Getting To The Pointe

 
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A Discussion on the Systemic Racism in Ballet

Written and Illustrated by Elizabeth Karnowski, Culture Staff Writer

Everyone is aware of the commonalities within the art of ballet. The pink tights, the pink shoes, the powdered face and the hair slicked back in an overly neat bun. Though considered classic, these common findings are all a part of the systemic racism in dance that must be addressed. 

With ballet originating in Europe, it’s an extremely white-dominated art form. This, however, is no excuse for exclusivity in ballet. The pink tights and pink shoes are supposed to mimic the dancers’ skin but, what happens when the dancer isn’t white?

Black dancers usually buy cheap foundations to “pancake” their ballet shoes. Simply put, they must cover their pointe shoes in a foundation that matches their skin tone per the request of their director or instructor. Compared to their white counterparts, Black ballerinas are paying more money to fit the requirements of their dance studios in order to not stand out compared to other dancers (Daily Mail, 2020).

Discriminatory acts like these are so normalized that people don’t even think twice to change it. Often, people think that since if a problem’s not affecting them, there’s no reason it needs to be addressed or diffused.

Unfortunately, the lack of diverse color options in pointe shoes is just the beginning. Many stories that are told in ballets tell the stories of people around the world. What happens when a company performs a ballet with an all-white cast but the characters require more diversity? One company, Bolshoi in Moscow, was called out for their blatant racism when they had performers dancing in blackface (The New York Times, 2020). It’s argued that their excuse for taking part in this practice is that it’s just a part of the art form. 

This claim defending the “art form” continues to add to the normalization of discrimination within ballet, that must be diminished. Bolshi, the company in question, dismissed the criticism they encountered by saying since they’re a Russian company, blackface doesn’t affect the population that supports them. Claiming that “it’s America who has the racism, segregation, and lynching. We don’t have this, so we’re anti-racist” (The New York Times, 2020). The presence of these ideologies proves that ballet is not inclusive to BIPOC and dismisses the fact that there is work to be done.

Misty Copeland, a powerful Black voice in the ballet community and renowned talent, brought attention to this incident shaming the ballet company in question. Copeland is the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre’s history and besides making remarkable waves for BIPOC in ballet, she also is a strong voice for BIPOC inclusion in ballet. Copeland is outstanding for her work in the art and representation, but the length of time it took for a Black person to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet is inexcusable. 

The little to no representation of BIPOC in ballet leads to a few discussions of the discrimination within the dance form. Yet these, discussions about inclusivity need to be prioritized immediately, not only for young colored dancers to feel welcomed but also for veterans of ballet who have felt underrepresented their entire careers. 

Sources:

 
Culture, LatestModa MagazineCulture, Elizabeth Karnowski