ADAM JOHN ROBERTS
A NEURODIVERGENT CONTEMPORARY DANCE ARTIST
BE - 'i.Create2' Choreographic Commission with Dance Syndrome
In 2025, I was commissioned by Dance Syndrome to direct a contemporary dance duet inspired by the Design Museum’s ‘Barbie’ exhibition in London.
I discovered the exhibition via social media at the same time when ‘i.Create2’ call-out for choreographers was vacant last Summer when I was in London which reinforced the conversation, “What if Barbie and Ken had Down’s Syndrome?” Without, there would have been no such duet, and I would not have applied.
I visited the Design Museum in November 2024 for some research which I shared with the dancers because I thought they should be made aware of that research investigated by the choreographer.
Background Research // The History of Barbie and Ken
“Toys and games are preludes to serious ideas...”
~ Charles Eames, Architect & Furniture Designer
2024 marked 65 years since the Barbie Doll reigned the aisle with 260 careers (or more) and ownership of 50 houses. She was made for female empowerment, influencing the social and emotional development of children for generations. In other words, shaping their view of adulthood through imaginary role play. The film addresses themes of gender.
The first Barbie Doll was launched in 1959 by Ruth Handler at the New York Toy Fair with 300,000 sold. Handler co-founded Mattel – California's ‘respected’ toymaker and sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club – with her husband, Elliot, in 1945. Their roles within the company were leading research and design efforts whilst heading sales and marketing.
It was in the 1950s when she identified a gap in the market for a fashion doll designed to resemble a grown woman. The doll itself was inspired after watching the imaginary play between her daughter Barbera and paper dolls just like A.A. Milne took inspiration for ‘Winnie the Pooh’ characters from his son, the real-life Christopher Robin.
Her pitch was, “Little girls just want to be bigger girls...” Previous dolls were designed to raise young girls’ expectations of motherhood and marriage, but they looked like babies in the 1950s. Mattel was co-owned by male-identifying Chief Executives.
The very first Barbie Doll took influence from 1950s models, Dovima and Dorian Leigh, and the young actress, Sandra Dee. She wore a swimming costume (or bathing suit) in black/white stripes – monochromatic colours – with blonde or brown hair tied up in a ponytail.
Another one of her first wardrobe items was a linen blue dress with blue stripes. Back then in those times, dolls and costume were sold separately. Two years later, the male-identifying toy Ken Carson was made with the role of Barbie’s boyfriend in 1961. Perhaps more stereotypically, he epitomised American collegiate masculinity.
His brand was her youthful and wholesome counterpart with a slender physique, allowing children to role-play age-appropriate relationship scenarios. One of Barbie’s first career roles was a ballerina along with nursing and working as an airline stewardess.
She also took on the role of the first female-identifying astronaut in 1965 – 4 years before Neil Armstrong. The other three jobs held throughout the 1960s were teaching, cheerleading, and modelling long before becoming a businesswoman in 1985.
The first 2 Black and Hispanic Barbie Dolls launched in 1980. But it was not until 2016 when more Barbie Dolls of 3 different body types were introduced along with a broader range of skin tones.
Seven other ethnic dolls became the norm throughout the ‘80s-2000s. The typical packaging came in an opaque cardboard box containing Barbie held underneath her armpits by a stable stand. In 1967, she was worth 1.50 which was half the price of £3 and is £28 today.
The relationship between Barbie and Ken is actually ‘undefined.’ This definition was intentionally to invite ‘children to project their own assumptions and imagine different play scenarios.’ He also embodies a broad variety of skin tones, hairstyles, hair colours, body shapes, and various disabilities.
The first disabled doll was one of many of Barbie’s friends, Becky – a wheelchair user made in 1997. Her full name was ‘Share-a-Smile Becky Doll.’ Following her came Barbie Fashionistas #166 in 2021 – another wheelchair user of colour.
The line-up of each individual doll embracing 35 skin tones, dozens of hair colours, 4 body shapes, and a variety of disabilities, are not however assigned prescribed ethnicities nor social identities. Not even disability statuses such as Down’s Syndrome. Mattel made the line-up for consumers to interpret for themselves.
“Play is powerful. It’s how children learn to navigate the world – to connect with others, to understand society, and to develop their own creative self-expression. The fundamental purpose of Barbie has always been as a children’s toy, encouraging open-ended role-play in a variety of scenarios.”
~ Anonymous (n.d.)
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The Process
The making of ‘BE’ began with character-building, navigated by brainstorming whereby I posed the following questions: What are your hobbies and interests? What is your happiest memory? What do you dream about? What is your greatest ambition? What are you most proud of? What is your greatest achievement? What are you willing to fight for? What do you want people to remember about you? And if you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The results showed that Barbie went to stage school where she was also a cheerleader. She likes swimming and Taekwondo. Now, she is a fitness enthusiast. Her ambitions are to be onstage with BTS in Korea and be able to travel back to the past. Ken also went to dance school. He enjoys rock-climbing, football, skiing, and is a Winter Olympic champion. His dream is to be a choreographer and filmmaker like Bob Fosse.
The rest of the process running across 3 days were improvisation tasks, looking at simple movements including walking, turning. Basic partnering skills saw holding hands and mirroring movements. Also, sharing weight, leading/following, using props. They were 2 aprons, 2 beach towels, a winter coat, a pair of gloves, 3kg weights.
I watched the video documentation required for each dancer’s movement memory, and selected material from that rehearsal footage, making it a structured improvisation that lasted 6.5 minutes. Not every idea may had been used, but every contribution was valuable.
Originally, I thought about a Capella of “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, considering PRS/PPL, since Dance Syndrome choreograph and dance to lyrical music. But my lecturers would say that music with words are rarely appropriate. Therefore, “Flight from the City” by Johann Johannson felt/sounded maturer, and was the same length as the structure.
Consider the end product as semi-autobiographical dance, I think we have weaved together a poignant and thought-provoking duet that may provoke conversations. ‘BE’ was part of Dance Syndrome’s ‘i.Create2’ showcase at the Media Factory in Preston dating June!
Dancers: Jessica Reid and David Corr; Photography by Brian Slater.
