About Us – MOBBallet.org

Launched in 2015, MoBBallet (MoBB) preserves, presents, and promotes the contributions and stories of Black artists in the field of Ballet, illustrating that they are an integral part of dance history at large. Our mission is to illuminate the lesser-known history and legacies of international professional Black ballet artists that have been muted, or oftentimes eradicated from the larger canon of dance history, by being the digital platform that compiles it in one online location. MoBBallet reinstates these contributions and achievements in our ever-expanding historical Timeline and Roll Call and invokes the sentiment of a digital museum by curating online installations which include oral histories, written works and archival data. We house “traditional” archival material, as well as oral histories, the memoirs of Blacks in Ballet dancers, through the production of mini-documentaries that capture not only their artistry, but their humanity. Through the production of high-quality, inspiring and accessible content, MoBBallet keeps these legacies alive. In addition MoBBallet curates and facilitates forums for stimulating and dynamic conversations about race, diversity, equity, inclusion and art. MoBBallet promotes larger discussions within the dance community, as well as provides a platform and network for emerging dancers, educators, teachers, and choreographers. We are only as strong as our stories, therefore they must be told and preserved.

Theresa Ruth Howard

The New York Times has recognized Theresa Ruth Howard as a “force for change.” Her groundbreaking work in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) has been pivotal in reshaping the culture and landscape of ballet. A thought leader and change agent, Howard’s influence extends beyond ballet to the entire field of dance, catalyzing shifts in diversity, inclusion, and organizational culture.

Her multifaceted background as a ballet dancer, educator, journalist, and scholar, combined with her holistic approach to addressing systemic issues, informs her work as an organizational consultant and advocate. This approach has driven international reforms across the dance field.

In 2015, Howard founded MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet), a digital archive and initiative dedicated to preserving the contributions of Black ballet artists. In 2016, prompted by Joan Myers Brown, she partnered with the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) to organize the first ballet audition for women of color. That same year, she facilitated the first-ever discussion with American ballet leaders on the lack of diversity in ballet.

In 2018, she joined the Design and Facilitation Team for The Equity Project: Increasing the Presence of Blacks in Ballet, a three-year initiative involving 21 North American ballet companies. In 2021, she launched the Cultural Competence and Equity Coalition (C²EC).

Howard is a sought-after consultant and has worked with prestigious companies, including The Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Seattle Opera.

As a dancer Theresa Ruth Howard began her professional career at the age of twelve with the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company. Shortly after high school she joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Africa. She began working with choreographer Donald Byrd as a soloist in his staging of New York City Opera’s Carmina Burana, after which he invited her to work with his company Donald Byrd/The Group as a guest artist. She appeared with The Group in Byrd’s critically acclaimed Harlem Nutcracker, as well as The Beast, a controversial piece about domestic violence. In 2004 she became a founding member of Armitage Gone! Dance, and was invited to be a guest artist with Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s 10th anniversary season.

Her curatorial philosophy integrates art, education, celebration, and inclusion. This vision is evident in her projects for MoBBallet, including The Constellation Project: Mapping the Dark Stars of Ballet and And Still They Rose: The Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet. MoBBallet’s symposiums and Pathways to Performance choreographic programs provide education, community, and opportunity, enriching the field of dance as a whole.

Howard’s contributions extend beyond MoBBallet. She has curated panels and symposiums across the globe, including sessions at Dutch National Ballet’s bi-annual conference Positioning Ballet (2017/2019) and the Dancing Diversity exhibition for Black Achievement Month. In 2019 she curated the inaugural Young Talent Festival Symposium, Exposure, Access, and Opportunity: Exploring the Cultural Barriers to Ballet Training, for the Royal Ballet and Opera, further emphasizing her commitment to dismantling systemic barriers within ballet training. In 2022, she curated the Reframing the Narrative residency at the Kennedy Center, a landmark celebration of Black ballet. This initiative included the premiere of Donald Byrd’s From Other Suns, which Pointe Magazine named one of the “standout” performances of 2022.

