In the second part of the mini-series “Beyond the Equity Statement,” we share how we ensured that our newly articulated core values are integral to our day-to-day operations and embraced by everyone collaborating with ASI.

A mini-series on creating core values and living by them.

In 2020, when COVID-19 threatened our health and livelihood, and civil unrest forced us to reevaluate our privilege, we could no longer ignore the "brokenness" of our field and the art form we love. Developing equity statements was important, but for ASI, it was time to become outward-facing about our values and to live by them.

Like many nonprofits, we didn't have the resources to spend hours digging into these topics all at once. So, with grace (and privilege), we permitted ourselves to do this over time. Not to keep pushing this back on the to-do list, but by eating the elephant one bite at a time and making sure this work could go beyond a nicely designed piece of paper.

We hope this mini-series sharing our process will inspire others to create a culture of care within their organizations and put actions behind their equity statements.

Part I: Looking Inward, Crafting Our Vision Statement & Core Values

In ballet, what you look like matters as much as—sometimes more than—what you can do. Ideals and expectations run almost absurdly high, and ballet is known to attract perfectionists who thrive on rigor, dedication, and discipline as much as creativity, expression, and joy. We are made to feel that we are never enough, that we will always fall short in some aspect of ourselves that we cannot change.

Ballet pink, classical pink, European pink. This is the range of tones I grew up with in my dancewear experience. It’s no wonder I knew no color other than pink for the greater part of my dance training; I took pink for granted as the unquestionable uniform of classical ballet. It wasn’t until my late teens that I saw--and a few years later danced for--Dance Theatre of Harlem that I was introduced to the concept of flesh tone ballet attire. This revelation changed me deeply, and though I remained tied to the ballet world I struggled physically and emotionally to engage with pink ever since.

In partnership with our creative collaborators, audiences, and supporters, we ask: How can Imagery’s mission of risk-taking, collaboration, and experimentation speak to issues of racial and social justice both within the dance community and in the world at large?