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Racial history is evolving through ballet

African American males are being paired with white dancers. In decades past this was not even a consideration.

By Cheryl E PrestonPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III

Ballerino: Not what you may have been told

Ballerino is an Italian term for a male Ballerina who dances in a major role. When I was a young girl in the 1960s and a teenager in the 1970s men who danced ballet were called "sissy's" which was a code word for being effeminate. I once was at a doctor's office and the little boy I was babysitting began dancing and a receptionist said he had great moves, I replied that perhaps he might one day perform ballet. She made a face and said she hoped he would do something more masculine.

People don't realize how sexist or homophobic this sounds as many assume that all male dancers are homosexual. That's worse than believing all black people eat watermelon and fried chicken. I'm African American and do not like either food. The assumption that all Ballerinos are Gay men is incorrect as many have wives and children.

Dancers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexual orientations and is why stereotypes need to be discontinued. The above photo of professional dancers Christine Shevchenko who is Ukrainian AKA a white female and Calvin Royall III a black male probably does not raise many eyebrows today but there was a time when an African American male would not have been allowed to dance with a Caucasian female. American history tells us that such a connection was very dangerous.

Racism rears its ugly head

In 1955, 14-year-old Emmitt Till was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he went into a grocery store. He is alleged to have spoken to or whistled at 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant and it cost him his life in a most brutal manner. Bryant's husband and brother-in-law abducted Till from his uncle's home and beat him till he was unrecognizable. They shot him and threw his body in a river. When he was found the teenager's eyes had been gouged out and his penis cut off and placed inside his mouth. Years later Carolyn Bryant admitted that she lied about Till flirting with her. Even if he had flirted, the young man did not deserve such a brutal death. The idea that someone might target my grandson because he danced with a white partner chills my bones.

When I was a young girl growing up during the 1960s in Blue Ridge Va. a neighbor's teenage son Billy Johnson died in a car accident in neighboring Bedford Va. I later overheard my grandma and great-grandmother discussing the situation. They said Billy's passenger had been a white girl he was dating and when law enforcement came upon the scene they were outraged. My grandparents said that Billy was beaten to death because of the white girl and did not die from his injuries in the wreck. Not long after this his mother and siblings moved to Roanoke City which was 10 miles away. This led my grandmother to warn my brothers not to marry outside of their race because she was afraid they might be killed. Ironically both brother wives were white.

A new day emerges

I thought of Emmett Till and Billy Johnson this weekend because of my grandson Ty. He is the male dancer in the green in the above video clip. It is from the Southwest Virginia Ballett Company's version of The Nutcracker. I have been crying off and on for days because I am so proud of him and the history he is making. There would have been a time when Ty was not allowed to pursue his dream of being a Ballerino simply because he is a young man of color. He certainly would not have been able to dance with a Caucasian female.

In African American circles this is still something that is not considered as masculine and most young black men lean towards sports activities. Those who do not are often teased or ostracized and not respected for whatever choices they make. Watching my grandson dancing I can see that he was created to be a Ballerino. Looking at him holding and dancing with his white female partner causes me to reflect that in decades past he would not have been allowed to do so.

In the movie Queen, Haley Berry's character (of the title name) was Alex Haley's paternal grandma. She was a biracial slave who attended a wedding with her grandfather Captain Jack and her white father James who was the young master. There was a dance like a square dance where everyone switched partners. The slaves were supposed to be separate but somehow Queen ended up dancing with a white man. I was unable to find any footage or images of this scene but you would have thought she committed a cardinal sin. Everyone simply stopped and stared in horror as if Queen dancing with this white male was the worst thing ever.

Queen's experience and that of Emmitt Till, and Billy Johnson are but three of many such situations. My grandson dancing with his partner of another race in The Nutcracker lets us know that racial history is changing. As of 2019 Calvin Royal III and Misty Copeland are still the only black dancers to have lead roles, in Ballett. After watching my grandson dance I believe things are changing even more and I look forward to writing about his becoming a professional ballerino and having a lead role.

Humanity
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About the Creator

Cheryl E Preston

Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.

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