MoBBallet presents AND STILL THEY ROSE

Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet), a groundbreaking legacy project documenting and transforming conversations around black ballet artists, heralds the completion of its inaugural video installation "And Still They Rose: The Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet." Highlighting Joan Myers Brown, Delores Brown and Judith Jamison, three Black Philadelphian dancers who were classically trained, the video installation will be released on MoBBallet's website October 22, 2017. A corresponding panel discussion, moderated by MoBBallet's founder Theresa Ruth Howard, and featuring Joan Myers Brown and Delores Brown, will take place at Philadelphia's The Painted Bride Arts Center on October 28. The installation and panel will bring to proper light the history of Black Philadelphians in classical ballet through a recounting of their dance training and careers.

The online digital installation outlines branches of the family tree of ballet that formed during a dynamic time in Philadelphia's cultural and social history, where the ever-present lines of racial segregation would often blur within the city's vibrant art scene. Through Myers Brown, Brown, and Jamison's candid stories, we learn about their early dance training with trailblazers such as Sydney King, Marion Cuyjet, and world renown English choreographer Antony Tudor. Their experiences disprove the myth that blacks did not study ballet, or were not proficient enough to dance professionally-their accounts shed light on why so few from that era did.

"These iconic women and their stories are a master class on the intersectionality of ballet and blackness, in a Philadelphia that was transforming through the Great Migration," states Theresa Ruth Howard. "The Painted Bride-whose commitment to the artist's role in the community and artistic diversity-was a natural choice for the panel discussion."

"And Still They Rose: The Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet" was made possible by a grant from Knight Foundation. The Painted Bride, also a Knight Foundation grant recipient, will house a visual exhibit of photographic portraits by Eva Mueller-on display during the panel event. Black ballet dancers currently working professionally in the field will also be present at The Painted Bride event to discuss the current state of diversity in Ballet.

Mobballet's digital archives include a Family Tree tracing black ballet dancers from Essie Marie Dorsey to present. The "And Still They Rose" video series-which includes three videos detailing each dancer's story, and a compilation video showcasing their teachers-joins the digital archive. Historical essays on the women, as well as archival photos and materials, are also part of the exhibit.

And Still They Rose will take place on October 28th from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at The Painted Bride Arts Center. RSVP is free but donations are welcome: https://paintedbride.org/events/still-rose-legacy-black-philadelphians-ballet/

The Painted Bride Arts Center is located at 230 Vine Street in Philadelphia, PA. SEPTA bus routes No. 17, 33, 44, and 48 run East to West on Market Street and No. 57 runs North on 3rd Street and South on 4th Street. Venue telephone contact is: 215.925.9914

Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet) is a non-profit organization that is building a digital archive where the history of blacks in professional ballet can be preserved. Founded by ballerina Theresa Ruth Howard, MoBBallet facilitates authentic dialogues on diversity, equality and aesthetics through workshops, panels and video profiles of both iconic and emerging black ballet dancers. The online archive provides timelines of important moments in the history of black ballet and juxtaposes them against key moments in world history. The Roll Call initiative is an ever-expanding list of black ballet dancers past and present -E-Zine brings visibility to issues that loom large in both the ballet world and society such as diversity and inclusion.

Founder of MoBBallet, Theresa Ruth Howard is an expert and advocate on the issue of diversity in Ballet. She has sat on panels for Dance/USA, Dance/NYC, Collegium for African Diaspora Dance at Duke University, and collaborated with International Association of Blacks in Dance in the planning and facilitation of the first Ballet Audition for female ballet dancers of color. A former member of the Dance Theater of Harlem, and Armitage Gone! Dance, Howard has worked extensively with choreographer Donald Byrd, and was a guest artist with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. As a contributor to Pointe, Expressions (Italy), Tanz (Germany) and dance media publications, Howard has emerged as a clear and defining voice on topics such as body image and race. She holds more than 17 years of experience as a dance educator including Ballet Faculty at the Ailey School.

Painted Bride Art Center brings together artists, audiences and communities to push the boundaries of how we create and experience art. We cultivate an environment for critical dialog and playful exchange to transform lives and communities.

Now celebrating 48 years as a pioneering presenter of performing and visual art, the Bride is more focused than ever on offering independent artists from Philadelphia and abroad the support needed to bring their creative works to fruition.