En Pointe: Black Ballet Dancers Face Discrimination
Misty Copeland didn’t start taking ballet lessons until she was 13 years old, which is considered unheard of in the world of ballet. Although she had a late start, Copeland has taken the Ballet world by storm. Four years after she started training, Copeland was accepted into the prestigious American Ballet Theater (ABT). Although ABT has been around since 1937, Copeland was only the third African-American female soloist to join.
A recent article done by The Guardian, brought to light the lack of “color” there is in ballet. Many of the dancers interviewed for the article cited various instances of discrimination from different ballet companies. Ballerina Aesha Ash blames traditionalism, “I have a strong sense that, behind the scenes, donors are saying that they don’t want to see African-Americans promoted in ballet. They want to see Giselles as pale, they want things to remain how they are – for the ‘pure’ swans to look like the traditional swans they’ve seen their whole lives.”
One dancer noticed the lack of color in ballet, took matters into her own hands. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dance in 2001, Cassa Pancho founded Ballet Black. The goal of Ballet Black is to provide dancers and students of black and Asian descent with inspiring opportunities in classical ballet. Although her dance company has made huge strides, she still notices a disparity, “The number of black dancers is still very low,” she says. “In this country, there are no black British female dancers at the major companies. The Birmingham Royal Ballet has one woman, who is Canadian, via Trinidad.”
Not only are there disparities in dance companies, but there’s also one in companies that specialize in ballet clothing. Many dancers have to paint their own shoes with brown shoe polish to match their skin, because most companies do not make accessories in varying skin tones. “Black dancers look terrible in pink tights, but so many companies try to make all the dancers wear the same tights. In Swan Lake, dancers are supposed to dust themselves with white powder”, noted Pancho.
Maybe one day there will actually be a black swan in a major production of Swan Lake, until then we can only hope that more children have access to this form of dance, in order to assure that there will be plenty of black ballet dancers in years to come.
I would love to see a movie about ballet dancers feat. a black cast or cast of color. So much raw emotion during and after the shows. Isn’t there only one ballet tour feat black dancers that sell out every year? Can’t think of the name. But this is one event I think a lot of black people would support.
Try the original “Fame” film. That isn’t exclusively about ballet but it’s really diverse and a good film.
LMAO…… Sweetie….. I saw that movie when it opened….LMAO! But thanks…and it was an awesome movie///still is.
Is it Alvin Ailey dance Company from Harlem, N.Y. ??
I think “The Comment” was referring to Alvin Ailey Dance Company but Ailey is Modern dancing, not Ballet
@ S.
Thank you for the correction. Big difference. I’d like to see it all. Just black people dancing with articulation and technique is magical. But yes…modern dance and ballet are two different monsters.
You may be thinking of Arthur Mitchell’s Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mitchell was originally a soloist with New York City Ballet (in the 50s). Balanchine choreographed a special solo for him. Mitchell formed Dance Theatre after the 1968 riots to train dancers and give back to the community. His ballet company has toured and had great success internationally and many prominent black ballet dancers came out of it.
I always loved ballet, since I was a child, but never persued that dream due to being told that I diidn’t have the body type for the dance.
It’s never too late. Plenty of adults take ballet classes just for fun and exercise.
I can so relate…I always been fascinated with ballet but was always met with either your body type is wrong or simply black girls don’t do that…sighs but now I’ am doing what Val said of just taking classes for fun and the exercise.
there are also ballet dvds you can buy.
I have always been into ballet, too. I felt like I was too old to start once I became interested in actually doing it, but Val has a good point.
This is why there is a Dance Theater of Harlem and Alvin Ailey. Instead of worrying about what White Ballet companies are doing we need to support our own companies. Dance is not something we need help from White folks with, be it ballet or modern or jazz or otherwise.
that doesn’t solve an issue…most ballet dancers see beyond DTOH…or Alvin Ailey…those two companies, although historical, do not necessarily bring mainstream notoriety.
Mainstream notoriety? You mean White people?
