The way that this dance is traditionally staged, it STARTS with Rosie in the power position and leading the proceedings, but the men get so worked up that, eventually, she loses control and begins to turn into something else. Something that could potentially be sexual assault. That's the issue that some people have with this number.
Rosie doesn't start this scene with the intent of having sex with anyone...it's a demonstration of her power as an attractive, sexually experienced woman over a group of men, in reaction to her fight with Albert, who has been continually discounting her and her needs for years. What she doesn't count on or forgets is that she's sexually teasing a group of men who, dazzled though they may be, are generally larger and stronger than she is, so, when she takes things too far, this situation could easily flip on her and, generally, there does seem to be some fear toward the end as the dynamic changes and she becomes the prey, rather than the predator. There's only one of her against the group, so this could turn out very badly for her, but luckily does not. |
