As much as we love dance, there is a universal truth that can’t be ignored -- dance has never been inclusive. Yes, there have been changes in the past years that have allowed POC -- and anyone that qualifies as an “outlier” in the dance community -- to blossom. These improvements, however, are part of a performative allyship -- an act of support that doesn’t help the marginalized group but benefits the self. This effect detracts from the sole purpose of what dance is truly about; unity.
In the dance community, embracing diversity too often involves creating a diversion. For instance, dance companies that get created just for a certain race or to solely focus on a specific culture places a label on the dancers that ultimately limit their experiences with different dancers, choreographers and audiences. Kalamandir Dance, an Indian company directed by Brinda Guha, creates meaningful and important work for the community at large by using their culture as the narrative. Yet this company and ethnic dances in general rarely receive the same recognition as other top-notch Eurocentric companies, not because of the quality of their work but because of the glorification of Eurocentrism in dance. Eurocentrism is when a population’s view is built on Western Culture. In dance, Eurocentric favoritism forces cultural practices to not be “deemed” worthy of the same attention, funding and support. The feeling of alienation causes dancers to shift away from a broader community to share their work to one where it would feel wanted. While this still gives them an opportunity to showcase their craft, they have to do this in a very limiting manner.Those whose work deviates from the Eurocentric paradigm in dance are given the space to make art, but they aren’t fully supported once they’re there.
Why can’t ethnic cultures be a main focus in the white dance community and not a supporting role? A lot of where dance comes from, whether it be commercial or concert, is influenced by ethnic pioneers like Katherine Dunham, whose African Caribbean modern influences has been seen in Broadway shows (i.e. Aida), in the works of Alvin Ailey, jazz and contemporary dance. Culture is so significant in the way dance has progressed that it’s illogical to showcase these practices separately or as a less deserving group. Performative allyship plays a big role in allowing our system to be this way.
To be an ally is to support by action, but with performative allyship what we usually see is lazy support that only allows the “ally” to be seen as “woke”. For dancers and dance enthusiasts, it’s hard to grasp this concept because dance is a very emotional and mental driven practice. We aren’t expected to use our craft for activism or to ask for more for ourselves and our community. Instead, we are taught to be appreciative of what we have and be content with the minimum. This mentality stems from the feeling of alienation. The more oppressed a dancer becomes the more inclined they are to accept any kind of treatment they receive. Our emotional connection to dance and longing for acceptance trumps any visual warning towards the existing systemic racism in dance like, colorism.
Colorism is having a disadvantage for the color of your skin. No matter where you come from, those with a lighter skin complexion have a better shot at receiving better treatment and opportunities. In dance, colorism is part of a performative allyship used to benefit the agendas of a company or institution; having diverse dancers who are white passing, allows them to be showcased as accepting leaders who are open minded and supportive. Inclusivity, however, comes in many forms. In order to be fully inclusive there has to be room for every person of color not just those who look the part.
With the expansive growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, a lot of these systemic faults have come to light in the dance world. Many ballet dancers have spoken out on these issues that are so common and yet never spoken of. Among them are George Sanders, dancer at Ballet Memphis, who posted a video on his Instagram asking for his company to speak up and own up to their mission. Another is Felipe Domingos, dancer at Finnish National Ballet, who also used his platform to shed light on how his skin color has limited his experience as a dancer.
These issues aren’t present in every studio, company or institution but it is a problem in our industry that never gets spoken of. It has become a normalized way to approach our craft due to our lack of awareness of these faults. Systemic oppression in dance doesn’t rise out of malicious intent but out of the things we were taught in school, colleges and small studios.
In order to dismantle the idealization of eurocentrism in dance, we have to start by changing the way we educate dancers when they’re young. Institutions need to shift their Eurocentric approach into a much broader practice not only in techniques but also in the academic field of dance.They need to be an ally by taking actions and showing dancers that it is okay to look different. They have to be able to demonstrate that a dancer's culture is important to who they are as an artist but that it does not define where they will end up.
There are many ways to do this work and not fall into the performative allyship that I've discussed, one that doesn’t have an end goal. There needs to be more opportunities for non-white passing POC’S that also align with goals of the white dance community. It’ll be hard to have a cohesive industry when we treat Eurocentric and cultural practices as two different entities. Every style of dance develops with influences from other genres. One can’t exist without the other, but they can coexist. When we embrace dancers of color and their culture with the same delicacy and appreciation there is for white dancers and eurocentric practices (i.e sufficient funding, good venues to showcase their work, quality training and full inclusivity) the dance industry will be stronger and more united.