LEAP DANCE FESTIVAL
In The Balance Debate, Mdi Liverpool
2009
In 2009, Merseyside Dance Initiative invited Charlotte to host and facilitate a conversation that considered the role of female dance makers in the UK and beyond. Joined by Panel members Liz Roche, Sharon Watson, Lucy Suggate, Liz Aggiss and Antonia Grove, they debated whether equality of opportunity exists in the dance field and if so, why there is this ongoing feeling that women’s dance work doesn’t reach as far or get taken as seriously as that of our male counterparts?
Are men fast tracked in their careers or is this a myth? Is women’s work better placed on the small scale and therefore not as visible? How does female-led practice differ from the male approach to making work? How do women measure success? Does the British Dance scene fairly represent female led work and if not, does that matter?
Discussing career trajectories and confidence, gratitude and glass ceilings, family and feminism, this experienced panel discussed their own experiences in and perceptions of the dance world to provoke a debate that highlights where we find ourselves right now and where we might like to be in future.