICON Park can be fun, they can get tiring at times, especially when it is hot outside. Sometimes, it is nice to just sit still, alone or with a party, and take in your surroundings. At ICON Park, located right in front of the Orlando Eye, there is a nice open field of grass where you can do just that. Many visitors like to come to this area to sit, rest and enjoy the beauty of ICON Park.