Black women in ballet
Black women have been traditionally underrepresented in ballet. In the 15th and 16th centuries, ballet began in Italian Renaissance courts, where it was largely dominated and influenced by the aristocracy. Ballet later spread to France and was developed under Louis XIV. After the first professional theatrical ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet, was established in 1669, ballet spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Ballet eventually arrived in the United States, and by 1933, the San Francisco Ballet, the first professional ballet company in the United States, was founded. When ballet came to the  United States, the demographic makeup of dancers was predominantly wealthy and white. However, ballet has grown increasingly diverse in recent years, as professional ballet companies have increased representation of dancers of color. Specific companies aiming to nurture Black ballet dancers and foster diversity have been established, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Initiatives such as Project Plié, started by the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), also aim to tackle diversity issues in ballet by broadening access to dance education for children of color, increasing diversity in dance administrative positions, and working in  partnership with other professional ballet companies as well as Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Nonetheless, ballet remains heavily white, and Black dancers generally face more barriers and greater discrimination in ballet compared to other forms of dance like hip-hop, modern, and jazz. Further, while Black dancers as a whole are underrepresented in ballet, Black female ballet dancers face significantly greater challenges than Black male ballet dancers, in part because there is generally a greater demand for male ballet dancers than female ballet dancers. Historical evolution of Black women in ballet. Although Black women continue to be underrepresented in ballet , they have made steady progress in integrating the field. Jim Crow laws, which persisted until the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, meant that racial segregation was a pervasive feature of American life throughout the first half of the 20th century. Segregation marked nearly every American institution, including ballet schools and companies. Aspiring Black ballet students were prohibited from entry in ballet classes because of the color of their skin. Janet Collins, who later became the first African American prima ballerina, attempted to take ballet classes as a child but was denied, so she opted for private instruction  instead. Collins excelled in her technique, but she quickly realized that her skin color would prevent her from performing with most companies. In 1932, when she was fifteen years old, Collins auditioned for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was told that she would need to perform in whiteface if she became a member of the company. Raven Wilkinson, another prominent ballet dancer, faced similar discrimination when she performed with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo several decades later, in the 1950s. Wilkinson was instructed to use powder on her face so that she would appear white onstage and audiences would  not be able to tell that she was Black. Wilkinson eventually left the company after being threatened by the Ku Klux Klan while on tour in the South. The exclusion of Black ballet dancers from existing schools and companies and the discrimination they faced if they were admitted led to the establishment of Black ballet institutions. In 1919, Ella Gordan founded Gordan's School of Dance in Harlem, New York, to train the younger generation of Black dancers. Several years later, in 1926, Essie Marie Dorsey established the Essie Marie Dorsey School of Dancing in Philadelphia. Both Gordan and Dorsey  contributed significantly to Black participation in ballet through the establishment of their respective schools. The foundation of ballet schools in Black communities was important for the training of younger generations of dancers. Similarly, the establishment of Black ballet companies was essential for professional dancers to choreograph and perform. Katherine Dunham was a significant contributor to the involvement of Black women in ballet. In 1931, Dunham helped establish Ballet Négre, which was one of the first Black ballet companies in the United States. Though the group quickly disbanded, it was an important precursor to the establishment of other Black ballet companies . Dunham later founded her several schools and her own company, and she developed a dance training method called the Dunham Technique. As the Jim Crow era came to an end and more ballet companies began to integrate, the number of Black professional dancers and students at prominent ballet schools and companies has increased. Throughout the years, there has been much progress in the number and status of Black women in ballet, but they still face discrimination and underrepresentation.