Skin Colored Pointes

Predominantly white casting in ballet has led many to wonder, ‘Where are all the black swans?’ This book sheds light on female dancers of colour, including thirteen primary accounts from African American, Latina, and Asian women in ballet.

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Predominantly white casting in ballet has led many to wonder, "Where are all the black swans?" This book sheds light on female dancers of colour, including thirteen primary accounts from African American, Latina, and Asian women in ballet. Topics covered include dance training, casting (and colour-casting), employment, discrimination, implicit bias, success, and achievement. Dancers discuss in detail the obstacles many dancers of colour face during training; considerations facing some women of colour when seeking employment; performance challenges related to company work; and the teachers, parents, and community members that paved a way and widened spaces for them. Through the stories and experiences of the women featured here, models of inclusive practices and allyship are shared. The book culminates with a section providing teaching tools to support inclusive learning spaces.