Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Should We Be Having Auditions Specifically for Dancers of Color?
Dance Magazine: Since they were first offered in 2016, the International Association of Blacks in Dance's ballet auditions for dancers of color have sparked much debate within the dance community. Some believe these auditions create valuable opportunities for dancers of color while others disagree, even going so far as calling them slightly racist.
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This article raises a question that even I, in my mind, cannot answer.I realize that both the scenarios that the article presents are viable and justified in their places.
The part that dancers of color should have specific auditions manages to have both positive and negative effects. It is a positive thing from the perspective that it prevents any discrimination that might happen against people of color in regular auditions because it is a fact, that discrimination still exists in most of the auditions. This way just prevents it.
But the other aspect of this scenario raises questions on capability and reverse discrimination which are extremely important problems to think of. Having a separate auditions for people of color puts the majority race at a disadvantage where now they, even though they might be more deserving of the position, they might just lose the chance. And this problem raises the question of reverse discrimination, which is the result of this scenario.
Anyhow, this article raises a very important question, the answer to which must be realized as soon as possible.
I think this comes down to whether the fear of not advancing in the dance world based on race is legitimate or not. I have absolutely no insight on that, but if it is anything like the world of education, I think these auditions are a good thing. I understand that affirmative action-like programs can cause issues with organizations scrambling to reach a quota, but overall I think it has been a beneficial program that I would like to see implemented in other places which have issues with creating a diverse workforce. In reality, if your company can't find poc who qualify on par with other white applicants, I seriously doubt it is because there aren't any qualifying poc. The argument that it perpetuates a division in the dance world may be fair, but I don't know if I agree that dancers use their race as an excuse for not getting jobs. I think it is probable that that is a legitimate concern. Sure, these auditions might cause some tension, but that tension existed before the auditions anyways. I think that auditions for dancers of color is a necessary step in order to someday end the division of races in the dance world.
This is a complicated issue which is ultimately a part of the argument on the effectiveness of affirmative action. As a person of colour, in my experience events like this which are so racially driven are alienating and weird. It makes me feel watched, and just reminds me of the perpetuated system which many are constantly disadvantaged at outside of the room. On the other hand The system IS damaged, and to reverse it I feel we do need to give an extra hand to those who are fighting years of systematic oppression. Wanting to not need these and being treated like an equal is more of a utopia story, and doesn’t help me as much helping the real situation. I am glad to hear that something is being done to help fight the lack of POC ballerinas, however agree that this feels more like a treatment to a symptom to a problem, as opposed to the root. Creating a network which gets these kids young, and connects people in this field all over and getting parents the resources they need to support their child seems the most crucial.
When I read the title of the article, I really thought I was gonna be pissed at this article. This is a very perplexing situation though, I will say. Since this article is more geared mainly to black dancers, I have a lot more experience on this side of performing when it comes to performing and auditioning. This is a situation with many positives and negatives and many right perspectives. I think what a couple people that commented missed about this, and it could be because of perspective, is how fucking terrifying it is to be a black performer auditioning for predominantly white/white-passing companies. Even just being the only black person in the room for 95% of my day inside Purnell can sometimes be fucking terrifying. It comes with such a harsher judgement that causes black performers to not audition. While this is great in that aspect, I think more could be done with this program. Implement a program to teach black parents about the field, have open discussions about what they have to do in order to make it in the competitive field, etc. So much could be done with this small step to make it not seem so small anymore.
This article discusses a very complex issue. Going in to read it, I was very confused on how I was going to feel at the end of it. I think having opportunities like this can create environments where POC dancers do feel more comfortable when auditioning, as they might not be focused on the point Bri brought up about being the only black person in the room, and the fear that can rise from being in a situation like that. I think these auditions could be positive because they could help eliminate that fear so that the dancers can focus on their art and do the best possible job they can do, but I don’t think this will ultimately fix the issue. What happens when they get cast into a white/white-passing company, as the only POC dancer? That fear would become part of their daily routine. Unless companies actually become more diverse, these auditions are not really going to help fix the issue.
The fact that this article even exists in the first place, demonstrates that systematic racism in the entertainment and more specifically the dance industry, is alive and beating. The article points out the question "do you want the best black dancer or the best dancer", which kind of turns this entire concept on its head. Since it was originally created to provide opportunities for dancers of colors, it goes a long way in isolating them. This is a phenomenon seen in the theater industry as well, often times with dancers or an ensemble, the look that a lot of directors are going for is something neutral and someone that blends in, also known as plain and white. This concept often times excludes performers of color because they are then seen as too unique, not plain enough for the chorus, and usually the director or who ever is making these decisions does this without realizing the systematic prejudice that comes in to play.
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