Anyway, Dance Theater of Harlem and Alvin Ailey are very successful companies that tour the world and have done so for decades. In truth there aren’t many companies that are more critically acclaimed then they are. Or maybe you are just one of those who believes that the White man’s ice water is colder.
Exactly!!! We are always complaining about the “lack of color” here and there. Black parents could put there kids in classes. Who cares about mainstream notoriety? This is the reason we are still complaining about shows like “Girls.” Black folks would rather complain and beg white folks to let them come where they’re not wanted, beg them to include us. Create your own stuff. Support your own stuff. That’s what other “people of color” do. They stick together.
And the mainstream will notice it anyway. How many things have black people created in this country for their entertainment that have become big in mainstream society? Lots of stuff.
This is why I get upset about Tyler Perry. This is why I don’t complain about white shows like “Girls.” We are complaining about white folks not putting us in their shows when there are affluent black people out there in a position to create content and positive images for us. When these people get the chance, instead of putting out positive non-stereotypical characters, they produce more coonery.
There are plenty of black people out there who could be creating ballet studios, encouraging our kids to get involved in music, and doing more in general. They move into the suburbs, send their kids to a majority white ballet school, and then get upset when their daughter never gets the lead part. In my opinion, black people need to create their own stuff sometimes just like white people created their own stuff. I’m not saying I believe in segregation, but I think many black people saw integration as a way to attend the successful white schools, to live in safe white neighborhoods, to have what white people have without doing the work for their group. After integration, many black people stopped worrying about creating their own stuff or improving their own neighborhoods. The goal then was just to move into white folks’ neighborhoods.
Black folks need to start building some elite schools for parents who want their kids to get the best education possible and get into schools like Harvard without Affirmative Action. They need to start creating some music schools to send their kids to. Introduce your kids to jazz instead of hip hop with a musical instrument. Create some ballet studios. Run some math summer camps. And these programs and institutions have to be on par with or surpass white institutions. No more acceptance of mediocrity. When you have your own crap and it is the best, you don’t have to move to a better neighborhood or beg for inclusion. Imagine if Tyler Perry would improve his skillset and start directing some Oscar level movies. People like Viola Davis wouldn’t only get five minutes in “Doubt” or only maid roles in “The Help.” Women like her could become black Meryl Streeps. Black folks are still complaining about the quality of many of our schools like we can’t change them. Obviously many black people are not in a position to do these things, but middle class and affluent black folks are.
Actually, black dancers who do ballet are more or less pushed out. They don’t get picked when they audition, they rarely get featured roles, and they rarely are able to get out of the corps de ballet even if they DO make it into a major company. Do you think black dancers who do modern dance fall from the sky? A lot of them did start off in ballet and if you pay attention, you can see they have the same skills. By the time you get to high school age, you either have to start looking to prepare for a professional career or not. And someone who wants to really be a dancer is going to have to eventually give up entirely or go where they are wanted.
So it’s not that black people don’t do ballet, it’s that when they audition to get to the next level, they are passed over, even when the skills are there.
Of course pretending that everything is all about “black people waste their money” and don’t try let’s racist systems off the hook.
The excuses are sometimes about body types(so yeah, once your bottom become prominent or your breasts become large, they are going to turn on you big time-ballet does not like women with hourglass figures) but the black dancers who do have the tiny bodies and long limbs still get passed over, and rarely get to be principle dancers.
So you might want to do a bit of research before you declare to the problem to be one of black people not trying or not taking ownership or not using their money to put their kids in dance class.
Like so many other things in this society, we do not get the same recognition when we put in the work and have the same talent.
So true I go to Alvin ailey.
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I’m inclined to agree.
But if it is the AMERICAN Ballet Company then why should we not have an opportunity?
because in case you haven’t noticed by now americans are looked at as white.
notice how whenever the term “all american” is used then it’s usually codeword for all white. i just noticed this about 4 months ago.. they even have the “all american basketball league” which is a new white only basketball league.
