jennifer-roberts Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the Chocolate Ballerina Dance Company’s, “The Black Swan: A Swan Lake Premier” at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA. I could hardly contain my excitement and immediately started taking notes as I sat fully immersed in the experience that I shared with my 16-year-old daughter and niece.
The sold-out matinee was more than a ballet performance; it was a convergence of talent, grit and beauty that far too often gets overlooked or dismissed. The ballet was refreshing, powerful and transformative. The dancing and music were so intense that I felt the movements and emotions of the dancers, especially those of Brandon Gray who starred as Prince Siegfried. While the entire cast was amazingly talented, Gray was a standout dancer and actor. After every act, I clapped vigorously and repeatedly said, “Wow.”
“Swan Lake” was originally written by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky and tells the story of Prince Siegfried who falls in love with Princess Odette. The evil sorcerer, Baron von Rotbart, casts a spell on Odette and her peers that change them into swans. They only return to their human form at night.
The cast was unapologetically Black and Brown which I relished, and the attention paid to ensure that each dancer felt comfortable in his or her skin was on not lost on me. Not only did the dancers don flesh toned tights; they also wore flesh toned leotards, ballet slippers and pointe shoes in addition to exquisite costumes, some that were custom made. To people who have always seen themselves thoughtfully celebrated in the mainstream, these details may be expected or even trivial, but to a Black woman who is always looking for accurate racial representation, these details were monumental.
Like Viola Davis said during an interview on The View in 2022, representation matters because “you need to see a physical manifestation of your dream…there is something about seeing someone who likes you you that makes it more tangible. You could see it. You could touch it and it give you the possibility to look through your imagination…” Young dreamers in the audience and seasoned spectators like me saw what was possible if we believed and worked hard because it was right there in front of us. We could see ourselves. We could touch possibility. It was real.
With perfect pliés and amazing arabesques, these young dancers sliced through the stereotypes of who could be a ballet dancer. They rewrote the often times racist script that dictated who belonged and who didn’t. Without uttering a single word, the choreography, music and costumes whispered, “I see you. You are loved. You are worthy. You belong here.”
I fondly remember when the reimagined “Annie” came out in 2014 starring Quevenzhane Wallis as Annie and Jamie Foxx as Will Stacks. I was so excited to enjoy it with my daughter who was turning eight around the same time that the movie was being released in theatres. Up until that day, my little Brown girl had only seen a Caucasian representation of Annie. I remember her saying so innocently to me during a conversation about the upcoming movie, “..but Annie is White.” I shared with her, “Annie is a character, and she is not limited to one race or ethnicity.” I also understood the power of images and up until she saw a brown representation of Annie, her lens of who could be Annie was foggy.
I first learned about the Chocolate Ballerina Dance Company while catching up on my episodes of the 3rd Hour of Today one Saturday in May. Kristen Welker interviewed founder and creative director, Chanelle Holland in a segment called, “The Upside: Bringing Diversity to the Ballet Stage.” I was instantly hooked as I watched and listened to Holland’s personal experience and her commitment to the Sankofa (go back and get it) spirit. A professionally trained ballet dancer herself who had experienced rejection because of her skin color was determined to give other Black students the opportunity to experience ballet. The community-minded organization’s mission is to “illustrate the struggles and successes of African American culture through dance that will inspire and move change in society.”
In addition to the talent and beauty on the stage, what made me fall in love with the Chocolate Ballerina Company was the lifechanging work that it is doing to empower the community. Dance is the vehicle that it uses to spread love and to encourage young dancers to pursue their passion and purpose.
Last week, the company launched its newly reformed, free summer program, Impacting Through Ballet, which will run through July 28th. The program, which is open to children ages 7-12, includes dance instruction and a leotard.
The Chocolate Ballerina Dance Company has left a lasting impression on heart and in my mind and I look forward to attending future performances. The work that Holland and her team is doing is generational and will impact scores of young people who have yet to be born. By making the discipline of dance accessible to students to whom the portal has been historically and intentionally closed, the Chocolate Ballerina Dance Company is changing the world for good, one student at a time. Bravo!
