As a former dancer who has grappled with questions about sexuality, I was often struck by ballet’s contradictory relationship with queer inclusion and representation. On one hand, the art form – especially in Western countries – has long been seen as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Ballet legends like Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, and Jack Soto lived openly as gay men, and in 1997 an ... (read more)
Helena Gjone
Helena Gjone is a Norwegian-born, Australia-based writer and former dancer. Her fiction and non-fiction explore diverse interests, including the intersection of arts and politics, cross-cultural communication, environmental conservation, and mental health. In 2019, she graduated with first-class honours from Griffith University and was runner-up for the Australasian Association of Writing Program’S Creative Nonfiction Prize. Her work has appeared in Island Magazine, Dancetrain Magazine, The Conversation, Forty South, Talent Implied, and other publications. When not immersed in writing and reading, she enjoys spending time in nature and summiting mountains with her better half.