This project is a study of Sexual Chocolate, Boston College’s all-male step team, of which I was a member. As a leader on the team, I was confronted by what the team means for its members and the BC community beyond mere entertainment. My work is an exploration of masculinity; specifically how masculinity manifests in expressions of sexuality, bodily movement, and race. I believe masculinity is always in tension between self-expression and self-expectation. 

I chose to photograph the team during practice because I feel that is where the members of SC are the most unguarded. The practice room is a safe, sacred space, where fun and positivity meet discipline and accountability. It is at this intersection we young men come alive. 

The following is an excerpt from the Sexual Chocolate mission statement. 

“...Sexual Chocolate gives BC brothers the opportunity to enhance their perspectives of diversity, the ability to expand their understanding of art and artistic expression, and grow in a family of selfless brothers.  The sexual dimension of our organization displays our comfort and pride in ourselves and our bodies.  The unison and militant dimension of our steps display the seriousness and focus that we devote to our practices and the accountability to which we hold one another.  Dedication and respect epitomize our lifestyles and relationships.  This organization exists with the strength that it has because of the strength of its members….”

“We are only as strong as our weakest link. And in this family, we have none.”

-CSVR