Students who take dance in college are often subjected to stereotypes related to gender roles. Dance is often seen as a female activity. Because of this, men who take dance, particularly ballet, can be stereotyped as feminine or homosexual. Female dancers are affected by this stereotype, too; many women who take dance are thought of as stereotypically "girly" girls with an excessive preoccupation with physical appearance. In truth, dance is not tied to a particular gender role. Male and female dancers must be look fit and graceful, and have a high level of physical strength.
Dance is rarely thought of as a sport. Though dance is not a competitive sport, professional dancers are top-notch athletes. They have a combination of flexibility and muscular strength. Men who take dance in college may be stereotyped as unathletic, a stereotype that can hurt them socially. However, a lot of men who take dance in college are active in other sports and take dance to develop flexibility and endurance. Dance is a highly demanding athletic activity.
Many students who take dance in college are subjected to stereotypes relating to sexuality. Female ballet dancers can be seen as frigid or sexually uptight;, female hip-hop dancers or cheerleaders may be stereotyped as flirtatious or bubbly. Male ballet dancers are sometimes stereotyped as homosexual, while men in other fields of dance such as hip-hop or cheerleading are sometimes seen as using dance as a way to hit on women. These stereotypes have no basis in reality. Most people take dance because of the physical challenges it presents, not because it can have sexual undertones.
Female dancers are often perceived as being perfectionists. Because of the high degree of commitment required and the fact that most dancers are thin, female dancers can be stereotyped as obsessive, anorexic and neurotic. Though most female dancers are highly committed to dance, it is not true that all of them have mental illnesses or eating disorders. Eating disorder rates are higher than average among professional dancers, but students who take dance classes in college are no more likely to develop a disorder than anyone else.