The Black Ballet Phenomenon

5 Feb

A young-ish, Black girl enters the studio of a prestigious ballet company. She looks around, only to find she's the only Black girl in the room - in fact, she's the only non- white person. Although she wears her brown tights and shoes, with accompanying afro with extreme pride (period!), she is still so aware of how much the ballet world needs to change.
The year? 2024.
The girl? **Me.**

When I speak about the need for racial equity and change in the industry, people automatically attribute to past experiences. Whilst there is an element of truth to that, it is not the WHOLE truth. The ballet world TODAY needs to change; it doesn't only need more seasoning but it needs to know how to handle the spice for when it does come.

The ballet world is changing, there is definitely some progress there but honestly, it's not happening quickly enough.

In my pro-Black household, I was surrounded by the teachings of pioneers and movers like Marcus Garvey, emphasising that action is the only way forward for our community's success. Waiting for the 'professionals' or the big institutions to make the change for us wasn't an option. With children being told TODAY that only white girls do ballet, action is needed now. That's where the name Pointe Black comes from; we needed to make a change -

Point. Blank. Period.

The last 3 and a half years have seen us in South West London (shout out to my fellow Southies), and I think we've done really well so far! In such a short space of time, we serve over 50 ballerinas week in, week out, empowering them to be Black, brave and beautiful. The community has been extremely supportive, travelling far and wide to our Black ballet oasis in a white desert. Some of our ballerinas travel 2 hours from Leytonstone, have a 45 minute class, then trek back to the otherside of the Earth for another 2 hours. So, it's only right that we expand our Black ballet magic to other areas.

East London - stand up!

(Alexa, play Stand Up by Ludacris).

I'm so excited to announce that we are opening our new Hackney location in February. It is one of the most requested areas to bring PB to, and I am over the moon to finally serve another community in London. Pointe Black will always have our Black community at heart - spreading our Pointe Black magic wherever we go.

Am I nervous? Of course! What if no one turns up? What if you don’t like a class? What if it’s not perfect?

But… What if it is perfect?

Pointe Black is so much bigger than me. It’s for the little Black girl that was told she was too big to do ballet. It’s the for the little boy that was told he was better off trying out basketball. It’s for the Black woman that feels she is too much for a dance studio.

I am often asked what I am most proud of with Pointe Black, and I can honestly say the success stories outside of the studio touch my heart so much. Take this example, a ballerina entered our studio at 2 years old too frightened to join in the classes fully and was wrapped around her dad’s legs for months! Fast forward 2 years later, and she plays the lead in her school productions two years in a year!

This is why Pointe Black is more than just ballet, it’s a way of life.

So, if you're that side of the river, now is your chance! Do ballet the right way today… because we deserve it!

Can't wait to see you there 💜