PRESS AND NEWS
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Press Contact:
For Theresa Ruth Howard:
Nora Lyons / Nora@NLComms.com
Nora Lyons Communications
For Sanctuary of the Arts:
Roberto Santiago / SantiagoArtsMedia@gmail.com
Conference Centers Blackness in Ballet and Drafts a New Blueprint for the Art Form
Registration for August Event Now Open
March 15, 2022 – “MoBBallet is drafting a new blueprint for ballet by addressing its existing issues 360°,” said Theresa Ruth Howard, former ballerina, diversity strategist, and founder of the digital legacy project Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet.org). This mission will come to life at the MoBBallet Symposium/MIA – Motivation. Innovation. Activation. scheduled for August 7 – 13, 2022 at Sanctuary of the Arts in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Symposium is focused on supporting and advocating for Black ballet dancers and choreographers, examining dance education practices, and creating meaningful conversations with dance academics, along with engaging ballet leadership to address the racial and cultural issues in ballet.
“We are using Africanist principles by building a village of support, education and solidarity,” explained Howard. “We focus on providing elite training because the art is important, but we also engage entrepreneurs–Black dance studios are wellsprings of talent, but they are businesses that must thrive if the pre-professional pipeline wishes to look differently. “We are also providing support to our up-and-coming choreographers and providing a platform for our scholars who will help to rewrite/restore the narrative. We are inviting arts leaders of our host city to get into the mix. Many hands make light work!”
The MoBBallet/MIA programming will provide elite training and professional development for advanced and intermediate dancers who are Black identifying, with one-on-one mentorship as well as coaching for advanced dancers from ballet professionals who look like them. But the goal at MoBBallet Symposium/MIA is not conventional success as defined by a contract with a leading company. Instead, Howard carefully pairs dancers and mentors to create meaningful relationships that last well beyond the week-long conference, with the intention of matching an aspiring artist with someone who helps them feel seen, nurtured, and supported in their artistic journey.
Dance faculty* to date includes: Debra Austin (Carolina Ballet), Andrea Long Naidu (Boston Ballet School), Jason Ambrose (San Francisco Ballet School), Kareen Pauld Camargo (Miami City Ballet), Monica Stephenson (Miami City Ballet), Erica Edwards (Former Joffrey Ballet dancer and educator, founder-Cultivating Better Tomorrows), Meredith Rainey (Kitchen Table Dance Collective), Chandra Moss-Thorne (Swarthmore College), Christian Von Howard (Montclair State University), Ramon Flowers (formerly with Pennsylvania Ballet, Rambert Ballet, Frankfurt), William Isaac (Kymera Dance Company).
Creating a pipeline for talent that redefines what a ballet dancer looks like and who ballet is for depends on local dance schools thriving as businesses, and creating inclusive spaces that welcome and support a diverse range of students from the earliest ages. The Symposium will provide ballet teachers and private studio owners with the tools and skills to help achieve these goals. The highly skilled professionals Howard has selected to work with educators, and reimagine the ballet curriculum include Ayisha McMillan Cravotta (Charlotte Ballet Academy Director), Monica Stephenson (Miami City Ballet), Marion Tonner (former Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre School), Andrea Yannone (former Director of Education and Training at San Francisco Ballet), Margaret Tracey (former Director of the Boston Ballet School).
The Symposium is an extension of Howard’s development of Cultural Competence and Equity Coalition (C2EC), a learning community of ballet organizations. C2EC members are invited to attend the Symposium to further explore how ballet companies and leadership can change the culture of ballet.
In addition, the MoBBallet Symposium is hosting a scholar track and has issued a call for papers on subjects that align with MoBBallet’s core values and mission. MoBBallet is currently accepting proposals for papers, workshops, and digital presentations from scholars on a variety of topics including anti-racist and inclusive pedagogy, decolonizing ballet/curriculum, Black dance archives and history, and aesthetics in ballet training. Because aspects of the conference will be hybrid in nature, a limited number of presentations will be virtual. The deadline for proposals is Monday, May 1, 2022. For a full list of topics and further details on submitting papers, visit the submission website.
The MoBBallet Symposium/MIA is also deeply rooted in this year’s location, and committed to engaging with and celebrating the vibrant Afro-Caribbean, and specifically Bahamian and Hatian communities in Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County where Sanctuary of the Arts is located. Howard and Rafi Maldonado-Lopez, Principal Managing Director of Sanctuary of the Arts, are curating panels with arts leaders from Miami City Ballet, Design Miami and multiple museums to speak about how they can support and encourage the intersectionality of the city of Miami.
Understanding the importance of MoBBallet’s work in the field as well as within its community, Miami City Ballet has pledged $15,000 in support. Additionally, Arts, Equity, & Education Fund, a longtime supporter of MoBBallet, is underwriting the choreographers’ program which was designed to address the lack Black choreographers.
