How Many Black Dancers Are in New York City Ballet?

Ballet

New York City Ballet is one of the world’s most renowned dance companies, known for its strong and technically proficient performances. The company was founded in 1934 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine and has since been a leader in American ballet.

However, despite its long history, the number of black dancers that have been a part of New York City Ballet is surprisingly low.

The majority of the company’s dancers have historically been white, and it wasn’t until 1984 that the first African American dancer was hired. Since then, there have been several other notable dancers of color who have joined the company, though their numbers remain small compared to the rest of the troupe. Among those who have had successful tenures at NYCB are iconic dancer Desmond Richardson, who performed with the company from 1985 to 1998; Michaela DePrince, who joined in 2014; and recent addition Jared Angle, who began dancing with NYCB in 2017.

In recent years, New York City Ballet has made an effort to diversify its ranks by bringing on more dancers of color. This includes increasing outreach to dance schools and organizations that focus on providing training and opportunities for African American students. The company also hosts free open classes each season specifically geared towards introducing young people from diverse backgrounds to ballet.

Despite these efforts, there is still much work to be done when it comes to increasing diversity within New York City Ballet’s ranks. While there are currently a handful of African American dancers performing with the company, they still make up only a small fraction of NYCB’s total roster. In order for this trend to be reversed and for more black dancers to join NYCB, it will take ongoing commitment from both artistic staff and administration.

In conclusion, while there has been progress made in terms of diversifying New York City Ballet’s roster over the years, there is still much work to be done. Currently only a handful of African American dancers are part of the company’s troupe and more must be done if this trend is going to reverse itself.