Dance Magazine: From dancers using their art to speak truth to power to theaters opening their doors to protesters, the dance community is mobilizing in our national reckoning with racial injustice. But what is the impact of confronting systemic racism in our dance organizations, especially for Black dancers? How does confronting racism and implicit bias regularly in their creative work affect artists psychologically?
2 comments:
In the live entertainment world, I have experienced and watched a lot of different forms of racism in each field. The one that was the most scarring for me was definitely in the ballet/dance world. The very strict old-fashioned dance teachers treated all the black women like they didn't belong there and that they weren't the right “look”. In a high-stress environment like dance, from striving to be perfect to killing your body to gain better technique, adding racism and prejudice to that takes a huge psychological toll. I remember in a different article I wrote about how just at the end of last year they started making ballet slippers and pointe shoes for dancers of darker skin tones. I’ve watched dancers pancake their shoes for so long that it even took a toll on me as a black manager in dance. The dance world is slowly changing and I hope that every black dancer is trying to do whatever they can and being provided the proper resources to take care of their mental health.
I really agree with everything this article is arguing. I am not intimately familiar with the world of dance, but from what I’ve heard it is not always welcoming or caring. I cannot imagine having to feel the weight of the expectations placed on you by being a dancer combined with the trauma the Black community is facing.
I really hope that CMU starts taking the advice of this article and fostering more of a safe space. I think the ART class was a great first step and effectively created a safe, open atmosphere. I just hope this start is indicative of broader changes soon to come. I’m wondering if there are broader changes to curriculum and teaching to come. I’m sure there are other tangible things CMU Drama could be doing to start fostering an environment where mental health is prioritized and BIPOC feel supported in voicing their needs.
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