Written by Leah Asmelash, CNNAfter legendary ballerina Misty Copeland called out the Bolshoi Theatre for its use of blackface in performances, the theatre told Russian state-run media that it would continue the practice despite the criticism. Copeland, who is not a part of this production, wrote, "And this is the reality of the ballet world" as the caption on Instagram. Some criticized Copeland's decision to post the photo of the young ballerinas, opening them up to online hate, rather than blaming the theater itself. "I'm tired of giving the oppressors the benefit of the doubt," Copeland wrote on Instagram in response. I have lived in the ballet world for 25 years.

Source: CNN December 18, 2019 03:00 UTC