A conversation with Paris opera ballet’s first Black “star” dancer

ABC’s Ines De La Cuetara speaks with Guillaume Diop about his activism and historic elevation to “star” dancer.
SUBSCRIBE to GMA's KZbin page:
bit.ly/2Zq0dU5
VISIT the GMA3 homepage:
bit.ly/3kNlst8
FOLLOW GMA3:
Facebook: / abcgma3
Twitter: / abcgma3
Instagram: / abcgma3
#gma3 #guillaumediop #activist #dancer

[@margholtz]

South African, Johaar Moseval was the first black dancer for the British Royal Ballet and danced at queen Elizabeth's coronation.

[@jessaglenny]

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know that.

[@staylucky4727]

Wow

[@noblesetsentimentales]

Wow, I remember seeing him as a young boy at ballet school in a documentary about the Paris Opera's tour to Moscow. How times flies.

[@bowetd01]

To be young, gifted and black. I’m so proud for the young man 💯🙏🏾👏🏾

[@owens5737]

He’s not black, he’s biracial. Can’t just erase half of him 😆

[@bowetd01]

@@owens5737 🙄 I said what I said. Not even you can’t erase what was said. Which in turn what you’re trying to do. It. The hypocrisy…Don’t be a tool.

[@concessajean-marie5571]

Tears of joy seeing him! Bravo!

[@amicisun]

congratulations to him, well deserved recognition ;o)

[@vivianemattos6142]

It shouldve happened 50 years ago!!! Is not lack of ability, is lack of opportunity!!!! UNDERSTOOD???❤

[@belle-chloesteiner5573]

💚He isn't Black,He is a Metisse💚

[@gregdahlen4375]

haven't seen much ballet but enjoyed what i saw

[@KCNwokoye]

Glad he's been given the chance to shine. When we have diversity we are all better for it.

[@robertantonnyc]

Such a beautiful dancer.

[@erikashields3373]

Congratulations to Guillaume Diop! Well deserved!

[@richardcleveland8549]

Amazing dancer . . . simply amazing! Congratulations on being named an etoile - well-deserved!

[@thangvuong9196]

23?! He looks like a teenager

[@charlesbeloved7951]

Baby he is an ETOILE ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️!!!!

[@muhlaynee]

Half black, fully French. Congrats to him🎉

[@ddoubleu170]

You see how they hit you with that one drop rule real quick!? Embrace all and they will feel embraced.

[@lizabetx483]

Half West African (Senegalese). Black comes from the Portuguese/Spanish racist term "Negro" which gave rise to the N word.

[@fabs8498]

@@lizabetx483this word is the latin work for a color. It will never change outside america and american language.

[@edithlazenby5839]

BEAUTIFUL!!!

[@maryleconte1646]

Vous.etes.fantastique a regarder danser Tant de facilite de talent votrefaçon de voys exprimer et ce merveilleux.ballon que vous.avez. Je vous.felicite et ai un plaisir fou a regardet vos interpretations. Un grand bravo!!! Vous exceĺlez dans La Fille mal Gardee. Je ne oeux que vous souhaiter un brillant avenir.BRAVO

[@maryleconte1646]

❤❤❤❤❤ ❤❤❤❤

[@tammymason9888]

Makes me want to go to Paris just to see him dance

[@daniellebreedlove2094]

Great job brother

[@philippebalin5960]

Félicitation GUILLAUME pour ton travail ; bravo l ' artiste . Je t ' aime .

[@deborahcrawford9079]

Bravo!

[@orighomisandediare4990]

Reach for the Stars, Dancér Étoile. Wishing you the true path like Nureyev. Bravo!

[@AuxaneST]

danceur étoile ❤ ✨️💫

[@jae6506]

Beautiful🙌🏽

[@d.c.7533]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@regand7830]

Que BEAU!! Bon chance, jeune homme!!!

[@1phildefer323]

Guillaume est magique.......He's magic

[@reneefaison5738]

Beautiful dancer!

[@home9556kefr]

Bravo! Late but change has to start somewhere.

[@teresalegler2777]

A true star ⭐️! Congratulations and continued success.

[@laurataylornyc9]

So proud and happy for Guillaume Diop. Watching him gives me chills and hope for the dance world. He clearly upholds the bar set by his predecessors and surely will raise it with beauty, grace and strength of purpose.

[@joyasydulcescoronado1673]

All races should have a chance. At the end of the day we are all human. Its about who is the best artist, who can bare the weight, who can spread the voice of the art of ballet... not your skin color. It is about time that the obssesion for the ultra light skin comes to an end.

[@fabs8498]

He is biracial. Not black.

[@keladry12]

I really understand what he's saying about loving having the structures and rules as limitations to play within. I like having the limitations - when I don't have strict rules, I don't know where to go next in my art!

