by Chloé Lopes Gomes As Told To Laura Cappelle | Nov 30, 2020 | Company Life, Dance Magazine, Instagram, News, Profiles, The Latest
In November, the French dancer Chloé Lopes Gomes went public with accusations of institutional racism against Staatsballett Berlin, first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel. In the article, several anonymous dancers confirm her account. Lopes Gomes,...
by Faith Joy Mondesire For Dance Magazine | Oct 28, 2020 | Instagram, Profiles, Training
I remember when I encountered the color cinnamon. Such warmth and comfort instantly saturated my soul. It was the summer of 2015, a time I will never forget, and I was trying on my first pair of flesh-tone tights. The band fit perfectly on my waist with such a calm...
by Shaté L. Hayes | Aug 24, 2020 | Career, Instagram, News, Training
Black squares on your organization’s social media profile. Posting videos and images of the Black dancers within your company or school. Buttoned up, PR-approved statements that fall in line with what everyone else is saying and doing. Many Black dancers have...
by Alexis Carter-Black For Dance Teacher | Jul 9, 2020 | Training
I recently spent a Saturday night with my husband and my 17-year-old dancing daughter, who sobbed at the foot of our bed. My daughter revealed her experiences with implicit bias and overt racism in school, and especially in the dance studio. For six years, she has...
by Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy | Jun 4, 2020 | Career, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Instagram, News, Profiles, The Latest
I remember the first year that I competed at the Youth America Grand Prix. I was 17 years old and particularly excited to be participating in a competition that focused on ballet. First up for my age group was classical, where I danced Kitri’s Act I variation...
by Dana Nichols For Dance Magazine | Dec 11, 2019 | Career
On Instagram this week, Misty Copeland reposted a picture of two Russian ballerinas covered head to toe in black, exposing the Bolshoi’s practice of using black face in the classical ballet La Bayadère. The post has already received over 60,000 likes and...
by Amy Brandt | Apr 30, 2019 | Career, Profiles, Viral Videos
When Debra Austin became the first black woman to dance at New York City Ballet, hired by George Balanchine in 1971, there was very little publicity surrounding her appointment. Then, after dancing Zurich Ballet for two years, she was offered a principal contract with...
by Amy Brandt | Apr 15, 2019 | Career, Profiles
Debra Austin has a special place in dance history: In 1971, at age 16, she was the first African American woman George Balanchine hired into New York City Ballet. After nine years with the company and two years with Zurich Ballet, she joined Pennsylvania Ballet as a...