{"id":13093,"date":"2021-10-30T16:12:36","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T16:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13093"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:23","slug":"about-this-orbit-first-negro-classical-ballet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/10\/30\/about-this-orbit-first-negro-classical-ballet\/","title":{"rendered":"About This Orbit: First Negro Classical Ballet"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>About This Orbit: First Negro Classical Ballet<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15685\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/TheConstellationProject\/FirstNegroClassicalOrbit\/index.html#AboutFNCBOrbit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15685 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-300x191.png\" alt=\"First Negro Classical Ballet Constellation\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-800x509.png 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-1024x651.png 1024w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-768x488.png 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-1536x976.png 1536w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-920x585.png 920w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-230x146.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-350x222.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-480x305.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504-600x381.png 600w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/starter-e1646765864504.png 1699w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Click above to explore (or go back to) The First Negro Classical Ballet Orbit<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1946, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-joseph-rickard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Rickard<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1918-1994), a dancer with a knack for teaching and choreography who had moved to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Los Angeles to study ballet with <\/span>Bronislava and Irina Nijinska<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as one of their first students, witnessed an African-American child being denied ballet classes because of her race. In 1947, wanting to give an opportunity to dance and choreograph a classic ballet to the African-American community, Rickard opened the First Negro Classical Ballet in 1947. When he opened the school, he accepted the little girl he witnessed being denied class and her mother, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13095&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a>, who became the leading ballerina of the First Negro Classical Ballet.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13457\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13457\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13457\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM-300x224.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM-230x172.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM-350x261.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM-480x358.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-6.15.01-PM.png 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The FNCB&#8217;s production of <em>The Harlot&#8217;s House<\/em>. Courtesy of Huntington Library, Joseph Rickard Papers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rickard mentioned before one of their first performances that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it marked \u201cthe first time that a group of this type has been presented in America,\u201d and that<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cthe progress of this group of students has never been equaled in the history of ballet.\u201d The First Negro Classical Ballet predated the Dance Theatre of Harlem, often-times referred to as the first African-American ballet company, which was founded in New York City in 1969. The First Negro Classical Ballet first performed in<\/span> Los Angeles, California at the Danish Auditorium on West 24th <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Street on October 19, 1946, with their debut professional performance at Santa Barbara\u2019s Lobero Theatre on November 19, 1949, and performed together for the next ten years before it was dissolved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previous African-American ballet companies had only lasted for a little longer than a year, including <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/impact\/#\" rel=\"noopener\">Katherine Dunham<\/a>\u2019s Ballet N\u00e8gre in 1930 and Eugene von Grona\u2019s American Negro Ballet in 1937. Both of those companies dealt with a lack of funding and sponsors following the Great Depression. After World War II, there was an audience for ballets that was growing, and Los Angeles had trouble attracting East Coast companies to perform there because of the distance, so the First Negro Classical Ballet became Los Angeles\u2019s company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dance school was located in an abandoned ballroom on the corner of Jefferson and Normandie, in a Black neighborhood that was a bit west of downtown Los Angeles. The floor was not suitable for dance because it was waxed, so Rickard brought a tarp for the dancers to dance on and chairs as a barre. He had a job at Paramount Pictures\u2019 mailroom and sometimes lived in the ballroom and drove an ice cream truck to save and raise money for the company. Rickard\u2019s white colleagues at Paramount Pictures, like Nancy Cappola, Robert Usher, and Richard Kollorsz, helped the FNCB by offering their services including costume design and set design. Other friends of Rickard\u2019s donated their time and resources to help a multiethnic dance company contribute to the dance world. Rickard wanted to combat the stereotypes that Black people did not have the bodies or the ability to dance ballet, so he posted notices in public spaces\u2013local grocery stores, record stores, and gymnasiums\u2013to encourage dancers wherever he was able to.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13357\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13357\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13357\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-300x196.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-230x150.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-350x229.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-480x314.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-600x392.png 600w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM.png 698w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13357\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(left to right) Kathleen Vargas (Valdez), Graham Johnson, Bernice Harrison, Ardie Allison, and Diane Gordon frolic at Laguna Beach in a photo spread on the FNCB that appeared in <em>Ebony<\/em> in November 1953.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rickard\u2019s company included a diverse group ranging from mostly Black dancers to a few Latino dancers and one White dancer. Dancers of the company included <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13099&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theodore Crum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13095&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13097&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graham Johnson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13136&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Truitte<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13142&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Stinson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13101&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yvonne Miller<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13327&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gene Hill Sagan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13134&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ardie Allison<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-shirley-vargas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shirley Vargas<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13103&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diane Gordon<\/a>. Many of the dancers had little training in classical dance, which posed a challenge. As a result, dancers had to practice long hours for little or no pay. Many led dual lives as they worked in various jobs during the day, and studied dance at night and during the weekday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company did have its own resident composer and pianist, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13144&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Claudius Wilson<\/a>, an African American, who was born in New Orleans and attended Dillard University. The company\u2019s repertoire included: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cinderella <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(music by Claudius Wilson), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Streetlight<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raisin\u2019 Cane<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harlot\u2019s House <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(music by Claudius Wilson), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Little China Figure <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(music by Camille Saint-Saens), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Landscape<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Southern Landscape<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Variations Classiques<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (music by Bach), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trois \u00c9tudes de Danse<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (music by Chopin), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symphonic Etudes<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (music by Robert Schumann), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rondo Capriccioso<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (music by Felix Mendelssohn), and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tales from the Vienna Woods<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (music by Johann Strauss). The FNCB performed unique dances that they created with music created specifically for them, instead of pieces normally performed by companies like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swan Lake<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nutcracker<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This was a way for FNCB to have agency in their own ballet company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph Rickard and another choreographer, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2017\/08\/04\/ward-fleming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Flemyng<\/a>, combined their companies, the First Negro Classic Ballet and Flemyng\u2019s <\/span>New York Negro Ballet<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1956. With the original company members, Rickard\u2019s choreography, and Wilson\u2019s music, the new company performed on tour in the United Kingdom and became the &#8220;unofficial American ambassador of African American ballet abroad.&#8221; The company&#8217;s performances came to a halt when their main sponsor died in 1959. Company dancers went on to perform in films such as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finian\u2019s Rainbow<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An American in Paris<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Showboat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carmen Jones<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14235 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"527\" height=\"297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM.png 527w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM-230x130.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-3.57.39-PM-480x271.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/phr.2014.83.3.487?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, Pacific Historical Review<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2017\/06\/15\/1947-first-negro-classic-ballettalley-beatty-and-betty-nichols-performed-lew-christensens-blackface\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1947: First Negro Classical Ballet Debuts, MoBBallet<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/oac.cdlib.org\/findaid\/ark:\/13030\/c8mw2p8p\/entire_text\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Rickard Papers, The Huntington Library<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1994-09-20-ca-40948-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Ballet Troupe\u2019s History Recaptured, Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/08\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-nijinskas-hollywood-ballet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nijinska&#8217;s Hollywood Ballet<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14217\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14217\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14217 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/220px-Bronislava_Nijinska_and_Ann_Hutchinson_1942-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/220px-Bronislava_Nijinska_and_Ann_Hutchinson_1942-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/220px-Bronislava_Nijinska_and_Ann_Hutchinson_1942-100x100.jpeg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14217\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bronislava Nijinska teaching Ann Hutchinson at Jacob&#8217;s Pillow in 1924<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nijinska&#8217;s Hollywood Ballet was a ballet school run by Bronislava and Irina Nijinska, the sister and niece of Polish-Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-joseph-rickard\/\">Joseph Rickard<\/a>, the founder of the First Negro Classical Ballet, trained with the Nijinskas after moving to Los Angeles in the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-joseph-rickard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Rickard<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13986\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13986\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13986 