The Weight of Grace: Labor, Care, Desire, and the Female Body in Ballet

Author

• Brittany Moss, Montclair State University

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

MSU-Only Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

College/School

College of the Arts

Department/Program

Theatre and Dance

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Elizabeth McPherson

Committee Member

Laurie Abramson

Committee Member

Donna Scro Samori

Abstract

This thesis examines how gendered expectations shape women’s identities within ballet and beyond, drawing on historical analysis, feminist scholarship, and embodied choreographic research. Through an examination of ballerina memoirs and institutional histories, the study identifies recurring patterns in how women are expected to labor, perform, care, and devote themselves within the dance field, but also the larger society. From this analysis emerge four archetypal roles—the Perfectionist, the Worker, the Nurturer, and the Lover—which reflect broader cultural expectations placed on women’s bodies, identities, and emotional lives. The accompanying choreographic film, The Weight of Grace, serves as an embodied exploration of these archetypes. Developed through improvisation and iterative studio experimentation, the choreography investigates how discipline, productivity, care, and desire manifest physically in the body. Each archetype is introduced through distinct movement vocabulary, environments, and cinematic framing before gradually reappearing in layered and overlapping forms. As repetition accumulates, visible strain emerges and the boundaries between roles begin to dissolve. Through this process, the film reveals how women often carry multiple identities simultaneously. The convergence of these roles ultimately allows for the emergence of the “True Self,” an integrated presence shaped by experience rather than constrained by expectation. By combining scholarly research with choreographic practice, this project uses dance as both a site of inquiry and a means of articulating lived experience.

Comments

The performance video is restricted to the Montclair State University community but the PDF file of the thesis, which is located at the bottom of the screen, is available to anyone interested in reading it.

File Format

MP4

Recommended Citation

Moss, Brittany, "The Weight of Grace: Labor, Care, Desire, and the Female Body in Ballet" (2026). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1671.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1671