Monday, May 4

10:00am Black Ballerina - 9th thru 12th + grades

BLACK BALLERINA is a story of passion, opportunity, heartbreak and triumph of the human spirit. Set in the overwhelmingly white world of classical dance, it tells the stories of several black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet. Sixty years ago, while pursuing their dreams of careers in classical dance, Joan Myers Brown, Delores Browne and Raven Wilkinson (the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's first black ballerina) confronted racism, exclusion and unequal opportunity in segregated mid-century America. In 2015, three young black women also pursue careers as ballerinas, and find that many of the same obstacles their predecessors faced are still evident in the ballet world today. Through interviews with current and former ballet dancers along with engaging archival photos and film, the one-hour documentary uses the ethereal world of ballet to engage viewers on a subject that reaches far outside the art world and compels viewers to think about larger issues of exclusion, equal opportunity and change

After watching this episode, choose from the following questions

and/or tasks to extend your learning

Question Box 1

 What role does Swan Lake play in the telling of this documentary?  What does the ballet instructor mean when she says, “Ballet: It’s a white world”?  Who is Ashley Murphy and what role does she play in the Dance Theater of Harlem?  Why was Ashley discouraged to join the Dance Theater of Harlem?  Who is Dolores Brown? What was her influence on the early movement of black women in ballet?  What was Raven Wilkinson's background? What was her influence on ballet?  What role did segregation and the Ku Klux Klan play in Wilkinson’s experience with the ballet?  How did the financial issues of the Dance Theater of Harlem affect its dancers?  How did Debra Austin break barriers in ballet?  Lauren Anderson’s role in ballet was unique. What was the uniqueness of this dancer that made her so popular?  What great ballerina roles has Misty Copeland held? Why is this significant?  Why doesn't Delores Browne frequent the New York City Ballet any longer?  How did the reopening of the Dance Theater of Harlem help to shape the present and the future of ballet in America?

Continued on the next page…

Question Box 2

 Why isn’t the “Ballet” seen as an opportunity for black performers?  What insight about Ballet can you gain from Bianca Fabre?  What did you find most interesting and why?  How much did you know about the subject before we started?  Should color determine opportunity? Why or why not?

Box 3 (Tasks)

 The median salary for a ballerina in 2018 was $30,007, with the range from $20,604 to $62,973. Where do you think these three ballerinas would fall in the salary spectrum? Is this a good return on investment? Justify your reasoning using mathematics.

Box 4 (Enrichment)

 Misty Danielle Copeland is an American ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. In 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. Look up information on Ms. Copeland and how she overcame the color barrier in ballet, specifically the American Ballet Theater. (ELD) Present the information orally to your family.

Box 5 (Extend/Real-Life)

 In this episode you saw a demonstration of grit. Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals; it is not based on talent or luck. Grit enables you to overcome barriers and keep moving forward even when you make mistakes or progress is slow.  What characteristics and actions did you notice in the women featured in the documentary that allowed you to see their level of grit?  Do you have any of these characteristics or have you been in a situation where you have taken similar actions that demonstrated grit?  Want to find out how you rate on the Grit Scale? Complete this short quiz: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/ o Where do you land on the grit scale? o Did you score above, below, or right where you expected? o How can having grit help you accomplish your long-term goals? o How can you challenge yourself to build grit? o Where is your ability to demonstrate grit important in your life today?  Social –Emotional Connection: The ballerinas in this episode faced adversity as they pursued something they loved. They recognized their own strengths and had the self- confidence to continue their dream despite the difficult situations they faced. Being self- aware of your strengths and weaknesses is part of having a growth mindset. In your journal, write when you focused on your strengths to get through a difficult situation.