In the spirit of Sankofa, in order to understand their present and ensure their future, they must know their past.

Through Reframing the Narrative, a week-long celebration featuring performances on the Opera House stage, they recognize that Black ballet dancers have been pillars of the field for decades. They acknowledge that the artistry and leadership of Black ballet dancers has shaped ballet throughout the United States and across the globe. The history of Black dancers in ballet is rich—but many voices and many stories have remained untold and unheard. It’s time to reframe the narrative.

The week will feature multiple dynamic programs curated by Theresa Ruth Howard, founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet, and Denise Saunders Thompson, president and CEO of The International Association of Blacks in Dance. Performances will bring together Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballethnic Dance Company, and Collage Dance Collective along with other Black-identifying ballet dancers from across the United States to highlight the incredible work these pillar companies are doing in ballet today.

Together they will consider what ballet could look like when they gather the best of what their past has to teach us, so that they can achieve their full potential moving forward.