Tall. Slender. Poised. Elegant. Fair Skinned. These are all characteristics commonly attributed to ballerinas. With finesse, they travel across the stage clad in pink tutus and pointe shoes. The crowd applauds as they take a bow. In recent times, diversity has begun to emerge on the scene, adding a bit of color to the landscape of classical ballet. Many ballerinas of color experience similar obstacles that block their success: Their skin tone is not fair enough. Their body type is too full figured to showcase perfect lines. They often struggle to pay tuition for classes.
Although many have overcome these challenges and have finally become accepted as dancers, there are still some barriers. There is the idea that due to the lack of trained ballerinas of color, there are not many role models that are visible to the current generation that can inspire them to want to learn. There is also the fact that most dance outreach programs are purely educational and not as focused on the training aspect.
While these issues may be prevalent, it is safe to say that Memphis has
a dance program that is geared toward training a diverse group of dancers at
Ballet On Wheels Dance School & Company. As a pre-professional youth dance
company, Ballet On Wheels provides the opportunity for dancers to showcase the
techniques that they have learned and to embrace the art of ballet and other
dance forms. Visit www.balletonwheels.org for more information. There are financial aid opportunities available
for those students who qualify.
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