'Seeing is believing': Few Black ballerinas take the stage. The ones who do open doors.

Since ballet was popularized in the United States during the 1930s, Black dancers struggled to be seen and recognized.

In recent years, the public has seen the rise of the Black ballerina through Misty Copeland, but her journey is similar to that of many other Black ballet dancers who've fought through racism, inherent obstacles to get into the arts and often tokenism, said Ingrid Silva, a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. 

"There’s a lot in the dance world," Silva said. "Companies have dancers of color to show they have dancers of color. Most times these dancers don’t even make it to the stage." 

Over the past century, when Black dancers have been able to break through they have often been used as tokens of progress or asked to camouflage their heritage. 

When the English National Ballet released a promotional image of their 2019 production of Swan Lake, it featured their only Black ballerina, Precious Adams. Adams was presented as the lead soloist, but was only a part of the large group of background dancers. 

In the mid-1930s, Janet Collins, the first Black ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, was asked to wear whiteface to join the ballet company Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo according to an anecdote recounted in "Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins." 

Finding a place to belong

Because dancers were denied access to ballet training, new companies were formed dedicated to people of color. Notably, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theatre of Harlem are top dance companies that tour worldwide.

"Alvin Ailey once said I am trying to say something about the beauty of Black people, their elegance, their ability to entertain, their intelligence and love of self," Ailey Extensions director Lisa Johnson-Willingham told Paste BN about the creation of the dance company. "So he wanted to transmit that through discipline and convey that feeling to the audience."

The company looks to push Black narratives that accurately represents Black life in America she continued.

"Historically, ballet wasn’t created to be inclusive, but it has turned into a dance that many people do," said Larissa Gerszke, member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Gerszke started taking classes at the age of 5 in her hometown Ontario, Canada, and by the end of high school she knew this was the profession for her.

"Because I was one of the only Black students in any of the classes, especially in Canada, I had to assimilate and make myself blend in with the people around me," Gerszke told Paste BN.

She recalls moments where she was asked to straighten her naturally curly hair and stay out of the sun during vacation. She was often critiqued that her thighs were too thick and to tuck her butt. These critiques are often given to Black dancers as they seem to be "disruptive" or "unfit" for ballet companies.

"There was a certain part of me that felt like I was camouflaging my naturalness to fit in and excel," Gerszke said.

The Complexions dancer didn’t let the ideal image of a ballerina be what drove her to continue training. Instead, she focused on mastering the technique.

Those moments along with the guidance from her mentor encouraged her to move to the United States to join a company where she would be surrounded by people who identified the same as her. After graduating high school, she attended Fordham University in conjunction with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

In 2016, she found her place with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, a company of predominately dancers of color. It was founded in 1994 by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, two former Ailey principal dancers under the mission to "bring unity to the world one dance at a time."

"There wasn’t one person (in the audience) who didn’t see themselves on stage and resonated with the human experience (the company) presented," Gerszke said.

Finding a place to belong is a constant battle most Black dancers experience.

Silva, a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, traveled to the U.S. to pursue a dance career she knew wouldn't be available in her home country of Brazil. Though the nation is diverse, Silva said racism is still evident in Brazil. 

"There, I was never seen as a ballerina or a professional," Silva told Paste BN.

Stepping stones to building inclusivity

Representation is important for inspiring the next generation of dancers.

Every year companies perform their adaptations of famous ballets such as the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, but as history shows there are few people of color in lead roles. 

This year the Pacific Northwest Ballet located in Seattle cast two Black ballerinas as Clara, the heroine in "The Nutcracker," marking the first time in the history of the company. Only premiere dancers are granted these roles, and few are dancers of color. 

Ingrid Silva said when she portrayed the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Dance Theatre of Harlem's rendition of the Nutcracker, the crowd's reaction reinforced how much representation matters.

“The kids were mesmerized. To them I was like doll. And to see their eyes glowing, it reminded me of the first time my eyes glowed when I saw someone on stage look like me. It’s beautiful to see yourself and believe you can do it too,” Silva said.

Seeing a ballet for the first time can set the tone for whether a young girl or boy decides to join the industry.

Misty Copeland was appointed the first Black principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre in 2015 where she broke barriers. 

Before Misty Copeland there are only a few others who were appointed principal roles. Gerszke and Silva explained there weren't many Black ballerinas to look up to when they were younger, but social media has changed that.

Cost as a barrier

As early as age 2, children are put into dance classes to exercise, gain discipline or learn responsibility. Some parents are looking to get an early start for their child to become a professional dancer.

Those able to receive an early exposure to dance naturally exclude those who are unaware of or unable to afford ballet training.

The School of American Ballet, one of the top ballet schools in the country, posted their 2021-22 tuition and fees that show students pay between $4,000-$9,000 in tuition per semester, $17,000 for room and board if needed and hundreds of dollars in extra fees.

Additionally, students must supply and replace class items which include pointe shoes ($104), leotards ($30), and tights ($10).

The cost puts training out of reach for many without a scholarship.

"The art form itself is not made to be inclusive. It is expensive. It’s completely hard for someone that doesn’t have the financial resources to join dance," Silva told Paste BN.

Change is possible

Companies are taking strides to close the gap. For example, in 2020, American Ballet Theatre announced the RISE program to build on its initiative Project Pilé that began in 2013 to increase diversity for ballet students, teachers and administrative interns. They grant dancers of color scholarships as a part of the initiative to encourage more auditions.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has Arts in Education & Community Programs that promote community exposure to dance. In 1989, Alvin Ailey created AileyCamp as one of the country's first initiatives to bring dance training to underrepresented communities explained Johnson-Willingham.

And about 28 companies joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem's Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet including top company School of American Ballet.

“Organizations have to look at themselves honestly and notice what they are lacking and determine how to integrate the community into what we are doing,” Gerszke said.

For the first time in recent years, companies have allowed flesh colored tights and ballet shoes that accurately reflect those of color.

Seeing Black ballerinas in a uniform with the right skin tone shows young dancers they belong.

Additionally, Gerszke teaches master classes with Complexions to be a vessel for young students to show the power in representation through having a teacher that looks like you.

“To see the way a person’s body language shifts and see the inspiration light up people who otherwise felt like they don't belong," she said. "Seeing is believing.”