For more details on the symposium, please visit the MoBBallet landing page, or follow #MoBBalletMIA.
About Theresa Ruth Howard and MoBBallet
Journalist, diversity strategist and former ballerina Theresa Ruth Howard is the founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet), a non-profit organization that preserves, presents and promotes the contributions of Blacks in ballet. The digital platform includes an archive of historical information, digital installations, and more. Howard is a leader in the advocacy for diversity in ballet and regularly consults with ballet leadership internationally. She has collaborated with organizations such as Dance/USA, Dutch National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and International Association of Blacks in Dance to create safe spaces where organizations and their leadership can engage in authentic dialogue, receive education, and strategize ways to create sustainable change.
About Sanctuary of the Arts
Sanctuary of the Arts is an innovative artist-led institution that incorporates best practices from artistic, educational, community, corporate and foundation engagement strategies. The goal is to produce not only high-quality performances and events, but also those that are appealing in concept and content to a wide audience base, leading to more personal engagement and assisting in the development of sustainable arts careers.
* all faculty subject to change
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New York Times profile: She’s Been a Force for Change in Ballet. The World Is Catching Up.
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Catch Howard in conversation with Judith Jamison, Virginia Johnson, and Sheinelle Jones at the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Women’s E3 Virtual Summit on March 24, 2022
MoBBallet Symposium /MIA Motivation. Innovation. Activation.
NATIONAL DANCE/ EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
Fourth Annual Symposium Centering the Needs and Experiences of Black Ballet Dancers Will Expand to Include Choreographer Track, and Offerings for Local Miami Community
February 15, 2022 – Theresa Ruth Howard, diversity strategist and founder of MoBBallet.org, announced today initial details for the fourth MoBBallet Symposium, which centers Blackness in ballet but welcomes all. This year’s symposium is planned to be held in person at the Sanctuary of the Arts, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. Select sessions will also be offered virtually.
New Cultural Competency and Equity Coalition (C2EC) Offers Innovative Program for Arts Organizations
Committed to Transformative and Ongoing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism Work
January 6, 2022 – While many arts organizations are pledging ongoing anti-racism work, and committing to more inclusive and diverse workplaces, few are moving forward with the guidance and collaborative professional community to foster ongoing learning and meaningful change. Launching January 16, 2022, the Cultural Competency and Equity Coalition (C2EC) program, created by diversity strategist and former ballet dancer Theresa Ruth Howard, aims to create a learning community with the support, education, and advocacy that organizations and their leaders need to reimagine and reshape the culture and standards of the classical arts.
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MoBBALLET UNVEILS FOUR NEW ORBITS IN THE CONSTELLATION PROJECT
Pointe Magazine
Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet’s “Constellation Project” Maps the Complex Histories of 6 Dance Pioneers
https://www.pointemagazine.com/mobballet-constellation-project-2650416843.html
Broadway World
MoBBallet Honors Black History Month With New Digital InstallationPress release pick-up
New Digital Exhibit THE CONSTELLATION PROJECT: MAPPING THE STARS OF BALLET Live NowKey Caption:Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet’s (MoBBallet) newest digital exhibit “The Constellation Project: Mapping the Dark Stars of Ballet” brings into view the lives, relationships and artistic collaborations of key Black ballet dancers to show their influence in the development of major Black dance organizations and American ballet as a whole. The exhibit uses art and graphic design to create a digital galaxy that is both visually compelling and educational. The exhibit is live on the company’s site MoBBallet.org and advances the company’s commitment to ensure that the names and stories of Black ballet dancers are included in the history of dance.
In addition to building a growing digital archive of photos, videos and stories of Black ballet dancers, MoBBallet hosts live gatherings to foster deeper connections and understanding within the dance community at large. On February 20, 12:00-2:00 EST they will host “Check-in and Checkup,” for members of “The Village” to share their activism work and give and receive support in the community. Attendance is FREE but registration is required at this link.
Stunning exhibition celebrates the forgotten contributions of Black ballet dancersKey Caption:A new online exhibition aims to highlight the impact of Black ballet dancers throughout the history of the classic discipline. Launched by Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet [MoBBallet],‘The Constellation Project: Mapping the Dark Stars of Ballet’, will feature the work and influence of Black dancers who have traditionally been excluded from the history books. Since MoBBallet launched in 2015 as a digital archive preserving the history of Black people in ballet, it has been documenting oral histories, archiving historical photos, and serving as a resource for anyone interested in the professional field of ballet. Founder Theresa Ruth Howard says the platform was founded as a way to lift up the long legacy of Black people in ballet globally.
