*Quick disclaimer: None of my articles are written from the perspective of racial inferiority or superiority. I am not writing in favor of any race above another. I write the truth and say things others are afraid to say. I write from the perspective of perseverance and advancement in favor of dance art.
If it is not clearly, painfully obvious, that the exploitation of a black dancer's career in exchange for cheap badges of diversity becomes enervated by the week, I am not sure that this tactic will ever be fully accepted as UNACCEPTABLE. It needs to be.
The celebration of black dancers' careers should not be overshadowed by low-level compliments that aim to exalt the race of an artist, before their talent, expertise and impact. Today I began to read an article from New York Amsterdam News and could not believe what I was reading. A professional dance career, especially in ballet is a challenging one. No dancer should have to share the excitement of their feats with racial undertones of any kind. You know, it is even getting old to say things like "The first African American in... to... that...". When will we move on from that? The more dancers accept mediocre news features, the more it will continue to circulate. There is more to harp on besides race. It happens constantly with black dancers. It’s lazy. Black dancers are also worth extensive exploration.
Here is a portion of that dance article I read. "... stepping into the spotlight, no matter the rank, in an American ballet company is a noteworthy event for a black dancer". Are we in the 50s? This was laughable. I will let you, the reader, deduct your own opinion from that. My point is that a black dancer should not be exempt from experiencing the authenticity of their mountaintop career moments. Their complexion did not get them there. Black dancers are just as gifted, competent and talented as any other dancer sharing the stage. Also important to note, it is not the glory of every black dancer to dance amongst non-black dancers. That is weird. Dance is dance. Despite the world's climate, skill and dedication to a craft still matters. Dance was never about an opportunity to dance with any company despite race. Not even in the days of Delores Brown and Raven Wilkinson. Racial separation was a harsh reality that met them on the grounds of their passion. They never danced to gain approval from any man. High ranking black dancers deserve the same respect as the next dancer— they got into the room and constantly do the work well. Not every black dancer is gunning for a spotlight position for a chance to be recognized, only for that recognition to be stewarded by the irrelevance of their race. It is already a reality.
Articles like the above mentioned seeks to connect their weak recognition of black dancers to the strong past of former black dance legends. The two cannot be compared. As an example, the audacious steps of the late Arthur Mitchell gave black dancers a space to shine in classical ballet (the work) and that is NOT synonymous with todays lazy attempts to award companies with the "diversity badge" when the recognition barely makes it past skin color. It does not compare. Race does not matter the way some understand. It does not matter when that is all one can focus on. It matters when diversity is authentically showcased. This is how dreams can be ignited. It happened to me! The more articles that are written and company decisions that are made solely based upon "we need a black dancer" or "black dancers need to be on stage to please the audience", the circular conversation of inclusion, disguised as further isolation between black and white dancers will continue. We perpetuate the narrative of black dancers not being accepted but isolating themselves due to continued passivity and white or non-black dancers either being too fearful not to create weak celebratory written pieces or simply being resistant against true artistry just because it exudes from a black body. We must get past this. Celebrate black dancers with the same esteem and fervor as any other artist. If we truly want to dismantle racism and modern-day segregation, stop treating black dancers like a museum structure. We are here! We have been here. I don’t say that because I am extra pro-black. I say that because it is the truth. It is now 2023, there are black women in ballet. Let’s kill that cry.
Let’s Dance!
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