One Dance One People

Continuing with my feminist studio art theme, I decided to address the issue surrounding women in ballet. Having been in ballet since I was three years old, this issue was important to me to focus on. 

 

Until fairly recently, it was uncommon  for women of color to become professional ballerinas. This issue was highlighted by Misty Copeland's becoming a Principal Ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She was the first women of color to do so. However, the problem arises when you realize that many, if not all, ballerinas of color have to paint their pointe shoes with their own makeup so the shoe matches their skin tone. 

 

I wanted to bring this issue to light by taking a pair of my own pointe shoes and painting them with several different skin tones. There should be no roadblocks for people to engage with ballet; all different women can participate. I believe dancing is a wonderful way to express oneself, and to let out all the emotions you don't know how to put into words. No one should feel excluded from expressing themselves, especially in a space that is designed for freedom. 

 

I depicted a silhouette of a ballerina on the tops of each shoe to show that this dancer could be anybody. the pink painted on the rim & inside of the shoe signifies that no matter what skin color of the dancer, each person belongs to and belongs with the iconic ballerina pink. 

 

However, while this piece is meant to bring the issue of non-inclusive pointe shoes to light, my piece is only to highlight how ballet can and should be inclusive. To hear more about this issue and those who are speaking out about it, I recommend reading this article to start on further reading/research: cnn.com/2023/12/27/us/ballerinas-pointe-shoes-diversity-reaj/index.html.