From costumes to partnering and even movements, ballet can be a highly gendered art form. Delicate, pointe shoe-clad female dancers are hoisted in the air by strong, powerful male partners. But what happens to dancers who exist outside that binary?
Atlas Hovdesven faced this question after coming out as transgender in 2020. After struggling to find an existing community of queer dancers, the 17-year-old came to a new conclusion: If a space doesn’t exist, it’s time to build a new one. Thus, “A Very Queer Ballet (not a love story)” was born.
“A Very Queer Ballet” is an original contemporary ballet staged entirely by youth dancers in Bellingham. The show was written and choreographed by Hovdesven himself, with the aim of LGBTQ+ representation in Bellingham’s dance scene. It runs April 12–13 at New Prospect Theatre.
“Dance is allowed to be a comfortable space for queer people,” he said. “There’s no reason it shouldn’t be, because it’s a universal language.
Hovdesven has been in ballet since age 2, and he said “A Very Queer Ballet” is shaped by his own life experiences. The show’s protagonist, River, is a trans youth navigating mental health, gender dysphoria and relationships with family and friends. River is joined onstage by an ensemble cast of queer young people, all of whom represent various identities and issues. But despite these characters’ struggles, Hovdesven said the show is ultimately about showcasing queer joy.
Hovdesven first dreamed up “A Very Queer Ballet” in 2022; two years later, he realized he had the support necessary to bring it to life. His first order of business was to recruit Sunny Holton as technical director. From there, Hovdesven reached out to dance studios, arranged auditions, rounded up a tech crew and even created a GoFundMe.
“We raised about $1,000, which was kind of shocking,” Hovdesven said. “Every time a donation came in, I kind of realized that people care about this, and people do recognize that it’s important.”
In choreographing the hourlong production, Hovdesven was ultimately able to re-enter the dance world on his own terms. What’s more, he said several cast members also joined the show after years away from dance — in part because “they’re finding a space that represents them.”
“AVQB has been such a positive experience and has created such a loving community between the dancers and the technicians working the show,” Holton said. “Atlas and I wanted to make this show be a very positive and safe environment for everyone to feel that they could be themselves and showcase what they do best without being judged or labeled in a way they do not want to be.”
Cast member Abigail Ormsby said dance was her main focus as a child, but “A Very Queer Ballet” allowed her to explore the art form through a more inclusive and understanding lens. Additionally, cast member Jax Jimenez said the show provided them with a creative outlet after time away from performing.
“I’m a low-income individual and full-time student, and I was able to have my fees waived, making it possible for me to join,” Jimenez said. “Having a flexible schedule has allowed me to balance school and work while pursuing my interests. I’m passionate about bringing equity and diversity into the arts, because everyone should be given a chance to follow their passions.”
Though representing his own journey was important, Hovdesven finds this kind of feedback most meaningful. He finds deep purpose in helping other dancers feel at home onstage again — and “A Very Queer Ballet” is just the beginning.
After finishing high school, Hovdesven plans to double major in linguistics and dance at Western Washington University. Wherever he ends up, he hopes to continue choreographing ballets through a non-heteronormative lens “all throughout [his] life.”
“I know that there are trans or queer dancers out there who either don’t know they’re queer, or can’t find a space in dance,” Hovdesven continued. “If I can make one queer dancer feel like they can be more at home in dance, I have succeeded.”
“A Very Queer Ballet (not a love story)” is at 7 p.m. April 12–13 at New Prospect Theatre (207 Prospect St.). Info and tickets: newprospecttheatre.org.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
