Why We Must Examine "Race" in the Dance World

In the world of dance, is race really that important? 

We now know that scientifically speaking, there is no such thing as race. Humanity is one. 

But we also know that race as a social construct has been woven into the policies and practices of our society for centuries…these things have had, and continue to have, a deep and profound impact on the dance world. 

There are issues including (but not limited to):

So what do we do, if anything, about these issues?

While some might suggest that progress in these areas is best made by ignoring race since we now know that race isn’t scientifically a real thing, history tells us otherwise. 

I thought it appropriate to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak to this point. 

These quotations are from a speech he made in March 1968, 

• 21 days before he was killed
• 4 years AFTER the passing of civil rights legislation, which legally ended discrimination on the basis of race, gender, nationality, etc. 

…I do not see how we will ever solve the turbulent problem of race confronting our nation until there is an honest confrontation with it and a willing search for the truth and a willingness to admit the truth when we discover it.

The first thing I would like to mention is that there must be a recognition on the part of everybody in this nation that America is still a racist country. Now however unpleasant that sounds, it is the truth. And we will never solve the problem of racism until there is a recognition of the fact that racism stands at the center of so much of our nation and we must see racism for what it is. 

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The search for truth has become so complex in the Information Age & the age of social media. 

Many of us find the back-and-forth exchange of opinions based on preconceived notions, and not facts, to be confusing, exhausting, and ineffective. Over time, I realized that 

We can’t make sense of the current issues of race & culture in dance 

without understanding the historical context that has led to these issues.

That’s why I started offering seminars and courses about race and dance history. 

The great thing about history is that it is fact. It’s simply examining what has happened. It’s the exact kind of truth that Dr. King speaks of.

People can interpret that truth in a number of ways sure, but I figure that we can all at least come to some kind of collective understanding and starting place, in true historical facts. 

This history is the “backdrop” of the issues we face today in the dance world. And as Dr. King states, if we can recognize the issues, then we can confront them effectively, and actually solve them. 

But we don’t need to get bogged down in opinions or partisan politics to do it. 

We can objectively seek truth and have the maturity to acknowledge it when we see it. 

Truth is the way we can “shrink the elephant in the room”. This is the way we can do our part in the dance community to fulfill Dr. King’s dream for our world. 

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Learn more about my November 2022 two-part webinar series “Racism in the Dance World” - registration fees, logistics, etc. - by clicking on this link.