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Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Dance Schools Are Updating Their Dress Codes to Become More Inclusive
Dance Magazine: Catalyzed by the national reckoning on racial injustice last summer, much of the dance world began to ponder some tough questions, one being: "Who does traditional dancewear leave out?"
9 comments:
Gabriela Fonseca Luna
said...
I am honestly very impressed with the progress done here. I was involved in ballet for many years in my childhood and from a firsthand experience, I can confirm just how conservative it is, especially when it comes to what is “traditional”. From a logical standpoint, it makes no sense why they took so long to make the change. The point of the muted colors and the matching point shoes was an aesthetic way to enhance the dancer’s ability by making them look longer than they already are. So why would you mandate the same pink shades to students of color is a matter of tradition. But ballet as many of the older art forms has deep roots in this idea that only white people were able to practice. Hence why the change is important and yet very impressive. I know that many dancers of color have to go to incredible lengths just to find the clothing that works for them, so I’m hopeful things will begin to ease up down the line.
This is so amazing to see! Some people seem to be married to tradition, and seeing these major dance schools be so willing to make changes is very heartwarming. I think I had seen an article on here about the Dance Theater of Harlem's skin tone ballet uniforms, and it makes me happy that other schools and companies have followed them. It's also nice how they so easily de-gendered uniforms and types of ballet. We in theater tech still haven't managed to change some needlessly gendered terms, like when it comes to male and female pin parts. It's aggravating almost, seeing as plug and socket was what I always called them. It's very mature that these ballet institutions also acknowledged that the pink uniforms were a result of the exclusion of people of color in the past. It's always important for us in the arts in particular to critique why some traditions were built, and the power structures they may represent.
I’m actually both very surprised and impressed by how much progress the dance industry is making in terms of inclusivity. When it comes to dress codes, there is a certain level of professionalism and uniformity that must go into dance, ballet especially, but at the same time, if a dancer is not comfortable in what they’re wearing, it will impede on their performance. I love the quote from Douthit-Boyd about Black and brown dancers seeming like completely different people when allowed to wear skin-tone dancewear. It’s all about representation really, and I love that these great names in the dance industry are able to realize where they were previously lacking in the battle against racism and take real action to uplift Black and brown bodies. I also love that companies and schools are moving towards more gender-neutral language when it comes to dance terminology. It seems like a simple realization that dance classes should be focused on technique and skill rather than gender.
This is great! This is so great to see. Classical dance styles have always seemed like a pretty traditional and conservative practice to me (especially with how dances like ballet are typically presented in media—very much rigid and severe), so this progress is both surprising and highly welcome. I was very fortunate in that when I was studying dance, my division had one uniform for its students. It was not gendered at all. Boys and girls and nonbinary pals (though I don't believe there were any out students if any at all, given the culture) wore a green top (long sleeves in the colder months, short sleeves in the warmer ones), grey pants, and white socks if need be, though we usually just went around barefoot. At the time I had taken it for granted, but seeing how constricting some other industries and studios can be, that really was a pretty amazing development.
This is definitely a step in the right direction. Some people may see dress codes as not a huge deal but what you wear and see is extremely impactful. Also it’s the first step to getting ready to dance, so a dancer regardless of race and gender should feel confident and comfortable. I remember reading about the increase of color options for tights and pointe shoes specifically for darker skin tones which is so necessary because they weren’t always accessible. I think the shift from pink tights to flesh toned dancewear is also great because it will increase the demand for a wide range of shades forcing companies to cater to more people. I’m glad the focus is being put on how BIPOC dancers feel in their clothing because I think it’s been something that has been brushed over and ignored for way too long. I’m excited for the day when this will be the norm.
It is always discouraging to think about how racism works its way into every single aspect of life, down to the colors of garments at times. I feel like traditional dancewear being inherently exclusive and racist is something that is not immediately apparent, maybe even to people within dance itself; however, it is exclusive, and it is so deeply ingrained that it is accepted as a norm. This honestly reminds me of an unrelated fact that didn’t surprise me, but did upset me—the fact that when films in color first started being made, people with darker skin were not captured well on screen because the practice of colorizing film was built around white actors. Racism is so deeply ingrained into all forms of art that even the tiniest details are built to uphold white supremacy. I am glad that in this article, people are actually acknowledging that fact instead of brushing it off as something small. In reality, the color of dancewear is objectively a small problem when compared to the racist structure of the industry as a whole, but any progress against racism is needed progress all the same. I am excited that this progress is being made, and it gives me hope for the dancers that are raised in this kind of inclusive environment.
