The American ballet dancer Chase Johnsey who identifies as gender-fluid but still prefers male pronouns is making waves as the first dancer to be accepted into the Corps de Ballet of an international Ballet Company.

Up to signing his new contract Johnsey had been a member of the legendary all male Les Ballets Trocodero de Monte Carlo for 14 years until he left under a cloud claiming he had been harassed and humiliated for appearing too feminine.  Nevertheless whilst the mastered the art of dancing en pointe which usually only ballerinas are expected to do.

Johnsey said “I want to be seen as a ballerina,”  “My hair is up, I wear makeup, female attire. I am able to do female roles and look the part, so that is artistically what I do.”  

Tamara Rojo, the director of English National Ballet who offered Mr. Johnsey a short-term last year told the NY Times that she was “very sensitive about this being seen as a publicity stunt.” Instead, she said: “This is about reflecting the world we live in. There are different races, cultures and beliefs in our company — this is another aspect of that view.”

I think ballet can be the perfect environment for gender fluidity,” Ms. Rojo added. “We are in a position where we could open up roles for lots of people. Obviously certain roles require physical strength for lifting, and are less obvious for crossover. But the potential is there.”

Could Mr. Johnsey be a swan, a princess or a wili? “I don’t see why not,” she said.