REFLECTIONS ON BALLET

I've been doing ballet on and off over the past few years. I've mostly really enjoyed it and been eager to take the form into my own hands, expectations and independent training.

These have mostly been in the context of adult general level classes at a local studio in a relaxed environment. Since last year I have begun been training privately with Nandita Shankardass - these classes have been more detailed and precise in correct muscle activation, awareness and technique. - much more basic and more difficult in many ways.

I’m currently taking some time away from ballet in order to prioritise university and overall health whilst researching/considering my next steps with the form

I’m thinking about the culture of the ballet world - which i stand outside of, and i’m remembering what Jonzi D (dancer, MC, Spoken word artist & founder of Breakin convention) said to me about the effect of ballet on the black body - it being fundamentally anti-black.

I’m reflective and holding multiple ideas in contention.

I’ll link to an article here about "toe point supremacy"

"Ballet-derived aesthetic expectations are still sometimes used as a basis to devalue Aboriginal, vernacular, African, and intuitive dance forms from around the world. They’re still used to call many natural body-shapes ugly. They’re still used to reinforce the gender binary and patriarchal gender roles. They’re still used to devalue non-skinny, flatter-footed, and other non-conforming bodies. They’re still used to discourage Black and Brown bodies from participating--and as a basis to tell them their bodies (often their feet specifically) are ‘wrong’"

I'm not sure…
what is the place for ballet in my life?
I don’t care about the ballet world or its expectations and standards,
I care about my own personal practice and the tools that help me express myself
I think that anything that happens on, through my body, is still inherently mine?

as in, me pointing my toes does not transform me into a european ideal of femininity

but is an expression of my west african body using the fullness of its range and mobility

i think ——
and i think awareness transforms this —

not doing a specific movement to be “beautiful” because my own body type & movement patterns are ugly

some un-learning to do here

i’m grateful to be immersed in other styles simultaneously - for a while I was deeply and solely focused on ballet, which was interesting & enjoyable as well as difficult and harmful in ways that I was perhaps not aware of.

I'm excited to continue training independently with Nandita and with my friends Luisa Mateo and Bianca Scout, where our focus is on creativity, playfulness and innovation

INDEPENDANT PROJECT: DANCE PRACTICE

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