Diverse Ballerinas Advocate for Pointe Shoes in a Variety of Shades
Ballet's evolution may have brought diversity, yet countless ballerinas of color continue to face the challenge of finding pointe shoes and tights that perfectly complement their complexion The quest for inclusive ballet attire persists
Despite being a ballet dancer for over 60 years, Robin Williams experienced a first during her performance of The Nutcracker this December. When she danced the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, it was the first time she didn't have to cover her pink pointe shoes in paint or foundation to match her brown skin.
Many dancers of color find the practice known as "pancaking" to be a laborious ritual, as traditional ballet attire is typically designed to match fair complexions. Despite the diversification of ballet in recent decades, many ballerinas of color still face challenges in finding pointe shoes and tights that match their complexion.
courtesy Osage Ballet and Dance Maker Academy
Maria Tallchief, the first Native American prima ballerina in America, remains a source of inspiration for aspiring Native American dancers. Just last month, Williams celebrated a milestone in her own dance career by purchasing brown pointe shoes, complete with dyed ribbons and elastics, to match her complexion for the first time in six decades of dancing.
When Williams started her career in the 1960s as the only Black ballerina in her company, she couldn't fathom buying brown pointe shoes. "We weren't accepted in ballet classes and there were few choreographers," she recalled. She stood out not just because of her presence, but also because of her unique attire.
"My teacher reminded us to wear pink tights that would match our skin tone, including our shoes," Williams remembered. "I thought it was odd because our skin isn't pink. That always stayed with me."
In ballet, the pointe shoes are meant to enhance the dancers' lines, creating the illusion of length from their head to their toes.
Black skin is often in contrast with traditional European pink pointe shoes, disrupting the graceful lines of ballet at the ankle. In addition, the traditional uniformity of ballet has resulted in dancers of color being required to wear pink tights to match the predominantly White company. Despite the introduction of pointe shoes in various shades in 2020, many ballerinas of color continue to "pancake" their shoes.
Misty Copeland, the first Black female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, recently went viral on TikTok with a video of her pancaking a pair of baby pink pointe shoes using drugstore foundation and a sponge. Despite her fame, Copeland shared that the lack of ballet shoes matching her skin tone has left her feeling excluded.
In September, she initiated a campaign titled "Lets Make a Pointe!" aiming to urge Apple to offer various skin tones for its pointe shoe emoji. She emphasized that the absence of diverse shades in both the emoji and real life served as a "constant reminder of the subtle ways dancers of color have not been included."
Ballerinas of color dye the traditional European pink ponite shoes to match their skin tones.
Courtesy Cortney Taylor Key
Cortney Taylor Key, a Black ballerina and teacher at the Misty Copeland Foundation, shared with CNN that she trained in ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and performed in pink tights.
Taylor Key admitted, "I hadn't realized it at the time. It wasn't until after I graduated that I even visited New York and had the opportunity to see the Dance Theatre of Harlem. It was then that I noticed the significance of flesh-toned tights."
The Dance Theatre of Harlem made history as the first Black classical ballet company when it introduced flesh-toned tights in 1974 under the leadership of its founder, Arthur Mitchell.
"I would never disrespect Arthur Mitchell by wearing pink tights, no matter the amount of money," said Taylor Key. "If it was my decision, I would discard every pair of pink tights, as European pink is a tradition that can be altered."
Ruth Essel, the 30-year-old founder of Pointe Black Ballet School, rehearses with 10-year-old Kioni during a class in London, Britain, on August 4, 2023. An onlooker watches through the window as Essel creates a safe space for Black dancers, inspired by the challenges she faced as a child. As a deputy program manager at a unit of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Essel established Pointe Black in 2020 to provide a Black environment and representation for dancers. "I wanted there to be people who looked like me, a teacher that looked like me," she said. REUTERS/Alishia AbodundeSEARCH "ABODUNDE BALLET SCHOOL" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Alishia Abodunde/Reuters
This Black owned ballet studio empowers young dancers
Taylor Key expressed her gratitude for the expanded range of shades for pointe shoes and dancewear offered by certain companies. Despite this, she still resorts to pancaking her shoes to achieve a better match to her own skin tone. "I first learned pancaking from my DTH sisters in Harlem, my hometown. For me, it was a rite of passage, but I also recognize how frustrating and tedious it can be," she explained.
The process can be time-consuming and the cost of supplies can accumulate. Pointe shoes can be expensive, typically costing over $100 and only lasting about 10 hours of dancing, according to Taylor Key. She also mentioned that applying makeup can cause the shoes to wear down faster. Due to the high cost of modifying shoes, Taylor Key revealed that she spent a significant portion of her early career dancing on worn-out shoes, which negatively impacted her performance.
However, she acknowledged, the field has made strides, even if the shades available are lacking in options.
Taylor Key said Copelands petition is "incredibly and extremely necessary."
"It sucks that nobody came before her, but shes definitely deserving and what shes doing for the community right now ⦠I couldnt be more proud to be working for her organization," she said.
