Nowadays we’re in a place where we can step back from ourselves and see that we don’t have to take it personally. BRADLEY For a lot of people in charge of ballet companies, white is the classical beauty standard. HUTSELL My sister, who just got into the Birmingham Royal Ballet, sent me a meme that said, “When did you realize you weren’t ugly, you just weren’t white?” That explains it perfectly. ALEXANDRA HUTCHINSON I feel we had a lot of time this year to reflect because we were stuck at home. ERICA LALL But I think it’s important for audience members to see all of us onstage together, in the spotlight, and not just trying to quote-unquote blend into the corps.

Source: New York Times August 17, 2021 20:15 UTC