Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Tatiana Janigová Female Dancers of Colour in the World of Professional Ballet Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A. 2020 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to thank my supervisor Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, BA for his guidance and helpful advice and my grandma for her love, support and encouragement. Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 5 1. Portraying the Situation and Main Problems of Ballerinas of Colour ..................... 10 The Situation of Dancers of Colour in Ballet .................................................................. 10 The Situation of Ballerinas of Colour.............................................................................. 13 Racism in Ballet ............................................................................................................... 15 2. Cultural and Organizational Barriers to a Dancer of Colour to Pursue Career in Ballet ………………………………………………………………………………………18 Stereotypical Images of Women of Colour ...................................................................... 18 Stereotypes about the Black Dancing Bodies in Association with Ballet Aesthetic ........ 21 The Distinction between White and Black Dance ....................................................... 21 Stereotypes Related to the Black Dancing Bodies ...................................................... 23 Organizational Barriers .................................................................................................. 26 The Origins of Segregation in American Ballet .......................................................... 26 Side Effects and Achievements of DTH...................................................................... 27 3. Experiences of Ballerinas of Colour............................................................................. 31 Experiences of Overt Racism in the Past ......................................................................... 32 Discriminatory Practices of Ballerinas of Colour which Have Persisted....................... 34 Experiences of Ballerinas of Colour in a Predominantly Black Company ..................... 41 4. Diversification of Ballet and the Importance of Role Models ................................... 44 Misty Copeland, a Role Model and an Advocate for Dancers of Colour ........................ 45 Aesha Ash and her Swan Dreams Project ....................................................................... 48 The End of Pancaking...................................................................................................... 49 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 51 Appendix............................................................................................................................. 55 Works Cited ....................................................................................................................... 63 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 68 Resumé ................................................................................................................................ 69 Introduction In every Swan Lake there is always one black swan; unfortunately, the situation regarding the number of dancers of colour in numerous American elite ballet companies is similar or even worse. The world of professional ballet has been struggling with lack of diversity since its origins. The belief in black inferiority affected people in all aspects of their lives and art was no exception. While many art forms have become increasingly diverse, the world of professional ballet has made progress very slowly. It stems from traditions and strict rules which make this art form so special, extraordinary and exquisite. African American female dancers have only limited access to the leading roles of classical ballet productions. There have been marginalizing ideas about their bodies and stereotypes connected to African Americans which made them inappropriate for ballet. As a result of various campaigns and programs promoting inclusion in ballet and achievements of some black ballerinas, conditions of ballet dancers of colour are currently getting better. However, skin colour still remains an obstacle in the path of a black ballerina who is still perceived as an anomaly. The main objective of this thesis is to clarify the exclusion of ballerinas of colour and present cultural and organizational barriers to an African American dancer to become a member of ballet community. In order to get to the root of the problem it was necessary to do research on ballet itself and the position of a dancer of colour in this art form. Methodology of this thesis is based on close textual analysis. Before all else, it is important to mention the limited number of materials concerning the relative absence of African Americans in ballet due to the sensitive nature of this topic. However, recently the problem of lack of diversity in ballet has attracted the attention of mainstream media which highlight the questionable shortage of dancers of colour in American companies and provoke discussion. The starting point of my research were the articles published in popular newspapers, e.g. “Where Are All the Black Swans” which led me to various sources and materials which 5 deepen my understanding of what stands behind the exclusion of African American ballet dancers. The cornerstone of the thesis is, however, the ground-breaking research by Nyama McCarthy-Brown Dancing in the Margins: Experiences of African American Ballerinas. Between 2008 and 2010 McCarthy-Brown conducted a number of interviews with mainly former ballerinas of colour who revealed what it had taken to be a ballerina of colour, which obstacles they had faced and their consequences on their careers. Ballet is a performing art which means that it must be seen in order to be understood and examined. Therefore, the crucial sources are also miscellaneous visual materials, videos and interviews with black ballerinas telling their stories and expressing their feelings. To provide an example, the documentary Black Ballerina compares the conditions of dancers in the past with the present situation. There are two generations of ballerinas living in totally different eras sharing similar experiences of exclusion. This thesis consists of four chapters; each of them is further divided into subchapters. An inseparable part of the thesis is the Appendix which provides the photos of particular ballerinas and helps a reader to get a picture of the subject. The first chapter starts with the portrayal of the situation of a black ballerina. The main aim of this chapter is to introduce the topic of race and skin colour in the realm of ballet and clarify the difficult position; firstly, a ballet dancer of colour in general and then a black ballerina in particular. The last subchapter defines racism in ballet and its forms. Chapter one presents several materials which are used further in the thesis and there is an emphasis on newspaper articles, published primarily in The New York Times, which provide a starting point for basic understanding of the reality of marginalized ballerinas. The second chapter identifies cultural and structural barriers which have prevented ballet dancers of colour from attaining their full potential and pursuing career in ballet. Stereotypical ideas play a crucial role in terms of cultural impediments because they shape the 6 way we perceive dancers of African American background. Initially, the whole attention is centred on the stereotypes associated with black ballerinas. In the first place there are examined stereotypes about black women in general; these historical controlling images are in strong opposition to ballet standards so their presence should be considered because they are one of the hidden obstacles black ballerinas face. Subsequently, there are also stereotypes linked to the black dancing bodies which build even a bigger obstacle for a reason that they create biological objections to dancers’ bodies and make them inappropriate for the lines of classical ballet technique. Brenda Dixon Gottschild, a household name in the context of African Americans and dance, describes the issues of black dancing bodies in her revealing book called The Black Dancing Body: A Geography from Coon to Cool. Gottschild’s writing offers a detailed explanation of the issues dancers of colour must cope with. She illustrates the concept of the black dance and white dance and describes the typical features of black dancing bodies and white dancing bodies. Through the experiences and opinions of numerous dancers and choreographers who have come into contact with stereotypical reactions to the bodies of African American dancers, Gottschild reflects the position of the black dancing body in the white ballet environment. Her book provides a considerable insight into the issues which the broad public outside the dance world is unfamiliar with because she discusses the taboo topic of race in dance which would be otherwise impenetrable.