Achieving diversity and racial justice in ballet requires more black swans.

Ballet blanc is a romantic form from the 19th century that glorifies white spirits, swans and ghost-like wilis. Some of these examples are La Sylphide, Giselle and Swan Lake. The ballet company always enjoys excellent coordination and symmetry among corps de ballet while performing this famous work.

The idea of an all-white tutu ballet appears to be harmless but it becomes clear that there has been no progress in racial diversity when singularity goes beyond ballet technique suggesting that all performers should have a similar hair style, skin color and body shape. In an Instagram post which he captioned “when racism starts at a young age…” Felipe Domingos, a performer with Finnish National Ballet describes being kicked out of a ballet for being too black. According to the choreographer he looked different from the rest hence his appearance was not matching with others as required by the performance.

These stories happen more often than one would think. For instance, Misty Copeland who was appointed as the first black American female principal dancer (ABT) confessed to TIME magazine that she felt compelled to use make up so as to match other dancers on stage. Similarly, another ABT dancer Gabe Stone Shayer speaks about prejudice in dancing in Dance Magazine stating he studied at Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow Russia where political correctness never interferes with development. These stories only scratch the surface. Despite the growing popularity of Black Lives Matter movement, some ballerinas took their experiences with racism on social media calling for true equality reform they hope for.

Last year Copeland posted an Instagram photo showing two white ballerinas practicing for Bolshoi’s staging of La Bayadère wearing black body paint3. Even though it is sad enough to imagine how many major ballerina organisations refuse recruiting colored ballerinas and instead prefer using black face paint according to Copeland’s opinion; Vladimir Urin, the head of Bolshoi Theatre told Russia’s RIA Novosti media outlet that the dance La Bayadère has been presented hundreds of times in this staging in Russia as well as abroad and claimed that the Bolshoi Theatre will never be engaged in such a debate.

Ballet’s euro-centric shows from over a century ago still often construct a narrative associating Blackness primarily with enslavement. Traditionalism associated with such themes is generally outdated and harmful, only to be transformed by engaging in productive discussions about matters pertaining to race, diversity and inclusion.

The issue of racial equity in ballet is not limited to banning blackface on stage. Racism does not always come out clearly from ballet itself. Consider pointe shoes – an emblem for ballet dancers. These glossy satin slippers allow ballerinas fly all over the floor on their tiptoes and are usually available in flesh-colored pale pink. However, when dancers have darker skin they must spend extra time pancaking their shoes with makeup or dyeing them so they match their skin tone if they are going without tights. Recently manufacturers like Bloch, Freed, Suffolk, Capezio and Grishko have announced their plans to produce colors that match deeper shades of skin tones.

Transformation in ballet is not a one-off conversation or the introduction of more colours for pointe shoes. It will require system-wide transformation to allow for black figures and erase the notion that all ballerinas must be white. Even now, long after Suzan Farrell went away from that stage, industry conservatives continue to endorse this strict aesthetic, often confusing a lissome frame with the ability to dance elegantly. This therefore presents a problematic model where many black dancers are frowned upon for being “too" strong,” muscular” or “curvy.”

 Misty Copeland has used her fame as a tool for promoting conversations about representation of minorities in ballet. But Misty is not alone. Michaela DePrince, a Dutch National Ballet soloist, was born an abandoned child in Sierra Leone. She became interested by a picture on a magazine of a dancer wearing pink tutu. In her autobiography Deprince tells her story of how she became famous dancer across the globe. Precious Adams who is First Artist at English National Ballet was reprimanded for failing to wear pink tights during performance but chose brown tights that matched her own complexion.

Dancers like Copeland, DePrince and Adams represent the 21st-century ballerinas even if there are only very few black dancers in major classical companies.

ABT’s Project Plie was based on Copeland being trained as a ballet dancer for the first time in Boys & Girls Club’s gymnasiums. This ABT initiative aims at improving race and cultural diversity within classical ballet through working together with those Boys & Girls Club of America which will organise workshops that identify talented children and connect them with global-classing training.

Ballet should look forward to its future and mirror its multicultural societies so as to flourish. More children from diverse backgrounds may discover they enjoy the art form if they have access to training options.Ballet, hopefully, will progress to the point where all ballerinas, regardless of their ethnicity or race, feel accepted in studios and can envisage a career on stage.