History of Dance

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It is vital to dancers to know why they do what they do. From worship to political protest, humans have always danced and had a purpose for dance. Dance is part of the fiber of our souls and bodies. We explore many dance topics, here, pertaining to the history of dance and various dance genres. A forum will be set up to discuss the topics, freely. Please complete assignments so that our time, together, can be productive. 

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Topic: Martha Graham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0yRGdT3GDs

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5pHGrkjf-vejxBpNug96gvtgGNKoP0YM

 

Topic: History of Ballet

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Watch the videos on the evolution of Ballet, then post a question or comment about it, below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EjfGgvsldM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQs_rlyCKo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG1WuZViibU 

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Read these articles on racism in Ballet, then post a question or comment about them, below. 

https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-of-african-american-casting-in-ballet/

https://www.pointemagazine.com/behind-ballets-diversity-problem-2412811909.html

https://time.com/5098808/misty-copeland-raven-wilkinson-book/

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Racism in Ballet

 

Ballet is an art form to express, it has many rules, from turn out to pointing your feet. Ballet was originally created for entertainment for European Royalty. If you have gone to a ballet like the Nutcracker or Swan Lake, how many African-American ballerinas do you see? The Dance Theater of Harlem is a dance school for people of many skin colors. It gives the opportunity for darker skinned ballerinas to learn different dances. Misty Copeland was the first African-American to become a principal ballerina at the New York City Ballet. It is very hard to become a principal ballerina no matter what your skin color is. Precious Adams trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia. She was often kicked out of performances and not able to audition. Currently she is dancing with the English National Ballet. In 2018, she announced that she would no longer wear pink tights. Precious Adams said she would wear tights that would match her skin tone. Even if ballet started for European royalty, now it is different and is for everyone, anyone can learn ballet no matter what their skin color. 

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Maya Chand

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