Here's 10 Black Ballerinas to celebrate
These dancers are making their mark on and off the stage
When Misty Copeland made history as the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, she immediately became a household name worldwide. Here at Gritty Vibes, we like to focus on the up and coming artists though, so naturally, our first thought was: "Who's Next?". As we've found from our research, there are plenty of acclaimed black ballerinas making their mark in an industry that has long been considered to be racist af. At the rate these young women have been achieving, the gatekeepers have no other choice but to make room. Here are ten black ballerinas to celebrate.
Amanda Smith
Amanda knew she always wanted to dance, but at 12 years old she decided take it serious, and soon after, the world took notice. The California native took her talents to NY to study at the acclaimed dance program in SUNY Purchase, then to North Carolina to dance with North Carolina Dance Theatre 2. She's worked at Charlotte Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet and is a mainstay at Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Jenna Marie
Nardia Boodoo
Nardia initially started Ballet to add it to her talent portion at beauty pageants, but it wasn't long before she realized that the art-form was her true passion. She took up dance at age 14 at Baltimore School for the Arts, and despite starting later than many of her peers, earned scholarships to Dance Theatre of Harlem, North Carolina School for The Arts, Joffrey Ballet (Chicago), Jacob’s Pillow and The Washington Ballet. After joining The Pennsylvania Ballet for the 2016-17 season, she returned to the The Washington Ballet. Along with her acclaimed dancing career, she is also a model signed to Wilhelmina.
Khalia Campbell
The story goes that Khalia Campbell's been dancing since the womb. Seriously, she started out kicking in her mother's stomach to the beat of music played for her and since then, she's been doing her thing in Ballet. She began her formal dance training at Uptown Dance Academy and went on to study at Dance Theatre of Harlem and as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. You may of seen her featured in 2016's Christian Dior commercial for the fragrance Poison.
Paige Fraser
Paige is a Gritty Vibes favorite both for her dancing, and her overall mission. The BX native attended Dominican University of California/Alonzo King's Lines Ballet and eventually graduated from the Fordham University/Ailey BFA program in 2012. She was a part of Beyonce's "Bow Down" 2013 video tour opener and worked alongside Chanel Iman in V Magazine's holiday video. She most recently was in the National Tour for the Lion King. Along with her personal achievements, she is a Scoliosis advocate with her own foundation for emerging artists.
Daphne Lee
When we first covered Daphne in 2017, she was Miss Black New Jersey. Later that year, she was crowned the Miss Black USA. Her career as a dancer has been just as bright, with training experience at esteemed places like American Ballet Theater and The Ailey School. She was also featured in the opening video for the Mrs. Carter World Tour for Beyonce. Her professional resume includes working with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Collage Dance Collective, Oakland Ballet, Alvin Ailey II, Black Iris Project and more.
Kimberly H
The French Guiana native started off her training with Jeanine Verin and Beatrice Tertulien at the Adaclam School. Upon graduation, she took her talents to NYC and made her mark, attending The Ailey School and Dance Theatre of Harlem School on full merit scholarships. From there, she began touring nationally and internationally with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City. This was Kimberley’s fifth season with Collage Dance Collective.
Ebony Williams
Ebony Williams is an absolute giant in the dance industry and her name needs no introduction to those who know anything about the art-form. She has already been immortalized in iconic videos like Beyonce's Single Ladies. Ebony was also a part of Beyonce's Formation Tour, worked with JLO and been in films like "In The Heights".
Kimberly Marie Olivier
The New York native is a veteran ballerina, and has trained with Charla Genn, Studio Maestro, Ballet Hispanico, and San Francisco Ballet School. She became an apprentice at San Francisco Ballet in 2009 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2010. Along with her extensive dance career, she's also a professional model, signed with Stars Agency.
Michaela DePrince
Michaela's story reached the world through the film First Position, as her journey from War Orphan to star Ballerina inspired the masses. For those wondering, she's still doing her thing. She was youngest dancer in the history of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and now dances as a soloist for the Dutch National Ballet. She is also an ambassador with War Child, a Dutch organization that works to improve the resilience and wellbeing of children living with violence and armed conflict.For more of our lists, click here
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