8 October 2020 06:53

Black History Month 2020

The international impact of the Black Lives Matter movement insists that change is overdue and makes Black History Month 2020 feel more important than ever. Black history isn’t just a month to be ticked off a calendar. We need to embrace it as a starting point for exploring, discovering and celebrating Black history, heritage and culture – both past and present – all year round.

We have known for many years about the issues around race and ballet, which is still so often a white preserve. But this tumultuous year – where established ways of working were paused by a pandemic, and the murder of George Floyd reignited the Black Lives Matter movement – offers an opportunity to reflect, rethink and maybe even reset how ballet operates.

In the video above, we invited three remarkable artists to share their experience and insight in a discussion over Zoom with David Jays, Editor of Dance Gazette magazine. Theresa Ruth Howard danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), and is now a writer, strategist and consultant based in New York. Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy also performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem and is now a soloist with Boston Ballet. Joshua Tuifua, from the UK, danced with the Royal Ballet and is now a dance teacher. He co-created the RAD’s Moving Summer programme. Read the full article as featured in Dance Gazette.

In October and beyond (Canada celebrates Black History Month February 1 - March 1 each year), we are committed to celebrating the incredible achievements of Black dancers, students, teachers and artists in the industry. Look out for features on alumni of the RAD, items from our archives, interesting discussions and excellence in dance on our channels, throughout the year.