In 2011, after dancing with American Repertory Ballet and Nashville Ballet, Rachael Parini had decided to retire her ballet shoes. At that point, she was a sophomore at Florida State University, planning to major in political science and international affairs and to work for the State Department when she graduated. But then another black ballerina […]
As a student at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, American Ballet Theatre corps member Erica Lall saw iconic former Houston Ballet principal Lauren Anderson on a regular basis. “I think I assumed her position as an African-American principal dancer was a one-time thing,” Lall says. “Lauren became a principal in 1990. Why aren’t there dozens […]
“I had a unique path to dance,” says Nardia Boodoo, a luminous, elegant dancer with The Washington Ballet. She briefly studied ballet as a child, but didn’t start serious training until she was 14 years old, attending Baltimore School for the Arts. “I didn’t know what a pirouette was,” she says. “I would wake up […]
Misty Copeland. Her name is synonymous with exquisite artistry and outspoken advocacy. And her visibility has made a huge impact on the ballet world. Ballet’s relationship with race has always been strained at best, hostile at worst. But Copeland’s persistent message and star quality have finally forced the ballet industry to start talking about racial […]