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-04-at-12.49.09-PM-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-04-at-12.49.09-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-04-at-12.49.09-PM-420x420.png 420w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-04-at-12.49.09-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-04-at-12.49.09-PM-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jospeh Rickard, the Joseph Rickard Papers, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph Rickard was born September 17, 1918 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the 1930s, he moved to Los Angeles to study ballet with Bronislava and Irina Nijinska, the sister of Polish-Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. But Rickard was truly gifted at teaching and choreographing, which is part of the reason why, when he saw an African-American child being denied ballet classes because of her race in 1946, he decided to start a dance studio in order to train African-American dancers in classical ballet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before one of the company&#8217;s first performances, Rickard noted that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it marked \u201cthe first time that a group of this type has been presented in America\u201d and that<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cthe progress of this group of students has never been equalled in the history of ballet.\u201d The First Negro Classical Ballet debuted in Los Angeles, California in 1947, and performed together for the next ten years before it was dissolved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sources:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/oac.cdlib.org\/findaid\/ark:\/13030\/c8mw2p8p\/entire_text\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Rickard Papers, The Huntington Library<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562099076\/5F3D0D151BE74547PQ\/8?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sentinel Sponsored Ballet Recital Oct. 19, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/stageraw.com\/2014\/05\/08\/vaulted-ambitions-volume-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vaulted Ambitions: Stories From Where We Were to How We Got Here, Stage Raw<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/10\/30\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-bernice-harrison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13368\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13368\" style=\"width: 226px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-13368\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM.png 1062w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-800x1058.png 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-227x300.png 227w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-775x1024.png 775w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-768x1015.png 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-920x1216.png 920w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-230x304.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-350x463.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-480x635.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.54.11-PM-600x793.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 226px) 100vw, 226px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13368\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bernice Harrison emphasized for her &#8220;poise and grace,&#8221; while practicing ballet four hours per day as a mother, was featured in the April 1952 issue of Ebony magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/11\/03\/bernice-harrison\/\">Bernice Harrison<\/a>\u00a0was the mother of the African-American girl whom\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-joseph-rickard\/\">Joseph Rickard<\/a>\u00a0saw being turned away from ballet classes, the instance that initially sparked his interest in creating the First Negro Classical Ballet. Harrison\u2019s daughter was one of the first pupils of Joseph Rickard\u2019s company. Harrison became one of the prima ballerinas of the company after taking classes at the school. She was a former seamstress and mother of three who would bring her kids to rehearsal. Critics celebrated Harrison for being a leading ballet dancer who was also a mother. She became a symbol of the troupe and performed in many productions as prima ballerina. The company\u2019s first all-Black performance, sponsored by the Alpha Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at the Sartu Theater, included Harrison as the prima ballerina. Harrison was also a part of the company\u2019s debut in the Assistance League Playhouse with a program of a piece called\u00a0<em>L\u2019 Harlequin<\/em>, a new version of the opera\u00a0<em>Pagliacci<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>Harlot\u2019s House<\/em>. She also danced as a co-principle alongside\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/yvonne-miller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yvonne Miller<\/a>\u00a0at the Philharmonic Auditorium and was called one of the most promising ballet artists of America. Harrison premiered in many of the company\u2019s productions throughout its existence.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/phr.2014.83.3.487?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, Pacific Historical Review<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562163331\/5F3D0D151BE74547PQ\/3?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Negro Ballet in Local Bow, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562399532\/36E79F2A06DC4AA6PQ\/16?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alphas To Present Ballet, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/6CC41F7EBDF4E4APQ\/13?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Negro Classic Ballet A Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/01\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-graham-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graham Johnson<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13367\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13367\" style=\"width: 243px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13367 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-243x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"243\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-243x300.png 243w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-800x990.png 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-828x1024.png 828w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-768x950.png 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-920x1138.png 920w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-230x284.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-350x433.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-480x594.