Ballet in the 21st Century: Flesh Tone for All!

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.