Reframing the Narrative: Blacks in Ballet | A Kennedy Center Digital Stage Original

Eleven black dancers from historically white ballet companies were commissioned by The Kennedy Center to create and perform a brand new ballet in just two weeks. This is their story...
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Guest curator Theresa Ruth Howard facilitated a two-week creative process through Kennedy Center Social Impact’s Office Hours Residency Program with renowned choreographer Donald Byrd, using the music of Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon, to birth this stunning piece that premiered on the Reframing the Narrative program in the Kennedy Center Opera House alongside works presented by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballethnic Dance Company, and Collage Dance Collective.
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Proud recipient of an Anthem Award for Education, Art & Culture! www.anthemawards.com/winners/
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CREATIVE TEAM
Choreographer
Donald Byrd
Composer
Carlos Simon
Conductor
Dr. Leslie Dunner
Curators
Theresa Ruth Howard
Denise Saunders Thompson
Dancers
Portia Adams
Precious Adams
Katlyn Addison
Joshua Bodden
Corey Bourbonniere
Jenelle Figgins
Claudia Monja
Ashley Murphy-Wilson
Gian Carlo Perez
Jonathan Philbert
Miranda Silveira
Raquel Smith, Apprentice
VIDEO
Executive Producer
Regis Vogt
Producers
Tony Donghyuk Yoon
Ryan Nichols
Director / Director of Photography
Tony Donghyuk Yoon
Editor
Ryan Nichols
Graphics
Georgia Bergin
Camera Operators - Story
Tony Donghyuk Yoon
Josh Rodriguez
Camera Operators - Performance
Stella Sharpe
Josh Rodriguez
Harry Oakes
Rick Burks
Ayal Subar
Camera Assistants
Harry Oakes
Ben Janusz
KENNEDY CENTER DANCE PROGRAMMING
Director, Dance Programming
Jane Raleigh
Manager, Dance Programming
Julie Akerly
Coordinator, Dance Programming
Malik Burnett
From Other Suns was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Reframing the Narrative (2022) and is made possible with support from the Kennedy Center Social Impact’s Office Hours Residency program.
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2:39 - Dancer Othella Dallas is mistakenly identified here as Katherine Dunham. Katherine discovered and trained Othella, and Othella taught Katherine Dunham's technique into her 90s.
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#reframingthenarrative #ballet #thekennedycenter

[@lazarocedeno5270]

I am a ballet dancer. I am a black ballet dancer. I am 86 years fabulous. I am in heaven. Have I died? Noooooooooo!. This is happening. We are happening. Wow. Wow. Wow. My tears are flowing. Flowing. Flowing .Flying. Haven. Heaven. Heavenly.

[@cartomancycarmen]

I was named after Carmen Delavallade exactly 31 years and 1 day after she appeared on Jet magazine. My mom was 31 when she had me…!!!!

[@velyndab2velyndabaker712]

BRING THIS Ballet out once a year at the Kennedy Center-You will inspire many to join

[@springnicole]

For artists to show up and bring their individual gifts and skill is such a beautiful thing. When you have a platform that sees, hears and values dancers and their contribution, the collective benefits and the art form of ballet itself develops further, expanding to a broader audience.

[@lazarocedeno5270]

You children are marvelous. My children. My precious children. I am so moved. You move. You are moving. Classical ballet dancers. You are soooooooooooofineeeeeeeeeeee.

[@porsharobinson463]

Beautiful work!!!! I cannot wait for my ballerina to be apart of something this monumental

[@MOBBALLET]

Wow...Just wow, we did that !

[@rachalyahsharahal9060]

Outstanding just Beautiful, so much life, grace and eloquence.

[@terrelldavis4502]

I loved every moment of this. So important, relevant, and soul shifting 🤩🖤🤎

[@cartomancycarmen]

This is the most beautiful cast I have ever seen! I was named after Carmen Delavallade 31 years and 1 day fter she appeared on jet magazine. My mom was 31 when she had me and finally had a daughter ❣️ I’m not a ballet dancer but seeing this made me wish I had.

[@shazrebekah]

Wow. This amazing and so powerful! More of this please!

[@dennisrabinovitz7787]

Changing lives with art. Kudos, Kennedy Center and Everyone Involved.

[@DETROIT1948]

Thank you.

[@TheIknowStanShow]

Absolutely amazing! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@t.w.8174]

I LOVE Precious Adams!

[@anotherb7068]

Ty for this

[@bumblebea1773]

Wow ❤❤❤

[@bobbyschannel349]

The Thing that bothers me about this as an Afro-American is.. that dances from the 1920s 30s and 40s. Like the jitterbug swing dances, specifically Lindy Hop. Is dying out in the black community. But it's astoundingly thriving in the white communities. White people are the majority in swing dances Lindy Hop.. Last night I was doing research all over social media and the internet, reading article after article about swing dances and Lindy Hop. And no black people are doing it. They're not interested. But white people love it. And they are good at. I even read somewhere. That many white Lindy hop dancers would dance in front of black spectators. And even tried to get them to learn it, because they want black people to learn it. Because they understand that these are black dances from the 20, 30s and 40s But a lot of black people are not interested. So therefore white people are dominating the Lindy Hop movement all over the world... One of the reasons why this bothers me so much, I was looking at lots of black movies from the 1920s 30s and 40s over the past three months.. Literally falling in love with black American jazz culture.. I watched Movies like.. the girl in room 20, Moon over Harlem, Paradise in Harlem, Boy! what a girl. And like a dozen more, but especially Oscar micheaux movies. Most of his movies there are always great little jazz in jazz dancing numbers. I was looking at short films by cab calloway like the jitterbug party. I was looking at Bill Robinson King for a Day, And I literally fell in love with jazz and jazz dancing.. But when I look at black people of this generation, there seems to be a disinterest, or a disconnect. And the only thing that bothers me about this ballet video and the studio that teaches ballet to black children. Because its almost as if though we are more interested in someone else's dances as opposed to our own,. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with this, it's a great thing dancing from all walks of life. The problem is is that black Americans had this particular swing dance that originated in the black community, but black people are not interested in it. And it's now dominated by the White community worldwide. If you go all over KZbin, and you look at Lindy Hop competitions, it's all white people internationally! No blacks!! maybe one or two.. and they are Europeans. I find it heartbreaking that black people are not into things that they created that originated in their communities. The only problem with this video looking at this very eurocentric dancing style. There are very few black dance studios that teaches swing dance and Lindy Hop. But there are tons of black ballet studios..

[@tulip5677]

Hopefully, in this day and age, ballet doesn't have to be Eurocentric anymore. It can belong equally to all humanity, including new ballets choreographed by talented people of all colors from all backgrounds. I don't know anything about Lindy Hop but it sounds interesting; perhaps it deserves a wider audience.

[@MsMarmima]

If only white people are doing it, what makes you think black people will feel welcome enough to do it? Look at what happened to country, rock music, electronic, and what's going on with rap... Ballet is classic/timeless but like you said, lindyhop invokes a particular time... Why do white people feel so comfortable with that?

[@craigslistreplies3485]

The term "Blacks" does not sit well with a lot of people. (Personally, I prefer the term African American but use the term Black/African because not all people of African descent identify as "Black") But you could have at least said Black PEOPLE.

[@MsMarmima]

I definitely raised my eyebrow. Still the same 10 months later