The Kennedy Center produced a documentary about this groundbreaking residency, earning a Silver Anthem Award. Howard continued her collaboration with the Kennedy Center, leading to the 2024 debut of Pathways to Performance, which featured works by five Black choreographers and was also showcased at Jacob’s Pillow. Additionally, she hosted the MoBBallet Dance Writers Convening, supported by Critical Minded, to educate critics and writers on interpreting shifts in the dance field.

As a writer and scholar, Howard has taught and lectured at institutions such as Barnard, Sarah Lawrence, Princeton, Swarthmore, and Williams Colleges, as well as the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Her writings have been featured in anthologies and leading publications, including Dance Magazine, Pointe, Tanz, Opera America, and The Source. Former New York Times lead dance critic Alastair Macaulay describes her as “one of the most valuable writers on dance today… Theresa Ruth Howard has written some of the most provocative pieces on ballet.” She has been a Jacob’s Pillow Scholar since 2019.In an effort to address the rapidly changing ecosystem of dance and the shifting landscape of writing, as part of the June 2024 Pathways to Performance Kennedy Center residency, she held the MoBBallet Dance Writers Convening: Examining the Role, Responsibilities, and Relevance in the Evolving Ecosystem of the Field. The convening attracted a diverse cohort of 12 participants from various backgrounds, including professors, scholars, editors, staff writers from legacy media, digital publication founders, and freelance writers. This was the first step in her work to support writers in capturing the evolution of the industry. As a next step, Howard created The Oasis Dance Journal: A Home for Conscious Critique and Ethical Commentary, with the goal of creating critique and commentary that reflect the evolution and advancement of the art form through culturally competent and equitable coverage. As part of this mission, we are developing a living set of standards for Conscious Critique and Ethical Commentary, adopting the medical Hippocratic Oath: “First, do no harm.”

Howard’s work and ethos are guided by her belief:
“If you want the world to be a better place, be a better person in it.”

For bookings contact: theresa@mobballet.org

ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

Donald Byrd- International choreographer/ Artistic Director Spectrum Dance Theater

April Magen– VP of Global Partnerships at Design Miami

Courtney K. Ford, CFRE- Development and Fundraising Consultant

“I have watched generation after generation come and go. It saddens me that children today don’t know their history, I can say to a student you remind me of so-and so and they have no clue who I’m talking about and it’s a shame. It’s a shame that we have not properly preserved that history so that they can go and find it. When you know your history you can walk, dance with pride, and when someone tells you “you can’t” you know that they are lying”

– Joan Myers Brown, Dance Pioneer, Founder of Philadelphia Dance Company, Philadelphia PA

“Having been a part of a great legacy of Black ballerinas myself, I feel the preservation of that legacy is imperative. As the Director of a BFA Program, I find it extremely important that our students, and all young dancers have a complete knowledge of our art form. It shapes them as dancers and as creators. Having a resource such as MOBB would be an incredible asset. “

– Melanie Person, former member of Dance Theatre of Harlem, current Co-Director of the Ailey School Ailey/Fordham BFA, New York, NY

“There were many who were trained classically that didn’t go into the field because it was not open to them but contributed, their names you may not know…Delores Brown comes to mind. There were those who did dance in the field, but they had to search for places to dance… both of those realities are important and integral to the larger picture. There is an African Proverb that says: Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be the heroes (Kenya and Zimbabwe)…”

– Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York, NY

“We live in a unique time in our history where, because of advances in technology, it is possible to document almost every aspect of life. Why not, then, use these remarkable tools to not only document, but also make accessible to all, the contributions of those whose legacies in the past would like be yesterday’s rain: fallen and forgotten. In today’s world, a site like MOBB not only makes sense, it is necessary. “

– Donald Byrd, Choreographer and Artistic Director, Spectrum Dance Theater, Seattle, WA

How can you help?

Founder/ Curator

Theresa Ruth Howard

ADVISORY COMMITTEE: