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by Annie Krege '23
“Dance is for everyone,” supporter Jessica Melchoir commented on the petition calling for Bloch, a major dancewear company, to carry colored pointe shoes. This stood out to me because for me, dance has always been very available. Throughout my dance career, I always saw ballerinas that looked like me while dancing and learning. I’ve grown up in the Barbara’s School of the Dance studio for the past ten years, spending countless hours practicing piqué turns and jetés, and learning the importance of discipline, hard work, and kindness. I was taught that dance is for everyone. But how can dance be for everyone if many can’t afford lessons? How can dance be for everyone if professional ballet companies continue to inhibit ballerinas of color? How can dance be for everyone if pointe shoes are only available to match one skin color?
At my studio, it was a huge deal to “go en pointe,” meaning we had the proper footwork and skill to begin training in a more advanced style of ballet. I vividly remember the day I got my first pair. I drove for over an hour with my mom to get fitted into my pale, pink slippers. I had my picture taken. I went home and immediately began sewing on the matching ribbons. They matched my pale skin. Uniform. I never had to think about them contrasting against my skin. That was my privilege as a white ballerina: pointe shoes that matched my skin tone.
When I came across the petition demanding Bloch to begin carrying darker shades of pointe shoes, I began to reflect on my own experiences. Many of the girls I was dancing with looked like me. I was lucky to be able to afford dance lessons and to have my studio as a safe and welcoming place for me to escape to. This petition forced me to check my own privilege and consider aspects of dance that never were a challenge for me. I never had to think about putting layers of foundation on my pointe shoes in order to make them match my skin like many professional ballet companies force their dancers of color to do. And that isn’t fair. After overwhelming support for the petition, Bloch has stated they “will be introducing darker shades into our pointe shoe offering” other than the original pink satin. Dancers are now calling for other companies such as Capezio, the first official pointe shoemaker for the Metropolitan Opera House, to follow suit. This is just the first step.
“This isn’t about shoes, this is about who belongs in ballet and who doesn’t,” said Virginia Johnson, the artistic director of the Dance Theater of Harlem. Barbara’s taught me that dance is for everyone, no matter their background, skin color, gender, or any other conforming category. It’s time companies like Bloch and Capezio acknowledged the beautiful diversity in the dance world too. And it’s not just shoes. Other apparel for dancers like tights, mesh netting, gloves, and other accessories need to be sold in an array of skin tones that provide options for dancers of color in ballet. They shouldn’t have even had to ask.
This isn’t just about dance either. As Virginia Johnson said, this is about who belongs. Inclusive clothing, such as “nudes” for all skin tones across the spectrum would create a greater sense of belonging in the fashion industry for people of color, people who most certainly belong.
I’m glad the world is forcing us to reflect, to educate ourselves and others, and to do better. To the young girls of color that I’ve had the pleasure of teaching dance to or dancing alongside, to all the young girls of color at my studio, to all dancers of color: you matter to me. You matter to the world.
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