Nudity, or the French relations to their bodies

Several weeks ago I participated in the 2 end-of-year dance recitals with my tap school, and after all the rehearsals and final 2 performances I have some observations on nudity.

Eight years ago I was participating in my first French dance school end of year recital, and I remember being shocked that during a rehearsal in a gymnasium some of my fellow dancers (adult women) did quick costume changes on the side of the "stage" where everyone could see them. Being topless or in their underwear in sight of 60-70 people didn't phase them or really anyone else present.

For various reasons, I wasn't really confronted with this again until this year.

I should perhaps explain how American dance schools are set up and organize dressing rooms. Dressing rooms at the school and backstage are always sex segregated. Mothers may be present to help out the girls/women, but fathers can only help out the boys. If a man/boy (father, stage manager, dancer) needed/wanted to come into the dressing room they would call out something like "Is everyone decent?" before coming in. Occasionally a friend of mine would need to do a quick costume change on the side of the stage, and as we got into puberty body tights became popular because you could take of a costume but not really be naked.

My current dance school is based in a converted apartment, so the "dressing room" is in what was probably the bedroom. There's only one (no women's/men's) so everyone changes together. Usually this is would not be a problem since dance classes are 90-100% female, but there are 2 guys in my class of 15-17 dancers. Both are mid-30's, both married, one with kids, but I still felt weird changing with them sitting next to me. My classmates had not qualms and even changed bras while continuing a conversation with them.

So the Friday afternoon of the first performance we arrived at the theater for rehearsal and I discovered that about 80% of the school would be sharing a very large room as a dressing room. I'd become okay with being in my underwear with my male fellow dancers, but I definitely had about 20 minutes of "Wait, we're all changing together, even with the boys and the 14 year old in the other class?"

But there weren't really any other options so I just went with the flow.

I can't say I was 100% comfortable, but everyone's attitude was "it's just a body" so I changed as I needed to. One couple who dance and have their kids in the school were even backstage with their 14 month old daughter and the mother occasionally nursed her throughout the afternoon while the 6 year olds raced around and the teenagers did each others hair. The next day at the second theater the father was in my smaller dressing room with his daughter and even did the dress rehearsal with her in the carrier.

I did notice that the most modest were the 12-15 year old girls with us. Several of them had costume changes which meant being bare chested and many of them took over the bathroom adjacent to the room to have a bit more privacy. One of my classmates decided to give up on trying to keep her bra from showing for one of her costumes and just take it off, but when she realized the dress she needed was across the room on a wardrobe rack she asked another dancer to fetch it for her (so feeling comfortable didn't mean she was about to cross the room topless).

The big differences with Americans in this kind of situation was that there was no shame associated with being in some state of undress. Bodies were just bodies and striping down was treated with the same calm as Americans putting on bowling shoes or a bike helmet: something normal required for certain activities. I don't think any French person would dream of wearing the body tight.

I find these experiences half unsettling, half refreshing. Of course I can't say I enjoy being uncertain what I'm supposed to do or not knowing how everyone else understands the situation, but I've gotten used to so many other aspects of life in France (the paperwork, the bises, stick shift....) that it's nice to have random reminders that deep down there's still a lot of American in there.