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM-600x742.png 600w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-29-at-12.52.18-PM.png 1072w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 243px) 100vw, 243px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13367\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graham Johnson and Bernice Harrison execute an arabesque in the classical style of Russian ballet. Courtesy of the Joseph Rickard Papers, Huntington Library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/graham-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graham Johnson<\/a> was one of the five stars of the First Negro Classical Ballet and frequently performed duets with <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/10\/30\/first-negro-clas\u2026bernice-harrison\/ \u200e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a>. Johnson was very skilled at dancing and, later, choreographing, both of which were skills he was able to cultivate with the First Negro Classical Ballet. Johnson became one of the company\u2019s seven directors as well. He performed in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cinderella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1948), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harlot\u2019s House<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Little China Figure<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1947), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symphonic Etudes<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1948), and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tales from the Vienna Woods<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. After the dissolution of the FNCB, Johnson joined the New York Negro Ballet, which was its successor. He choreographed <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raisin\u2019 Cane<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which was \u201ca story about Southern sugar-cane farmers that integrated the romance of classical music with jazz elements and a style that incorporated African-American themes\u201d and featured music by <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13144&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Claudius Wilson<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-james-truitte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Truitte<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1787\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1787\" style=\"width: 247px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1787\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/James-Truitte-and-Bernice-Harrison-247x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/James-Truitte-and-Bernice-Harrison-247x300.jpg 247w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/James-Truitte-and-Bernice-Harrison-247x300-230x279.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 247px) 100vw, 247px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1787\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Truitte and Bernice Harrison in 1947. Photo courtesy of Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/11\/01\/james-truitte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Truitte<\/a> danced for the First Negro Classical Ballet and was one of the first dancers to join the troupe. Many critics commented on his sensitivity and maturity during performances. One of these critics stated, \u201c[He] approached dance and dances with a sense of genial detachment that made him a clear-eyed, gifted teacher exponent of the [Lester] Horton technique, as well as a witty raconteur and a wry observer of American dance history.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-theodore-crum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theodore Crum<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13363\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13363\" style=\"width: 221px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-13363\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.03.21-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"221\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.03.21-AM.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.03.21-AM-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.03.21-AM-230x288.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.03.21-AM-350x438.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theodore Crum with Yvonne Miller and Roberta Rhinehart. Photo from the Joseph Rickard Papers, Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-joseph-rickard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Rickard<\/a>\u00a0met Theodore Crum, also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/theodore-duncan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theodore Duncan<\/a>, at a record store purchasing an album of Peter Ilyich, Tchaikovsky\u2019s <i>Swan Lake<\/i>. Crum was identified as one of the leading dancers of FNCB alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/graham-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graham Johnson<\/a>, during the company\u2019s production at the Philharmonic Auditorium. He was applauded as one of the premier exhibitionists of the ballet, as an extremely versatile dancer, and as a great performer for classical, demi-character, and character roles. Crum also premiered as one of the leading male dancers alongside Johnson when the company performed at the Sartu Theater, sponsored by Alpha Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Crum\u2019s repertoire with First Negro Classic Ballet included the role of an Ugly Sister in <em>Cinderella <\/em>(1948) as well as roles in <em>Harlot\u2019s House <\/em>(1949), <em>Pagliacci<\/em> (1949), and <em>Symphonic Etudes <\/em>(1948).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/phr.2014.83.3.487?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Post War Los Angeles, Pacific Historical Review<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/6CC41F7EBDF4E4APQ\/13?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Negro Classic Ballet A Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562399532\/36E79F2A06DC4AA6PQ\/16?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alphas To Present Ballet, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-yvonne-miller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yvonne Miller<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13364\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13364\" style=\"width: 163px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-13364\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"163\" height=\"205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM.png 554w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM-239x300.png 239w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM-230x289.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM-350x440.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-12.00.20-PM-480x603.