Why am I not surprised this company gets accused of 'reverse racism' on the grounds of its name?
I'm really glad that a company such as Ballet Black exists. Even as someone who can 'pass', it was never easy for me when I did ballet. I was always aware that I was the sheep in wolves clothing, a person for whom ballet wasn't intended on the grounds of race or class.
It really is huge that the kids in these classes get to see ballet that is made by people like them, for people like them. It's just a shame that Ballet Black can't get a company like Freed to make them shoes in more race-appropriate colours, rather than them having to be pancaked with make-up.
ETA: I joined Ballet Black in September as an apprentice. I'm the whitest member. We were in Winchester recently. I went on Twitter after the performance and someone tweeted, "Why did they have the token white guy?" WTF?!?!?! I forgot that all PoC must be really obviously 'of colour'. How dare some of us be light enough that, on first glance, your rude assumption is that we
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I joined Ballet Black in September as an apprentice. I'm the whitest member. We were in Winchester recently. I went on Twitter after the performance and someone tweeted, "Why did they have the token white guy?"
Yeah, that tweet made me go 0.o
WTF?!?!?! I forgot that all PoC must be really obviously 'of colour'. How dare some of us be light enough that, on first glance, your rude assumption is that we must be the 'token white' in a group of PoC, as opposed to someone who actually IS a PoC.
I forgot that all PoC must be really obviously 'of colour'. How dare some of us be light enough that, on first glance, your rude assumption is that we must be the 'token white' in a group of PoC, as opposed to someone who actually IS a PoC. /pissed off rant of a PoC (White/Black/Asian) who is also of light colouring.Yeah, I have issues with this too because I'm half Asian, and not obviously...anything, I think? I hesitate to call myself a PoC because, I don't know, it's so rarely been an issue, and when I encountered RaceFail09 I initially held the opinions that all the PoC I read seemed to ascribe to white people, so I supposed I ought to count as one of them. Fortunately I learned to get past those opinions, but learning was always framed as something for white people to do, whereas PoC were supposed to naturally understand. I know now about internalized racism, but somehow I always felt like, when I was (rightly) accused of exhibiting racism far more often than I felt other things to be racist, it would be cheating or lying or
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"where are you from no where are you originally from"
I hate that question SO much. Apparently I can't be from Connecticut even though I was fucking born here and STILL live here, no, since I am obviously not white I CAN'T be from Connecticut or the US T ALL, I have to be from elsewhere.
And stfu to the people thinking the name is racist, it's not their fault you feel threatened and forced to think how excluding a lot of 'classical' art forms are to minorities.
i wonder if there's something similar for classically trained musicians - all through school, in honors orchestra and suzuki academy, the only poc i ever saw save for asians was a percussionist in high school. even now, observing classes for my music ed major, i see maybe one or two black kids in orchestras of 50+. maybe it's different in large cities or ones with higher minority populations, but it's still sad.
I'd love to see more access to 'Classical' arts in general for PoC. More attention needs to be given to this and more opportunities need to be created for minority youth to become involved in these disciplines.
there's already incentive for teachers to get involved in AREAS where there might be more minority youth - the teach grant, $4k/year for two years - but no real incentive for the kids, and getting kids of any color involved in music is hard enough
Baltimore School for the Arts runs T.W.I.G.S for middle school students, and I know those classes are easily half POC. It's a really successful program! So it's happening in some places!
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I'm really glad that a company such as Ballet Black exists. Even as someone who can 'pass', it was never easy for me when I did ballet. I was always aware that I was the sheep in wolves clothing, a person for whom ballet wasn't intended on the grounds of race or class.
It really is huge that the kids in these classes get to see ballet that is made by people like them, for people like them. It's just a shame that Ballet Black can't get a company like Freed to make them shoes in more race-appropriate colours, rather than them having to be pancaked with make-up.
ETA:
I joined Ballet Black in September as an apprentice. I'm the whitest member. We were in Winchester recently. I went on Twitter after the performance and someone tweeted, "Why did they have the token white guy?"
WTF?!?!?! I forgot that all PoC must be really obviously 'of colour'. How dare some of us be light enough that, on first glance, your rude assumption is that we ( ... )
Reply
Yeah, that tweet made me go 0.o
WTF?!?!?! I forgot that all PoC must be really obviously 'of colour'. How dare some of us be light enough that, on first glance, your rude assumption is that we must be the 'token white' in a group of PoC, as opposed to someone who actually IS a PoC.
THIS. /is also a light coloring PoC
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/pissed off rant of a PoC (White/Black/Asian) who is also of light colouring.Yeah, I have issues with this too because I'm half Asian, and not obviously...anything, I think? I hesitate to call myself a PoC because, I don't know, it's so rarely been an issue, and when I encountered RaceFail09 I initially held the opinions that all the PoC I read seemed to ascribe to white people, so I supposed I ought to count as one of them. Fortunately I learned to get past those opinions, but learning was always framed as something for white people to do, whereas PoC were supposed to naturally understand. I know now about internalized racism, but somehow I always felt like, when I was (rightly) accused of exhibiting racism far more often than I felt other things to be racist, it would be cheating or lying or ( ... )
Reply
I hate that question SO much. Apparently I can't be from Connecticut even though I was fucking born here and STILL live here, no, since I am obviously not white I CAN'T be from Connecticut or the US T ALL, I have to be from elsewhere.
Reply
And stfu to the people thinking the name is racist, it's not their fault you feel threatened and forced to think how excluding a lot of 'classical' art forms are to minorities.
Reply
i wonder if there's something similar for classically trained musicians - all through school, in honors orchestra and suzuki academy, the only poc i ever saw save for asians was a percussionist in high school. even now, observing classes for my music ed major, i see maybe one or two black kids in orchestras of 50+. maybe it's different in large cities or ones with higher minority populations, but it's still sad.
Reply
I'd love to see more access to 'Classical' arts in general for PoC. More attention needs to be given to this and more opportunities need to be created for minority youth to become involved in these disciplines.
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