大象传媒

Mark Tully takes the floor to challenge the traditional role of male and female dance partners. He finds out what happens when the woman leads and the man follows, how such role reversal can have wider benefits, and what dance can tell us about gender, masculinity, femininity and relations between men and women.

Dance teacher and anthropologist Dr Barbara Prentiss demonstrates with her partner Sam Hutton how both parties can flourish as they swap from leading to following while dancing the salsa. She discusses how initial reluctance soon disappears as preconceptions are danced away.

Gene Kelly, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Salsa Celtica all make musical contributions to the discussion, while the words of dancers and writers celebrate the pure joy of taking a partner by the hand and leading - or being led.

Producer: Adam Fowler
A 7digital production for 大象传媒 Radio 4.