25 years before Misty Copeland became ABT’s first African-American principal ballet dancer, Lauren Anderson was the first “brown girl” to be made principal at Houston Ballet. In a special Houston event, the pair came together to answer questions about their lives as dancers and the challenges of being black ballerinas in a still, traditionally white art form.
African-American ballet dancers
Misty Copeland Writes About Diversity in Ballet
A brown swan in the very white world of ballet, Misty Copeland painted her skin a different color in order to play roles in Giselle and Sylvia. 1957? 1977? Nope – 2007. Leigh Purtill looks at Misty’s memoir Life in Motion.
The Desegregation of Dance and the Pioneers Who Made It Possible
Dance Advantage contributor, Roger Lee reflects on Black History Month, focusing in particular on a time when dance, along with the rest of America, was segregated. Giving a brief history of ballet dancer and pioneer, Arthur Mitchell, Roger expresses the inspiration that Mitchell and other trailblazers have provided for young black dancers like himself.
