He Wants to Be a Ballerina. He Has Taken the First Steps.

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Chase Johnsey performing in the English National Ballet’s production of “The Sleeping Beauty” at the Coliseum Theater. Mr. Johnsey was performing as part of the female corps de ballet.Credit Tom Jamieson for The New York Times

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For the first time in modern ballet history, a male dancer is performing as part of the female ensemble at an international ballet company, signaling an important moment in an art form that often celebrates a particular ideal of femininity. Or, as the great choreographer George Balanchine said, “ballet is woman.”

But in a world with a heightened awareness of gender fluidity, and with transgender people increasingly accepted in a variety of professions, including acting and modeling, ballet is taking its own brave leap.

“I want to be seen as a ballerina,” said Mr. Johnsey, an American, who identifies as gender fluid but uses male pronouns. “My hair is up, I wear makeup, female attire. I am able to do female roles and look the part, so that is artistically what I do.”

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“I don’t care what the body parts are, as long as artistically the dancer makes the choreography shine,” Ms. Whelan said. “If he is the best girl for the job, then great.” But, she added, this could be “another hurdle” for women in a field that is more difficult for them to succeed in than men. “Living the life of a woman in ballet means not having access to the privileges that come with the patriarchy,” she added.

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