STUNNING EXHIBITION CELEBRATES FORGOTTEN CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK BALLET DANCERS
After Being Called Out, the National Ballet of Canada Doubles Down on Its Diversity
MoBBallet’s Celebration of Black Ballet Dancers
April 18, 2020
http://soulvisionmagazine.com/mobballets-celebration-of-black-ballet-dancers/
Symposium | Theresa Ruth Howard “Dark Muse: Balanchine and Blackness”
March 6, 2020
https://youtu.be/JKPQzNAJfoM
Seattle Opera
Community Conversation: Black Representation in the Arts
February 13, 2020
https://youtu.be/tMdzMo3V2eM
Dance Magazine
Courtney Escoyne
October 09, 2019
https://www.dancemagazine.com/mobballet-symposium-2640901154.html
Mobballet Announces First Annual Dance Education Symposium
https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/Mobballet-Announces-First-Annual-Dance-Education-Symposium-20190702
These 21 Organizations Are Banding Together to Increase the Presence of Black Dancers in Ballet
Madeline Schrock
Oct 05, 2018
https://www.dancemagazine.com/the-equity-project-ballet-2609366458.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
Movers and Shapers : A Dance Podcast
MSP 43: Theresa Ruth Howard
Jun 20, 2017
https://moversandshaperspodcast.libsyn.com/msp-43-theresa-ruth-howard
TDE Asks MoBBallet Founder Theresa Ruth Howard on the History of Black Ballet Dancers
Dance Enthusiast
Stacey Menchel Kussell
February 28th, 2017
http://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/view/TDE-Asks-MoBBallet-Founder-Theresa-Ruth-Howard-History-Black-Ballet-Dancers
This Digital Platform Is Highlighting The Forgotten History Of Black Ballet
Huffington Post
Taryn Finley
February 27th, 2017
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/digital-museum-history-black-ballet_us_58b0690fe4b0a8a9b781bebb
Theresa Ruth Howard launches online MoBBallet project
Dance Informa
Feature Articles
February 26th, 2017
http://www.danceinforma.com/2017/02/26/theresa-ruth-howard-launches-mobballet/
Dancer and Educator Theresa Ruth Howard Launches MOBBALLET: A Digital Archive Preserving the Legacy of Black Ballet
LuckyGirl Media
February 21, 2017
https://luckygirlmedia.wordpress.com/tag/ballet/
MoBBallet Is Highlighting The History Of Black Ballet Dancers
Uptown Magazine
Bageot Dia
March 7th, 2017
http://www.uptownmagazine.com/2017/03/mobballet-is-highlighting-the-history-of-black-ballet-dancers/
Theresa Ruth Howard – Unveiling The Whole Spectrum
The Love Tap Tour Podcast
Apr 25, 2017
Link to episode on iTunes
Link to episode on Sticher
Season Two ~ Interview with Theresa Ruth Howard
Beyond the Barre Podcast –Premiere Dance Network
Margaret Mullin
May 5th, 2017
http://www.premierdancenetwork.com/season-two-interview-with-theresa-ruth-howard/
MoBBallet: Website Showcases Black Ballet History
thINKing DANCE
Ellen Chenoweth
May 3rd, 2017
http://thinkingdance.net/articles/2017/05/03/MOBBallet-Website-Showcases-Black-Ballet-History
The Future of Ballet Is Inclusive and Queer
Vice
Trina Mannino
August 9th, 2017
Onlinehttps://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kk5k5/the-future-of-ballet-is-inclusive-and-queer
When ‘Dancers Block’ Sets In: Where do we find new inspiration?
Turn Out, opening up the dance scene in Toronto, New York, and London on CIUT 89.5 Hosted by producers Nicole Hamilton and Malgorzata Nowacka.
Aug 9th 2017
http://turnoutradio.com/2017/08/09/when-dancers-block-sets-in-where-do-we-find-new-inspiration-with-jeff-dimitriu-and-theresa-ruth-howard/
Dance News: Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet) To Release “And Still They Rose: The Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet” This SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
The Dance Enthusiast Asks: MoBBallet Founder Theresa Ruth Howard on the History of Black Ballet Dancers
Dance Enthusiast
February 28, 2017
https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/the-dance-enthusiast-asks/view/TDE-Asks-MoBBallet-Founder-Theresa-Ruth-Howard-History-Black-Ballet-Dancers
Where Are All the Ballet Dancers of Color?
The organization, Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet), hosted a viewing and discussion panel at The Painted Bride Arts Center in Old City on Saturday, Oct. 28, on the subject of MoBBallet’s most recent video series, “And Still They Rose: The Legacy of Black Philadelphians in Ballet.”
ONLINE SERIES TELLS STORIES OF 3 BLACK BALLERINAS