Reply to Racial Diversity at The Washington School of Ballet

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here — thank you for the responses. I understand the racial barriers in classical ballet generally for sure, but it was still a bit jarring to see. [/quote]

why is it jarring?[/quote]

Unless you’re a Black person or person of color I don’t think you will understand. I assume you’re neither since you asked the question. Even though something is known more generally, it can still look jarring once it’s right in your face. And honestly, a ballet school in DC in 2022 that doesn’t have decent URM representation in its classes tells me a lot. 
[/quote]

I’m trying to understand, what does it tell you here?  Demographics of the immediate area?  Narrow racial diversity in classical ballet?  Or something more or different about WSB, or this campus of WSB?  Thank you. [/quote]

I'm the one who recommended City Dance. Please don't play dumb. Ballet is known for being extremely racist, and not only that, selecting for a certain height and body shape that has nothing to do with technique level or artistic talent. Traditional school directors have corps de ballet visuals in mind, and want a homogeneous line, with dancers of the same height, skin tone, and slimness. They forget that they are first and foremost a TEACHING organization, and that they need to give opportunities to all young people.

So this puts off people who are not pale, slim and of a certain height. They tend to leave at some point, or maybe they visit and don't even enroll.

[/quote]

Yes, because only certain races are slim and Misty Copeland is not a principal dancer. [/quote]

Nor should she be.  I have watched her dance and she is good but not principal ballerina good. 
[/quote]

It is this exact kind of attitude why we’ll be leaving the school. You’ve literally named one Black principal dancer and you think that should be enough to appease us. And you don’t even think she’s qualified, which also tracks generally w/white sentiment toward Black or brown people who are perceived to have stolen something from them and been given something they don’t deserve. It’s disgusting. Truly. [/quote]

Yeah, this person played the One Black Friend card and really thought they said something. Ignore the morons like that one, OP.[/quote]

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