As the lights dimmed on the final pose, senior Dylan Azman took a deep breath before doing an unrehearsed backflip. The crowd erupted in cheers.

With multiple dance periods, two different teachers and the school’s official dance team — Dance Company — there are many ways students can follow their passion for dance.

Dance Company gives students a space to express themselves, build friendships and improve their skills. 

Despite being inclusive, dance is still seen by some as a feminine activity — a stereotype that discourages many boys from joining.

Azman knows the pressure firsthand. He was one of the only boys in Dance Company last year. 

“I’ve been dancing since sixth grade,” he said. “Some of my friends were in Dance Company and I saw their performances last year and liked them a lot so I joined it for my junior year, but I left senior year because some of the moves were more feminine and I didn’t really feel comfortable doing them.” 

Current Broadway performer and alumni Brandon J. Large also understands the social pressures that keep many boys away from dancing. 

“We are living with people of the older generation who are not used to a world where people are so outspokenly who they are,” Large said. “I think it has nothing to do with the fact that those people didn’t exist when they were in their 20s or teens—it’s just that the world was not as accepting, so they had to hide.”

Though he wasn’t the only boy in Dance Company, Azman recalled that it was like  being the only straight boy on the sports team.

“Outside of Dance Company, I got made fun of a little by my friends, but inside, the members were accepting,” he said. 

Large says outdated gender roles and expectations still discourage many from pursuing dance.

“I think it’s very heartbreaking to know that it still affects a lot of little boys and little girls and people who identify as nonbinary or anybody,” he said. “They are almost inhibited from doing something like dance. But it’s a beautiful thing, and it doesn’t matter what you identify as or what your creed is.”

Fear of being mocked about their sexuality makes many boys hesitant to join, according to Large, even if they want to.

“Homophobia, transphobia or any type of negative hatred towards who someone is in the dance world, in any world, is only going to be inhibiting people from exploring such a beautiful art,” Large said.

Despite growing support, Azman still faced personal challenges tied to outdated attitudes .

“For me, it was just my friends mocking me,“ Azman said. “All the jokes can affect you, but I just carried on and tried to do my best.”

Azman specializes in hip hop. However in Dance Company, there is an emphasis on ballet and contemporary — styles he didn’t always connect with.

Even so, Azman stayed in Dance Company because he enjoyed dancing and had formed strong friendships with other members. 

“I left because Dance Company mostly does ballet and contemporary, not a lot of hip hop,” Azman said. “In addition, the senior last year, Kennedy Walker, who choreographed the genres I liked left, so there was little point in staying.”

Sharing a similar experience, senior Elijah Loox discussed how he enjoys dance but declined to join due to the stigma of dance being for females. 

“In general, you see a lot of girls dancing,” he said. “When you see a guy doing it, people might generalize, ‘oh, is he girly as well?’”

Loox doesn’t want to be misidentified.

“Most of the guys in Dance Company are not straight,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be mischaracterized as being that based on participating in Dance Company.”

Loox elaborated that while he personally feels uncomfortable with someone else imposing their ideas about his sexuality upon him, there’s nothing wrong with being gay and loving dance.

“I try not to let those words stop me from pursuing what I want to do,” he said. “If you aren’t straight however, there’s nothing wrong with it either. Following your passion should be the same for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.”

Large feels the same way, encouraging all boys regardless of sexual orientation to pursue their love for dance.

“As a male dancer, if you have someone who makes you feel embarrassed for dancing, whether or not you’re gay, you have to exclude people or expound on any sort of hate or unwelcome behavior,” he said. “I think it’s important to talk to them about it and help them see that there’s nothing wrong with who anyone is, straight or gay.”

Regardless of stereotypes or peer pressure, Dance Company is open to everyone. 

“Guys don’t seem to dance much, but I feel like that should be the reason why we should really push guys to join dance,” Loox said. “I would feel more confident in joining Dance Company if more guys were interested.”

Even though some might be subject to ridicule, according to Azman, it’s more important to pursue your passion.

“Don’t let all the hate get to you,” he said. “ If you like to dance, just go for it. You’ll never know unless you try.”

Large, who has become a successful Broadway artist, has sage advice for any boys who are afraid of participating in dance.

“If any part of your heart or your mind has interest in it just do it, because why not?” he said. “It doesn’t make you gay, and if you are gay, that doesn’t matter either. You might find such a beautiful world that you could have lost out on if you didn’t just do what your heart was telling you to do.”