It is no secret that there is a lack of diversity in the world of ballet. Ballet has always been predominately white, skinny and female. The ballet world lacks so much diversity that not until recently Black ballet dancers were able to have their own tights and pointe shoes. For many performances, the ballet tights and pointe shoes worn are supposed to match the skin color of the ballet dancer. However, some dancers had to dye their tights to make them brown to match their skin tone because the only shade range of tights was from very pale to pale to match white skin. Companies did not make black or brown tights or pointe shoes. Another factor to the lack of diversity is economic inequality as ballet training is expensive and many families cannot afford ballet lessons. However, despite the hardships of ballet dancers of color, there are Black ballet dancers out there, and they should not go unnoticed. Here are four Black dancers who exemplify excellence through their ballet.
Brooklyn Mack
Brooklyn Mack is a professional African-American ballet dancer from South Carolina. He started training in ballet at age 12. Now at age 30, he performs with The Washington Ballet as a principal dancer, which is the highest ranked dancer within a professional dance company. He has traveled internationally and won many awards for his performances. In fact, he was the first African-American to win a senior gold medal in the Varna International Ballet Competition, also known as the ballet Olympics because it is the oldest professional ballet competition in the world, held in Varna, Bulgaria.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYjZYt46wHE&t=26s
Video posted by fiordililia2 on YouTube
Image by Michaela DePrince on her website {link to http://www.michaeladeprince.com/about-1/}.
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Michaela DePrince
Mabinty Bangura, now known as Michaela DePrince, is a 23-year-old Sierra-Leoean-American ballerina. She was born in Sierra Leon in West Africa where she had a rough childhood. During her childhood, she was an orphan because both of her parents died in the civil war, and her uncle abandoned her because she was considered "the devil child" due to her having the disease vitiligo, which caused patches of her skin to lose color. While she was at the orphanage she found a magazine with a ballerina on it, and ever since, she wanted to be that ballerina. When she was adopted by an American couple, the magazine was the first thing she showed her new mother. When they returned to the U.S. her mother enrolled her in ballet classes, and the rest is history. Today she is a dancer for the Dutch National Ballet and resides in Amsterdam
Video posted by Women in the World on YouTube
Leroy Mokgatle
Leroy Mokgatle is a 17-year old South African ballet dancer. He started training in ballet in the 2nd grade. He trained for four years at the Art of Motion School in Johannesburg., and at age 15 he won a gold medal at the Genee International Ballet competition in London. His goal is to become a professional ballet dancer; however, his ability to become a principal and/or professional dancer has been doubted by many because of his height. Currently, he uses the opinions of those who doubt him, to motivate him as he continues his journey to become a professional dancer.
Video posted by Prix de Lausanne on Youtube
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland is a 35-year-old acclaimed ballerina. She began training for ballet at the age of 13, which is considered late in the ballet world. But, now she is known as the first African-American performer to be appointed as a principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw_LfOx-1-c
Video posted by Robin DiMaggio on Youtube
Even though I could not find any plus size black ballet dancers, I know they are out there somewhere, and you are appreciated and admired for your confidence and ability to defy standards just like every other Black ballet dancer in the world. May all these Black ballet dancers continue to shine and showcase their excellence with their elegant and graceful skills.
This is a part of The Excellence Series.