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 163px) 100vw, 163px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13364\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theodore Crum as one of the ugly sisters with Yvonne Miller as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Courtesy of the Joseph Rickard Papers, Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/yvonne-miller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yvonne Miller<\/a> became one of the top five main dancers of the troupe as well as being one of the seven directors of the company. She performed as one of the co-principal dancers alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/11\/03\/bernice-harrison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a> at the Philharmonic Auditorium. Miller starred as the fairy godmother with excellent costuming for a syncopated version of <em>Cinderella<\/em>. She was identified as one of the leading young artists of the group and as one of the most promising ballet artists of America. She also danced in the company&#8217;s modern dance production at the Assistance League Playhouse. Miller\u2019s repertoire with the company included <em>Harlot\u2019s House<\/em> (1949), <em>Pagliacci<\/em> (1949), <em>Cinderella<\/em> (1948), <em>Little China Figure<\/em> (1948), <em>Bach\u2019s Variations Classique<\/em>, <em>Landscape<\/em>, and <em>Symphonic Etudes<\/em> (1948). Miller, along with her fellow dancers, was praised for \u201cexecuting magnificently the classic ballet interpolations\u201d in a December 1949 performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/phr.2014.83.3.487?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Post War Los Angeles, Pacific Historical Review<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/6CC41F7EBDF4E4APQ\/13?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Negro Classic Ballet A Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562263324\/36E79F2A06DC4AA6PQ\/17?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music and the Arts, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562163331\/5F3D0D151BE74547PQ\/3?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Negro Ballet In Local Bow, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/01\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-gene-hill-sagan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eugene Hill Sagan<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14725\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14725\" style=\"width: 216px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14725 \" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan-420x420.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/gene-hill-sagan-300x300.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gene Hill Sagan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eugene Hill Sagan, also known as Gene Sagan or Arthur Eugene Hill, was one of the 35 total dancers of the New York Negro Ballet, the company that merged with First Negro Classical Ballet in 1959.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/jewish\/.premium-dance-me-to-the-end-of-the-war-1.5337457\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Me to the End of the War, Haaretz<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-ardie-allison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ardie Allison<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8577\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8577\" style=\"width: 202px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-8577\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-31-at-1.02.08-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-31-at-1.02.08-PM.png 410w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-31-at-1.02.08-PM-255x300.png 255w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-31-at-1.02.08-PM-230x271.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-31-at-1.02.08-PM-350x412.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8577\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Allison with Diana Levy in Swan Lake. Photo courtesy of Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/01\/16\/guy-allison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ardie Allison<\/a> was an original member of the First Negro Classical Ballet. He was trained by Joseph Rickard. Allison was a cast member in many First Negro Classical Ballet productions including <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Pagliacci<\/em>, <em>Swan Lake<\/em>, <em>Raisin&#8217; Cane<\/em>, <em>Don Quixote<\/em>, and <em>Waltze<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He also helped stage <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Sleeping Beauty<\/em>. Ardie was mentioned as a supporting dancer for performances at the Assistance League Playhouse, Philharmonic Auditorium, the Pomona Bowl, the Redlands Bowl, and the Marine Theatre.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/19ED050F47984D69PQ\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Negro Classic Ballet Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562270273\/FA215BA0BC9043CCPQ\/7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ballet to be Repeated Fri. Sat. by Demand, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=HlqP6p_N6a0C&amp;printsec=frontcover#v=snippet&amp;q=sylvester&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dancing Many Drums: Excavations In African American Dance, Thomas F. Defrantz<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/11\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-shirley-vargas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shirley Vargas<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shirley Vargas danced for the First Negro Classical Ballet in supporting roles to premier dancers in the company such as <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/graham-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graham Johnson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/11\/03\/bernice-harrison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernice Harrison<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/08\/theodore-duncan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Theodore Crum<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13101&amp;preview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yvonne Miller<\/a>. Vargas was noted as a part of the supporting cast who had \u201cdanced their respective parts with an air of cooperative enthusiasm that recalled the mutual give and take of all ballet dancers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/6CC41F7EBDF4E4APQ\/13?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>First Negro Classic Ballet Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562270273\/FA215BA0BC9043CCPQ\/7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ballet to be Repeated Fri. Sat. by Demand, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-diane-gordon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diane Gordon<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13357-2\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13357-2\" style=\"width: 248px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-13357\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM.png 698w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-230x150.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-350x229.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-480x314.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-11.28.11-AM-600x392.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13357-2\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(left to right) Kathleen Vargas (Valdez), Graham Johnson, Bernice Harrison, Ardie Allison, and Diane Gordon frolic at Laguna Beach in a photo spread on the FNCB that appeared in Ebony in November 1953.