[@camarojai6832]

Ouah!!!! accomplir tant de choses à un jeune âge. bravo jeune homme…. I love seeing young people making GREAT CHANGE

[@gabelogan5877]

The first?! This isn't something to celebrate. This is an embarrassment. This is 2023.

[@Iflie]

It's an elevated title, not everyone gets the etoile title, it means he's the highest rank possible. Not simply an employed dancer.

[@gabelogan5877]

@@Iflie Apparently you don't have reading comprehension skills. It's an embarrassment that in the 21st century, we're still doing firsts.

[@Iflie]

@@gabelogan5877 It looked like you thought a "black" person should have been first long ago, which makes no sense if you know ballet.

[@gabelogan5877]

@@Iflie LMFAO you KKK trolls are so easily triggered. Blocked and muted incel 😂

[@lc2296]

Congratulations. So proud

[@franckranaivo666]

DIEU🍋🌺🇻🇦⛑ PROTÈGEZ Guillaume DIOP💮🪅🪢🥰 tout au long de Sa Carrière de danseur etoile🤍✒📃🤗📚🎶🏵🌺🇨🇵🍋🌿✝️🧸🤍🙋‍♂️ !!!

[@okayimbackwhateverjones]

How exciting- from the clips here, he is doing better than he knows. But as always, I want to be careful not to upset the mix of his mechanism of performance

[@lizabetx483]

First biracial "star" dancer. Why do we have to erase one parent?

[@Iflie]

Americans, in europe we'd just call him half sengalese.

[@Pou1gie1]

It is not uncommon for a European French person to get this position, but for anyone not of full European ancestry to get this position in the last 350 years! They are highlighting the fact that he is the first because in the past non-white Europeans were excluded from these positions. The European white French side is not uncommon to this position, nor were they restricted from it.

[@lizabetx483]

@@Pou1gie1 The African ancestry of biracials can and should be be positively highlighted without the blatant erasure of the African origin through the use of the "Black" label. Black is the English translation of the racist Negro (original N word) slur. Also there is no need to omit the individual's other ancestry. Many biracial people feel pressure from Africans, the African diaspora and other races to identify as black because of the 1 drop rule. This classification has roots in slavery and racism. Especially in the US there are biracials who are ashamed to say that they have non African ancestry. African Americans tell them, "You feel you are better than us", the other races tell them, "Don't you think you're the same/as good as us!". These labels are damaging to the psyche of individuals who should be proud of all their ancestry. One part of a persons ancestry does not need to detract from the other.

[@Iflie]

@@lizabetx483 They also do not know where they are from. So black or african american was all they had. Now with DNA test results they can actually learn that yes most have european ancestry too and native american etc but the "black culture" is very adamant that it should be "black" even if you are in fact mainly white. I never had to fill in my race anywhere until I got OL and made an OK cupid profile back in the day, we just don't do that in well the rest of the world.

[@princessbell5380]

Merci à vous ! For us in france we say un métisse and not un noir ! Thanks

[@alainspiteri502]

more for his color than his talent Diop , othewise less known

[@owens5737]

Half white

[@tulsacaupain2882]

They did not get a fair chsnce that's why. Please.

[@masonstarship56]

Hopefully the gay community doesn’t mess him up be your own kind of Beautiful

[@KristineMaitland]

What, like Alvin Ailey did when he worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov? Spare me.

[@fabiesque]

These headlines "FIRST BLACK STAR..." are not helping. They are racist "reverse".

[@josehernandez-fs9ek]

He is not even 100 black 🙄

[@Pou1gie1]

Due to slavery and colonization (and the rape of women and men during those times), there aren't any Black people who can claim being 100 percent Black or Sub Saharan African. Even SSA's in remote parts of Africa have some percentage of European blood due to the tragic history of our world. The average Black American is around 25% European due to these same factors. I'm pretty sure you are mixed too do to the history of colonization and slavery, Jose Hernandez.

[@Pou1gie1]

Also, having a parent who is not African doesn't make your other parent less African. It also doesn't mean his lineage is any less. These kinds of statements to say that someone is mixed, so they are less or more of one of their backgrounds, is really just a way of invalidating his accomplishments by using the racist concept of racial blood quantum.

[@underskyeline9702]

First of all, he's mixed-race, not black. Secondly, it's it's disconcerting and offensive that one would make a big deal over the Paris Opera Ballet's appointment of its first non-white dancer. People are not defined solely by their race, and emphasizing it overlooks other aspects of their identity like their talent, skills, and individuality. All this is doing is perpetuating tokenism, showing him as a symbol of diversity rather than being valued for his talents and contributions. You're making a big deal out of this, and by doing so, perpetuating the idea that certain racial backgrounds are out of the ordinary in certain fields. Are you honestly suggesting that the appointment of this dancer is noteworthy solely because of his racial background? Because that's what it sounds like when you focus on THAT rather than his qualifications and skills. He should be judged based on his abilities and accomplishments rather than his race.