A Ballerina's Tale Page #3

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"or her consigliere, rather,

"because we feel she's got

everything that it takes,

"and she just needs that

older woman who can help her."

I began introducing her

to women I knew

who had been the first...

whether it was Diahann Carroll

or Veronica Webb,

who was the first black model

to have her own

cosmetics contract...

women who had blazed trails,

to help her understand

that she had the same potential,

to give her a kind

of kitchen cabinet of women

who could help her

face these hurdles,

because as much as she was

beloved in the company

and she was everybody's Misty,

she felt very alone,

and she felt

a lot of self-doubt.

And as we began this process

and we were having

all our discussions

at ABT about diversity,

one of the things

I had said was,

"It's only a matter of time

"before a very ugly article

hits the papers

"about the lack of diversity

in ballet,

"because it's going

to be noticed,

"and we're in

the new millennium.

"We're not in 1952,

and we still look like

the Alabama country club

in 1952."

Sure enough, in the spring,

an article was done, saying,

"Where are

the black ballerinas?"

And it was the front page

of the Arts & Leisure section.

New York City Ballet

was lambasted,

and we were lambasted,

and Misty called me crying.

She was crying,

and she was saying,

"I look at this, and I think,

'"Why am I even bothering?

'"Why am I doing what I'm doing?

There's no hope."'

I can tell you that I have

been writing about this idea

of the color of ballet

since at least the late '80s.

In fact, I have

a story from 1990

I just kind of

refreshed myself with,

just to see what has changed,

what has stayed the same.

And I would say

that unfortunately,

a lot has stayed the same.

It is still a ballet blanc,

so to speak, you know?

It's very difficult

to see people of color

adopt major roles

in the classical repertoire.

And tomb pas de bourre

with arms,

and up, relev, piqu through.

The color of the skin

is obviously

a very important aspect

that is kind of taboo.

It's about casting.

Can you be soft and lovely,

or do you have to be...

Strong and sexy?

You would make a black dancer

just that sexual,

you know, vivacious dancer,

but there's also

other roles that

you growing up as a little girl

watching "Giselle"

or watching these

more ethereal ballerinas,

which you can do,

but the color of your skin,

they tend to not let you

do those ballets.

And pli.

Don't change and change.

One, two, three, fifth.

Chass through.

That's it.

Classical ballet is all

based on these

fairy-tale stories

many... in many times.

And so if you don't see

a black dancer

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