This is exciting to read. I’m glad that ballet schools are make this shift towards inclusivity. I feel like ballet has historically felt like this antiquated, almost oppressive, type of dance where “this is how thing are done and its never going to change.” Like they still use French terms for all their moves which feels a little bit like an elitist barrier to entry. However, there is clearly a desire to make Ballet more welcoming and I’m glad that they’re starting somewhere. Hopefully, there are flesh-toned tights and shoes for all skin tones so that everyone can feel welcomed. The removal of a gendered dress code makes a lot of sense to me. To be honest, I always though it looked weird when a dance number had like 10-12 matching female dancers and one male dancer in a different costume. I think dance, like sports, because it’s so athletic and deals with kinesiology and physicality, there is always a going to be a divide between typical male bodies and typical female bodies but removing gendered labels or centering the actual technical skills will make it more inclusive for anyone that doesn’t fall into either typical category like non-binary dancers.
Yes Finally! I remember as a kid being so self conscious in my ballet classes because the pantyhose we were required to wear were 10 shades too light for me and the pink tights had a weird white undertone to them that made darker skin look sick. I am so happy the ballet world is moving forward and becoming more inclusive as I constantly see people talk about how ballet is a traditional dance form and all of this is to preserve tradition. I absolutely hate it when people are obsessed with up keeping tradition because most of the time it is an excuse to keep racist practices. Changing what color tights all dancers are supposed to wear is not degrading tradition but rather creating a more inclusive space and allowing all dancers' lines to be complimented not just white dancers. I have seen a couple of white dancers come out and defend the use of these tights and shoes to say it looks best with ballet costumes which if it does that is great but that does not mean a black or brown dancer needs to wear them during class and feel unwelcome.
This is wonderful!! I did ballet for a few months when I was younger, and I remember being surprised when every girl’s legs looked the same, but their arms weren’t. I didn’t understand why the tights didn’t match each girl’s skin. Wearing tights and shoes that aren’t your skin color is probably damaging to dancers of color. I’m so glad that ballet studios and schools are slowly abandoning the requirement of standard pink tights and shoes as a part of their dress code. Allowing all students to wear any ballet uniform regardless of gender is also a great idea! Ballet is very gender-oriented, so making non-binary and gender-fluid dancers feel comfortable in any and every way possible is super important. It’s really inspiring to know that schools like the University of Southern California have adopted these practices. Such a big school with a great dance program can really pave the way for other universities to follow suit.
9 comments:
I am honestly very impressed with the progress done here. I was involved in ballet for many years in my childhood and from a firsthand experience, I can confirm just how conservative it is, especially when it comes to what is “traditional”. From a logical standpoint, it makes no sense why they took so long to make the change. The point of the muted colors and the matching point shoes was an aesthetic way to enhance the dancer’s ability by making them look longer than they already are. So why would you mandate the same pink shades to students of color is a matter of tradition. But ballet as many of the older art forms has deep roots in this idea that only white people were able to practice. Hence why the change is important and yet very impressive. I know that many dancers of color have to go to incredible lengths just to find the clothing that works for them, so I’m hopeful things will begin to ease up down the line.
This is so amazing to see! Some people seem to be married to tradition, and seeing these major dance schools be so willing to make changes is very heartwarming. I think I had seen an article on here about the Dance Theater of Harlem's skin tone ballet uniforms, and it makes me happy that other schools and companies have followed them. It's also nice how they so easily de-gendered uniforms and types of ballet. We in theater tech still haven't managed to change some needlessly gendered terms, like when it comes to male and female pin parts. It's aggravating almost, seeing as plug and socket was what I always called them. It's very mature that these ballet institutions also acknowledged that the pink uniforms were a result of the exclusion of people of color in the past. It's always important for us in the arts in particular to critique why some traditions were built, and the power structures they may represent.
I’m actually both very surprised and impressed by how much progress the dance industry is making in terms of inclusivity. When it comes to dress codes, there is a certain level of professionalism and uniformity that must go into dance, ballet especially, but at the same time, if a dancer is not comfortable in what they’re wearing, it will impede on their performance. I love the quote from Douthit-Boyd about Black and brown dancers seeming like completely different people when allowed to wear skin-tone dancewear. It’s all about representation really, and I love that these great names in the dance industry are able to realize where they were previously lacking in the battle against racism and take real action to uplift Black and brown bodies. I also love that companies and schools are moving towards more gender-neutral language when it comes to dance terminology. It seems like a simple realization that dance classes should be focused on technique and skill rather than gender.
