Noting the small amount of scholarship on the topic, Gard (education, Charles Sturt U., Australia) examines dance in the context of sexuality, particularly in the "social construction of gendered identities" and the process and meaning of how men become theatrical dancers. He concentrates on Western forms of dance--classical ballet and contemporary dance--that are in opposition to traditional ideas of masculinity. Specifically, what male dancers say about themselves is key to his argument, shown here through an analysis of interviews with 20 Australian professionals. He also reviews existing literature and discusses the life of dancer Robert Helpmann. Parts of some of the chapters have been published previously in journals. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)