BWW Dance Review: Celebrating Diversity in Ballet with THE BLACK IRIS PROJECT

On June 29, 2016, The Black Iris Project, under the direction of the award-winning choreographer Jeremy McQueen, performed their new ballet entitled Black Iris at Central Park as part of SummerStage- the largest free performing arts festival in New York City. It was such a beautiful evening- a perfect night for the ballet.

This evening's program featured the piece, Black Iris, by McQueen that is inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's "Black Iris III" painting. This work had its debut on March 10, 2013 in Chicago, IL as part of a commission through the Joffrey Academy of Dance and the 2013 Joffrey Ballet's Choreographers of Color Award. He dedicates this piece to three important Black women who had an influence in his life. McQueen honors them for their perseverance, determination, confidence, and faith as they work through the unique challenges of Black womanhood.

The dance was absolutely beautiful! I truly loved how the dancers performed such lovely yet complex lifts and stunning partner work with such grace. It was a special treat to have so many dancers of color representing several major ballet companies on one stage including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico, Dance Theatre of Harlem, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and the New York Theatre Ballet to name a few.

I personally thought this performance was a very bold statement. Classical ballet has the stigma of being a White, Eurocentric art form. And to see so many brown ballet dancers on one stage was so powerful. Being a person of color, I appreciated this opportunity to watch people with such amazing talent do something that many before them were told they could not do. We are in an important time for dance as many are starting to become aware, acknowledge, and act on the lack of diversity particularly in ballet. It was very moving and touching for me.

McQueen is a strong believer in the power Black artistry has to spark social change through its cultural pervasiveness. The Black Iris Project, founded in 2016, is a ballet collaborative and education vehicle to create classical ballet works that are relevant and celebrate diversity and Black history. The project hosts a team of predominantly minority artists. It is the hope to encourage and inspire youth to pursue art, movement, and music as an expressive outlet. I loved that there were so many young girls in the audience. It's amazing that they have the opportunity to see people who look like them on a stage. And I hope that they are truly inspired by what they saw. I know I was!

Following this performance, The Black Iris Project will have another engagement July 27-28, 2016 at New York Live Arts where they will feature three ballet works that are deeply rooted in Black history. For more information, please visit www.blackirisproject.org.

SummerStage is directed by City Parks Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization that strives to offer programs in public parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. SummerStage looks to present artists and genres that reflect the diverse cultures and communities here in New York while helping to build and foster new audiences and a broader interest in the arts. For the complete schedule, please visit their website at www.SummerStage.org.

Photo Credit: Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos

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