As a Black ballet student, choreographer Jeremy McQueen never felt personally connected to story ballets, much less saw himself represented onstage. Later, as a public school teaching artist for American Ballet Theatre and The Ailey School, McQueen witnessed widespread disinterest in ballet among his students from BIPOC communities. “Working with a diverse demographic, I saw […]

Over the past few years, calls for the ballet world to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive have become a regular rallying cry. Most of the public complaints, however, have been about general, systemic problems throughout the field. But this week, as our entire country is reckoning with the devastating effects of racial injustice on […]

For the last five years the dance world, and specifically the ballet world, has been enrolled in the mission to understand and implement diversity, equity and inclusion into the field at all levels. A great deal of funding has been allocated towards efforts of education and training, consultants have been hired, conferences and seminars attended. […]

After years of rigorous training, ballet dancers become accustomed to constructive and oftentimes harsh criticism. Being scrutinized is something that comes with the territory. I myself spent the better half of my high school years in Russia, where political correctness does not get in the way of progress. We were trained to use criticism as […]

New York City Ballet has an image problem. Despite having the moniker of one of the most diverse cities on the planet, the company regularly comes under fire for its lack of diversity. A perception of overbearing whiteness has plagued the institution, often acting as a cultural barrier for prospective students and audiences. Over the […]