The senseless murder of George Floyd highlights the systemic racism and continued disrespect for black lives that permeates our society. The ballet world is not immune to this racism and prejudice, and silence on this issue will no longer be tolerated.
Our world must change. We must take conscious, actionable steps to better ourselves and those around us until we have uprooted and dismantled the culture of bigotry and disregard of black people and all marginalized groups.
At Nashville Ballet, we must begin with furthering our dedication to recognizing, addressing, and abolishing the racial inequalities that have plagued the dance world and remain within this industry.
We pledge to continue our work with the Equity Project and educating ourselves by looking to voices of color to inform our efforts further. As we program for seasons to come, celebrating and partnering with artists of color, including musicians, choreographers, and others, will remain a primary focus. We recognize the importance of telling diverse stories that reflect the voices of all the members of our global community, and we will remain committed to bringing repertory that seeks to educate and spark communal discussion about our world. We will further strengthen and diversify our recruitment process to ensure that our Company, our students, and our staff reflect the diversity of our audience.
This commitment doesn’t end with this news cycle, nor should it. Black lives matter—not just today, but always. If you are looking for additional resources on ways to take action now, please visit theshowmustbepaused.com.
About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 55,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, and public elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class dance instruction to students age 2 and up. To learn more about Nashville Ballet, please visit nashvilleballet.com.
Nashville Ballet receives public funding from Metro Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Contributions from local, regional, and national institutional funders and community partners, as well as hundreds of generous individuals, provide ongoing support of Nashville Ballet’s mission-critical programs.
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