This is great! This is so great to see. Classical dance styles have always seemed like a pretty traditional and conservative practice to me (especially with how dances like ballet are typically presented in media—very much rigid and severe), so this progress is both surprising and highly welcome. I was very fortunate in that when I was studying dance, my division had one uniform for its students. It was not gendered at all. Boys and girls and nonbinary pals (though I don't believe there were any out students if any at all, given the culture) wore a green top (long sleeves in the colder months, short sleeves in the warmer ones), grey pants, and white socks if need be, though we usually just went around barefoot. At the time I had taken it for granted, but seeing how constricting some other industries and studios can be, that really was a pretty amazing development.
This is definitely a step in the right direction. Some people may see dress codes as not a huge deal but what you wear and see is extremely impactful. Also it’s the first step to getting ready to dance, so a dancer regardless of race and gender should feel confident and comfortable. I remember reading about the increase of color options for tights and pointe shoes specifically for darker skin tones which is so necessary because they weren’t always accessible. I think the shift from pink tights to flesh toned dancewear is also great because it will increase the demand for a wide range of shades forcing companies to cater to more people. I’m glad the focus is being put on how BIPOC dancers feel in their clothing because I think it’s been something that has been brushed over and ignored for way too long. I’m excited for the day when this will be the norm.
It is always discouraging to think about how racism works its way into every single aspect of life, down to the colors of garments at times. I feel like traditional dancewear being inherently exclusive and racist is something that is not immediately apparent, maybe even to people within dance itself; however, it is exclusive, and it is so deeply ingrained that it is accepted as a norm. This honestly reminds me of an unrelated fact that didn’t surprise me, but did upset me—the fact that when films in color first started being made, people with darker skin were not captured well on screen because the practice of colorizing film was built around white actors. Racism is so deeply ingrained into all forms of art that even the tiniest details are built to uphold white supremacy. I am glad that in this article, people are actually acknowledging that fact instead of brushing it off as something small. In reality, the color of dancewear is objectively a small problem when compared to the racist structure of the industry as a whole, but any progress against racism is needed progress all the same. I am excited that this progress is being made, and it gives me hope for the dancers that are raised in this kind of inclusive environment.
This is exciting to read. I’m glad that ballet schools are make this shift towards inclusivity. I feel like ballet has historically felt like this antiquated, almost oppressive, type of dance where “this is how thing are done and its never going to change.” Like they still use French terms for all their moves which feels a little bit like an elitist barrier to entry. However, there is clearly a desire to make Ballet more welcoming and I’m glad that they’re starting somewhere. Hopefully, there are flesh-toned tights and shoes for all skin tones so that everyone can feel welcomed. The removal of a gendered dress code makes a lot of sense to me. To be honest, I always though it looked weird when a dance number had like 10-12 matching female dancers and one male dancer in a different costume. I think dance, like sports, because it’s so athletic and deals with kinesiology and physicality, there is always a going to be a divide between typical male bodies and typical female bodies but removing gendered labels or centering the actual technical skills will make it more inclusive for anyone that doesn’t fall into either typical category like non-binary dancers.
Yes Finally! I remember as a kid being so self conscious in my ballet classes because the pantyhose we were required to wear were 10 shades too light for me and the pink tights had a weird white undertone to them that made darker skin look sick. I am so happy the ballet world is moving forward and becoming more inclusive as I constantly see people talk about how ballet is a traditional dance form and all of this is to preserve tradition. I absolutely hate it when people are obsessed with up keeping tradition because most of the time it is an excuse to keep racist practices. Changing what color tights all dancers are supposed to wear is not degrading tradition but rather creating a more inclusive space and allowing all dancers' lines to be complimented not just white dancers. I have seen a couple of white dancers come out and defend the use of these tights and shoes to say it looks best with ballet costumes which if it does that is great but that does not mean a black or brown dancer needs to wear them during class and feel unwelcome.
This is wonderful!! I did ballet for a few months when I was younger, and I remember being surprised when every girl’s legs looked the same, but their arms weren’t. I didn’t understand why the tights didn’t match each girl’s skin. Wearing tights and shoes that aren’t your skin color is probably damaging to dancers of color. I’m so glad that ballet studios and schools are slowly abandoning the requirement of standard pink tights and shoes as a part of their dress code. Allowing all students to wear any ballet uniform regardless of gender is also a great idea! Ballet is very gender-oriented, so making non-binary and gender-fluid dancers feel comfortable in any and every way possible is super important. It’s really inspiring to know that schools like the University of Southern California have adopted these practices. Such a big school with a great dance program can really pave the way for other universities to follow suit.
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