What are you talking about? Ballet is not necessarily even European or classical anymore — there are many types of ballet. Are we suggesting that if a Black woman has an aptitude for dance she should accept discrimination because ballet if for Whites? Why don’t we just say the same for medicine and the law?
Nope, she should enter just be prepared and don’t cry foul. I so wish Black people would stop begging for White people’s acceptance, or feeling like we MUST prove ourselves to them; it’s lame.
From Ballet to Thai black girls/women can do it all!! NEVER forget that.
This doesn’t really make sense. We’re not talking about Thai dance. We’re talking about ballet, one of the most popular forms of classical dance in the West. But if we were talking about classical Thai dance in Thailand, the same thing would apply: people would be critical if Thais of a minority ethnicity were hindered from taking part in it.
What exactly makes white people as a whole “own” ballet? Ballet did not randomly spring into existence in every white nation at one moment. It originated in one nation: Italy. Why is it okay for people of other European nations to admire it and want to adopt it, but not for black people to do the same?
Furthermore, so many things we take for granted today originated outside Europe, and Europeans have borrowed the ideas and adapted them, and made good use of them. Why on earth should black people be apologetic about doing the same? Our communities are already disadvantaged in many ways. Why should we add to the disadvantages by imposing ridiculous limitations on ourselves. I say if black kids want to dance ballet, let them dance ballet. If you don’t like ballet, that’s your prerogative, but I’m willing to bet there are plenty of “white” things that you do.
I agree and disagree. I agree that we should not try to insert ourselves in everything, but I disagree about black girls and women’s participation in ballet. Are we going to say German girls/women shouldn’t do ballet because it is originated in Italy, and has history in Italy, France, and Russia more than in Germany? Are German women inserting themselves into ballet? Are American women? This is a dance form. Everyone should be allowed to learn about and participate in other people’s culture. Dance is universal and ballet is not just for white girls, and hip hop is not just for black girls.
I think we should have more of our own studios and productions. Now we are not inserting ourselves, but black girls/women also get to participate in ballet. Why shouldn’t we? White folks listen to jazz, reggae, hip hop, blues, disco, and rock and roll. They swing dance and take hip hop classes. Why shouldn’t our kids do these things? Why is it that white people are out here trying to learn hip hop dancing, sing in R&B stye, play blues guitar, learn yoga, start meditating, attend African and Asian art exhibits, play jazz clarinet, and become cultured and cosmopolitan, but some black people don’t want to do anything like that? This is not cultural appropriation. I, myself, am proud that African Americans have contributed great art and music to the world. I am happy that other people want to learn about and participate in it. When black folks want to learn ballet, play classical music, or learn yoga, there are some black people who see this as acting white or inserting ourselves into their culture.
We are not inserting ourselves into their culture. We are participating in a form of dance that originated in a country where the people were white. It is now very popular in the West. African Americans live in the West. I don’t know why we shouldn’t participate. Participating is not inserting, but begging for inclusion in productions, movies, TV shows, and so on is too much.
*inserting ourselves into others’ cultures*
I am not trying to take yoga away from the Indians :-)
Been there, trained as a professional ballet dancer. Ballet is discriminatory in general and extremely limiting. To be a great ballet dancer you need a very very specific body type and the appropriate level of flexibility. There are a lot of white women who don’t fit this stereotype as well because the things ballet demands of your body depends largely on what you were born with, even down to how much your feet arch. Now, if you’re a good dancer you can def over come your bodily limitations, but to get into a company, even if you try to overcome your body, is very hard. From personal observation, a lot of AMAZING black ballet dancers quit cuz as they got older they got more hips, butt etc. and they figure, why even try? A lot of what ballet demands is more prevalent in the white dancers’ body type. I think this plays a large role in black dancers being reluctant to take it to the next level.
What I do love is that companies like DTH make their students spray paint their ballet shoes tan and wear brown tights to match their skin tone. Even as a dance teacher now I have to fight because for some reason I am required to wear pink tights, even though my skin is nowhere near pink! ugh–frustrating.