The far-reaching impact of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police which sparked protestors around the globe and the resounding rallying cry that Black Lives Matter were echoed in spirit Sunday, June 14, during a panel discussion, titled “My Dance, My Voice: Black Hearts Are Burning,” with ABT principal ballerina Misty Copeland, PHILADANCO founding Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, AAADT’s Clifton Brown, Earl Mosely, head of Diversity in Dance, Inc., and Alicia Graf Mack, the first Black head of the Dance Department at Juilliard.
For those who might have questioned the relevance of the slogan Black Lives Matter in the world of dance (and all the other arts, for that matter), the panel discussion, organized by Manhattan Youth Ballet and moderated by ABC-TV’s Kimberly Richardson, opened with a statement by Copeland, who only a few years ago became the first Black principal ballerina in ABT’s then-75 year long history.
“In the larger picture of what’s taking place in the world today,” Copeland said, “I recognize that dance is only a small part of the conversation about systemic racism, but in my eyes it is an important one as the institution of ballet reflects the very systems that are now being railed against.” An outspoken champion of diversity in dance, Copeland noted that in the world of ballet, many companies have chosen to exclude Black and Brown bodies and are “hiding behind the intended consequences of the systems designed to limit people of color’s access to things like funding, exposure, training and equipment to justify this exclusion.” Acknowledging some of the not-so-subtle ways systemic racism seeks to divide Blacks, Copeland added, “I acknowledge that being both biracial and of lighter skin is a privilege in the world and in ballet, but at the end of the day, I am unapologetically a Black woman and my complexion does not exclude me or anyone who looks like me, no matter the shade, from discrimination, so I use my platform to speak out about the lack of diversity and inclusion in ballet sometimes to people’s displeasure, but I made a decision a long time ago that I refuse to be silent. Silence does not bring about change.”
This determination to speak out was shared by all the panelists, and speak out they did. They recalled the ah-ha moment when they noticed the racialized nature of their beloved artform, and personal moments of being Black-while-shopping, driving, walking or just plain breathing. All spoke of the powerful significance of this present moment and the need to call out racism everywhere as they raised questions long unanswered. Everyone applauded the masses of young people whose peaceful protests are moving the needle, sounding the alarm, and pushing for reform in policing, education, housing, employment and, of course, the arts.
Alicia Graf Mack said, “While everyone is watching the news and following stories on social media, we are all hyper-aware of what is happening in our world and because we’ve been sheltering in place because of the pandemic, we have had an opportunity to sit with these images and ask ourselves, ‘How did we get here and how are we still here?’ Mack said she is thinking of young aspiring dancers coping with the current shutdowns of dance schools, studios and companies, and trying to maintain their artistry while wondering how what’s happening is related to their lives as dancers. Mack said, “It’s even difficult for me as an adult who has had both difficult and amazing experiences in dance to take this all in, but I wanted to say to our Black and Brown dancers that we see you and we hear you and all of us on this panel understand, and we need to take advantage of the moment and the movement to talk about the real inequities of systemic racism that is pervasive in the world of concert dance.”
AAADT’s Clifton Brown called it a “special moment, a moment of sensitivity” in which people of all races and ethnicities are “open and willing to listen.” Capturing the spirit of optimism evident during the conversation, he added, “That is where change happens.” He noted that those people who in the past might have dismissed charges of injustice as the outrage of “just another angry Black person” are actually listening.
Putting today’s events in historic context was Joan Myers Brown, the award-winning founder of the critically acclaimed dance company and school PHILADANCO. She spoke as only one can who remembers the many historic struggles for civil and human rights and who belongs to the generation of Black dancers whose dreams of becoming a Black ballerina were dashed by institutionalized racism but who still managed to transcend despite it all.
“Having lived through World War II, the Korean War, the AIDS epidemic, everything,” Brown said, “I’m wondering why we are still having this conversation! Why is this still necessary? Why are we talking about the same things that should have changed years ago? Does it take the awful position that we’re in today to ignite it again? I had this same discussion in 1948, 1982, over and over again. It’s time, I think, now to talk about it and hopefully change happens so that it doesn’t continue and we’re still having the same conversation a few years down the road.” Asked if she thinks this is a different time with the rallying cry Black Lives Matter being heard around the globe, Brown said, “I’m not sure yet. I’m waiting to see. My dancers ask me every day ‘What are we doing next?’ and I tell them, ‘I really don’t know.’ We have to hope and pray that things change.”
Pointing to the title of the panel discussion, Earl Mosely weighed in, saying, “When I see these fires in Atlanta caused by people burning down Wendy’s I see Black souls burning. We’re tired of being apologetic. Get your knee off of my spirit!” Pointing to the Black dance institutions, like AAADT, Philadanco, DTH and others that have served as a beacon of hope for countless aspiring dancers confronting institutionalized racism, Mosely said their legacies have “given all of us voice” over the years. Now, he adds, what also gives him hope is “this diverse group of young people who are in the streets” declaring that Black Lives Matter. “I’m praying that many like them end up in these other dance companies and remind everyone that if there’s no justice for one there can be no justice for any of us.”
AAADT’s Matthew Rushing agreed, adding, “I’ve never seen a time like this where we have a captive audience for people to speak, for people to listen to each other’s voices. The younger generation is heavy on my heart and one of the reasons I’m showing up in this discussion is to educate, share ideas, give different perspectives.” And, like all of the panelists, Rushing expressed profound gratitude at being able to participate in what is hopefully the beginning of many more conversations like this one. A gratitude, it is safe to assume, that was shared by the hundreds of folks who listened to the conversation “My Dance, My Voice: Black Hearts Are Burning.”