Dance under the spotlight
The problem of racism, diversity, inclusivity, and a lack of representation in the dance industry
"I never really thought about racism growing up in Brazil.
"It wasn't until my parents had the 'big talk' with me, warning me things were not going to be the same in Europe.
"You have to open your eyes."
- Junor Souza, English National Ballet First Soloist
Junor Souza, first principal at English National Ballet, shifts uncomfortably as he explains his early struggles with imposter syndrome. His experience of being one of the only black men at competitions stuck with him, even as he sat in the studios he rehearsed in to play the Nutcracker in the English National Ballet's latest performance.
After being awarded a scholarship to go to the English National Ballet School, Junor progressed from being a First Artist all the way up to his current role as First Soloist.
He spoke positively about the progress which has already been made in the dance industry, 'but it’s not where it should be'.
Junor describes the stereotypes black dancers are often subjected to.
The dancer emphasised the importance of acknowledging ballet is so much more than just the steps - it's the costumes, the shoes, the aesthetics. Companies need to recognise this, to be able to account for their diversity and create an inclusive environment for all dancers.
It's the little things, the microaggressions, which make the dance world hostile for so many professionals.
Junor recalls straightening his hair to fit the typically 'white roles'.
Junor explained the process of costume fittings for performances, and the feeling of being an inconvenience when the team realised you weren’t white and the clothes would have to be dyed. Many dancers of colour face hurdles when transitioning from relaxed hair to dreadlocks, something still misunderstood by schools and professional companies.
Junor's story isn't uncommon. Statistics from recent Arts Council Diversity Reports reveal the extent of the lack of representation in the dance industry.
The Numbers: Ethnic diversity of permanent staff members at professional UK ballet companies
Data from Arts Council Diversity Reports (2018-2021)
Percentages of white and non-white staff at Birmingham Royal Ballet
2018-19: 12% (BAME), 71% (White)
2019-20: 11% (BAME), 63% (White)
2020-21: 16% (BAME), 62% (White)
Percentages of white and non-white staff at English National Ballet
2018-19: 15% (BAME), 56% (White)
2019-20: 16% (BAME), 54% (White)
2020-21: 17% (BAME), 55% (White)
Percentages of white and non-white staff at Northern Ballet Ltd
2018-19: 17% (BAME), 68% (White)
2019-20: 13% (BAME), 60% (White)
2020-21: 15% (BAME), 61% (White)
So what is this disparity rooted in?
History
The history of ballet is an inherently racist one. Company directors have long since craved a certain body type - whether based on weight-distribution, muscle, or skin tone, it remains almost impossible to fit the standard. Famous choreographer and artistic director George Balanchine influenced much of the dance industry throughout the 1960s. He expressed a preference for ballet dancers with small heads and long legs, a requirement which is thought to have created a template for the ideal ‘ballet body’, and this extends to skin colours too. Now-retired dancer Llanchie Stevenon was a trailblazer for speaking out about the problem of dancewear being tailored to white people, when performing for The Dance Theater of Harlem in 1974. The company, which has historically embraced a variety of races and cultures within their cast, embarked on a European Tour where Stevenson debuted wearing brown tights over her pink ones, to create a colour match replicating her actual skin colour. It wasn't until 2018 that brown ballet shoes were made for the first time.
Classism
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, dancer Marcelino Sambé discussed overcoming class and race barriers to reach success in the ballet world. He stated: “What matters is that ballet should not just be for elite kids from well-fed families. And black kids with talent need to be nurtured from a very young age." Sambé, who is now a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, was born in a poor area of Lisbon and exemplifies the steadfast determination required for disadvantaged people to succeed within the dance industry. On a fundamental level, ethnic minorities in the UK are more likely to live in households with lower levels of total net wealth and income, making professions rooted in classism and social hierarchies almost impossible to enter.
Access
Representation matters, and works on a vicious cycle. If young black dancers aren’t seeing people who look like them represented in their desired industry, they’ll never be inspired to go into that industry, and the cycle continues. Of course, dance icons such as Junor Souza and Misty Copeland raise the profile of dancers of colour, but financial barriers to access persist. Access to training, as well as consumption of the art form, is limited to those with a substantial disposable income. The average price of a theatre ticket in 2022, according to West End box offices, was £54.38. For premium ticket prices, the average reached £141.37. Of course bursaries and scholarships exist at various schools and companies, but it seems this won’t compensate for years of obstacles placed in the way of non-white dancers.
Image credit: Miguel Salgado on Unsplash
Image credit: Miguel Salgado on Unsplash
How can change be made?
The TIRED (Trying to Improve Racial Equality in Dance) Movement is on a mission to improve representation and inclusivity within the world of dance.
Speaking to Stacey Greene, co-founder, its clear the movement rests on years of frustration and determination to make tangible change in an industry built on inequality.
After growing up a dancer and experiencing the sense of being different and made to feel inconvenient, which Junor also described, Stacey started calling out the problems nobody else was addressing.
Stacey said: "I kept using the word 'tired'. I'm tired of having the same conversations, I'm tired of hearing the same things."
Since launching the TIRED Movement with co-founder Laura Grant, the organisation has worked with numerous vocational schools around the UK, including Bird College and Laine Theatre Arts, to encourage uncomfortable conversations around racism and share best practice.
The organisation was approached by Move It, a dance convention held annually at the ExCel centre in London, where the group attended to share its goals for a more diverse and inclusive industry.
Recalling the group's first year, Stacey said: "They gave me the microphone because hardly anyone came to the stand, so I called out all the colleges.
"I just said: Why are you not having a conversation with us? This affects you."
Stacey describes the fear many dancers have about speaking out.
One issue Stacey wanted to tackle through the TIRED Movement was the issue of dancewear not matching many dancer's skin tones - only further contributing to the feeling of sticking out in classes and competitions.
From this, Shades Dancewear was born. The brand hopes to allow dancers to retain their identity and embrace their ethnicity from the minute they step into their first dance class.
A core principle of ballet is to appear streamlined and to blend in with their surroundings - an impossible feat for a person of colour wearing pink. Shades sell leotards, tights, shoes and other dance essentials in four different colours, to ensure dancers of various backgrounds are no longer shying away from their real selves.
The very existence of the TIRED Movement and Shades dancewear demonstrates the clear gap in provision for diverse groups within the dance industry.
Find out more:
TIRED’s JustGiving page
TIRED’s YouTube page
Instagram: @movementtired
Get involved. Speak out. Make meaningful change.
If you aren't affected by these issues, it seems easy to stand by and exist in the lack of information and awareness. Change is happening, but it is slow progress in a privileged, upper-class, exclusive industry.
Infographic: Poppy Lindsey / Content: Ballet Black
Infographic: Poppy Lindsey / Content: Ballet Black
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