Besides being associated with social unacceptance, it is still among the great secrets of human development. We are more willing to explore the issues, gay or straight. Our present culture has focused on representing gay and lesbian characters in television, magazines, as well as theatre. "We realize that some people may be uncomfortable with the topic of homosexuality however, dance, like all other art forms, is often more accepting of different lifestyles than is society" (Hamilton, 1999). The prevailing thought into today's society is to think that men who dance are automatically classified or stereotyped as homosexual. "Yet research shows that gay men's same sex feelings emerge, on average, age ten, typically three years before this group begins dance training. Straight male dancers often begin classes earlier, owing to greater parental support. Thus, the arts do not play a role in male dancers' sexual orientation" (Hamilton, 1999). Accepting whom you are is the foundation of one's sexuality. Where do the boundaries of stereotyping come between the actual lifestyles of male dancers?.
All societies practice dance, either solo, in couples, or in groups. People have used dance to exercise their bodies, connect to higher spiritual beings, and to alter circumstances facing their communities. Dance can be a celebration of the emotional, mental, and physical human self. In earlier societies, dance was a part of everyday survival, it was one way for communities to learn cooperation in working and hunting together. Today, dance is used to communicate and express feelings that are difficult to convey in any other way. From the beginning of the twentieth century to present times, dance has evolved significantly. Some cultures have even had homosexual subcultures that have been brought out through rituals and other such ceremonies. Dance has been defined as "a series of rhythmical steps and body movements, usually performed in time to music" (Encarta, 2003).
