“We will not march back to what was but move to what shall be.” - Amanda Gorman
In honor of Black History Month, I'd like to pay tribute to a beautiful and legendary mover - Ms. Raven Wilkinson.
For those who may be unfamiliar with Ms. Wilkinson, she is most known for being the first black woman to be hired as a full-time soloist in a major US classical ballet company. She was 20 years old when she was hired by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in New York City in 1955 and where she remained for 6 years.
Though we lost Ms. Wilkinson not too long ago, in December 2018 at the age of 83, she left a legacy. If she were still here today, I’d like to say thank you for sharing your beautiful passion with us in a time where explicit racism in this country was inescapable. You were groundbreaking. May your legacy continue to inspire young dancers of color today where systemic racism is still very much alive.
If you are interested in learning more about how to dismantle white supremacy in the dance world or ways to support dancers of color, please check out the link in Dance Magazine on 'activisim.' It's a great place to start. Or if you know any other resources out there please let me know!