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FNCB included many dancers of mostly African-American roots with some Hispanic dancers and the company&#8217;s one white dancer, Diane Gordon. She made her debut with the company at the Assistance League Playhouse, in a performance in which she danced <em>Tales From Vienna Woods\u00a0<\/em>and was also included in the troupe&#8217;s sold-out performance at the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Philharmonic Theater.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/phr.2014.83.3.487?seq=20#metadata_info_tab_contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Post War Los Angeles, Pacific Historical Review<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562295841\/6EBDDB22F25B4A98PQ\/14?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All The World\u2019s a Stage, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562311968\/6EBDDB22F25B4A98PQ\/15?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ballet Opens July 11 at Playhouse, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-donald-stinson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Stinson<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donald Stinson was a dancer with the First Negro Classical Ballet. As an original member, he performed in various productions with the troupe like <em>Cinderella<\/em>, <em>Streetlight<\/em>, <em>Raisin<\/em>\u2019 <em>Cane<\/em>, <em>Harlot\u2019s<\/em> <em>House<\/em>, <em>A Little China Figure<\/em>, <em>Landscape<\/em>\/<em>Southern<\/em> <em>Landscape<\/em>, <em>Variations<\/em> <em>Classiques<\/em>, and <em>Trois<\/em> <em>\u00c9tudes<\/em> <em>de<\/em> <em>Danse<\/em>. He has performed at the Santa Barbara\u2019s Lobero Theatre, Assistance League Playhouse, and the Philharmonic Auditorium.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/02\/first-negro-classical-ballet-orbit-claudius-wilson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Claudius Wilson<\/a><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14428\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14428\" style=\"width: 215px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-14428\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-5.15.50-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-5.15.50-PM.png 474w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-5.15.50-PM-236x300.png 236w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-5.15.50-PM-230x292.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-28-at-5.15.50-PM-350x445.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14428\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Claudius Wilson at the piano. Photo courtesy of Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Claudius <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wilson moved to Los Angeles around the time FNCB was created. He met Rickard at the Gray\u2019s Conservatory of Music when he was teaching piano. He was then persuaded by Joseph Rickard to join the company as their pianist and resident composer. After being with the group for a year, he began composing ballet scores and collaborated with Rickard on new productions for the company. One critic described his work as a \u201cNeo-Debussyan cocktail lounge piano score.\u201d He contributed works to FNCB productions like <em>Harlot\u2019s House<\/em>, <em>Raisin\u2019 Cane<\/em>, <em>Cinderella<\/em>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Pagliacci<\/em>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <em>Swan Lake<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/laverne.edu\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/02\/marcus-dance-moves.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dance Moves: An African American Ballet Company in Postwar Los Angeles, University of La Verne\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562258975\/6CC41F7EBDF4E4APQ\/13?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Negro Classic Ballet Huge Success, Los Angeles Sentinel\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/564822868\/300C31ABC4A94229PQ\/29?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Negro Classic Ballet holds Auditions, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/564894142\/F9463CE1D07E4126PQ\/18?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Negro Ballet, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/562287757\/FA215BA0BC9043CCPQ\/8?accountid=15054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0All-Star Ballet Opens Fri. Night, Los Angeles Sentinel<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/media.huntington.org\/uploadedfiles\/Files\/PDFs\/centralave_gg.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Central Avenue and Beyond, Huntington Library<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/12\/08\/first-negro-classical-ballets-orbit-new-york-negro-classical-ballet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Negro Ballet<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13391\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/download.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"181\" height=\"278\" \/>Joseph Rickard and <a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2017\/08\/04\/ward-fleming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Flemyng<\/a> combined their companies, The First Negro Classic Ballet and Flemyng\u2019s <\/span>New York Negro Ballet<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in 1956. With the original company members, Rickard\u2019s choreography, and Wilson\u2019s music, the new company performed on tour in the United Kingdom and became the \u201cunofficial American ambassador of African American ballet abroad.&#8221; The company&#8217;s performances came to a halt when their main sponsor died in 1959. Company dancers went on to perform in films such as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finian\u2019s Rainbow<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An American in Paris<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Showboat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carmen Jones<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2017\/10\/04\/1957-ward-fleming-founds-ballet-americananew-york-negro-ballet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ward Fleming found Ballet Americana\/New York Negro Ballet, MoBBallet<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7970\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-420x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-230x230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-480x480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Faith Rodriguez, Nicole Toney, and Deja Cunningham<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About This Orbit: First Negro Classical Ballet In 1946, Joseph Rickard (1918-1994), a dancer with a knack for teaching and choreography who [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"universe-template.php","format":"aside","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[282,253],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","hentry","category-first-negro-classical-ballet-constellation","category-universe","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13093"}],"version-history":[{"count":64,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15688,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13093\/revisions\/15688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}