Why are there so few female poppers?
If you have ever watched popping videos on YouTube or have been to a popping event, you have certainly noticed that 95% of the people competing are guys. YouTube analytics also says the viewership of my popping videos is about 75% male. However, I have taken popping classes at studios such as Broadway Dance Center in New York City and the beginner classes are ~75% female! Why is this? I think the last example is simply that many females go to the studio for Ballet, Jazz, and Hip hop classes, but then decide to try popping for fun. There are definitely amazingly talented female poppers out there: Pandora, Miss Funk, and Pringlz come to mind just to name a few. (Search them on YouTube!) The list is relatively short in comparison to how many male poppers there are. I have always wondered why this is?
I don’t know the reason, so the following is just a speculation. I plan to get an opinion from a female popper. To help explain, I asked myself a related question: Why is there a similar male/female ratio in breaking? I think in our society there is a notion that guys are supposed to dance tough and girls are supposed to dance smooth. Many girls would rather do ballet, jazz, or modern which is more in line with society thinks is normal. Personally, I think it is very cool when a girl is good at popping, but maybe other people (non dancers) would think differently. Bottom line: I don’t know why, so I will ask a few female poppers and post their thoughts below. For now, here is a recent video I watched of some sick female poppers: