Gender Nonconforming In Dance

I. INTRODUCTION
The question of what is and is not discussed in academia has been intensely debated for many years. I specifically want to understand why there exists an extraordinary lack of academic discourse regarding gender-nonconforming bodies in dance. To begin that discussion, it is imperative to examine the exclusion of queer and dance knowledge that leads to the omission of queer dance from academic discourse. When the reason behind these exclusions are understood, it becomes easier to see the roots of the gender-nonconforming bodies that are excluded from the academic dance-world. This piece is divided into eight sections, each providing background into the reasons that gender nonconforming bodies in dance are excluded from academia.
One author I specifically highlight is Roland Barthes and his work with language. Barthes, a 20th century French literary philosopher and cultural critic, focused on semiotics, social theory, and poststructuralism. In his work The Rustle of Language, Barthes (1986) suggests that “[t]he first effect of spelling is discriminatory; but it also has secondary effects of a psychological disorder (p. 44).” In this quote Barthes encompasses often exclusionary effects of using new language, as well as the psychological ramifications of language, which is oftentimes phallocentric and gendered. Within the queer academic community there has been new language used which has been met with skepticism from different academic spheres; Barthes provides a frame by which his discussion of language can be applied to queer and nonbinary bodies in
In her work, Gender Trouble she specifically discusses the power of language and performative nature of gender and gendered bodies. Mary Bryson, another theorist in gender and sexuality studies, provides perspectives regarding queer pedagogy and queer linguistics which tie back to the work I discuss regarding how language, queer theory, and queer academia relate to one another. I also reference a discussion I engaged in with Zackary Forcum, a dance MFA candidate at Mills College. They were kind enough to talk to me about their experiences in the queer dance and theatre community in which they have been working for over fifteen years. They have worked both with the queer dance community as well as just the queer and dance communities, which gives them a unique and important perspective on these