{"id":13415,"date":"2022-01-12T19:15:07","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T19:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=13415"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:21","slug":"sylvester-campbell-raven-wilkinsons-orbits-dutch-national-ballet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2022\/01\/12\/sylvester-campbell-raven-wilkinsons-orbits-dutch-national-ballet\/","title":{"rendered":"Sylvester Campbell &#038; Raven Wilkinson&#8217;s Orbits: Dutch National Ballet"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Sylvester Campbell and the Dutch National Ballet<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14052\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14052\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14052 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-300x204.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-800x545.jpg 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-920x626.jpg 920w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-230x157.jpg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-350x238.jpg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-480x327.jpg 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b-600x408.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6198926264_b01ca307c6_b.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14052\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria Koppers and Sylvester Campbell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After the New York Negro Ballet disbanded while on tour in Europe, Campbell decided to stay rather than returning to the US. In 1960, he joined the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Het Nationale Ballet (now called the Dutch National Ballet). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there, Campbell danced in many pieces such as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>La Sylphide<\/em>, <em>Swan Lake<\/em>, <em>The Sleeping Beauty<\/em>, and<em> Giselle<\/em>. Campbell was a leading dancer with the company and remained there for 12 years, often going home during his vacations. Campbell made a name for himself while in this company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He later left to work with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DBsg10lxUFs\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong id=\"raven\">Sources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.balletreview.com\/images\/Ballet_Review_42-3_Sylvester_Campbell.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong> Conversation with Sylvester Campbell, Ballet Review, pg 24-34<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.linesballet.org\/2021\/02\/25\/sylvester-campbell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sylvester Campbell, Lines Ballet<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/16\/sylvester-campbell-and-jones-haywood-school-of-dance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Jones-Haywood and Sylvester Campbell, MOBBallet<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Raven Wilkinson and the Dutch National Ballet<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15341\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15341\" style=\"width: 270px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/TheConstellationProject\/RavenWilkinsonOrbit\/#thisisDNBorbit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15341\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RavenThumb.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"270\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RavenThumb.png 441w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RavenThumb-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RavenThumb-230x130.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/RavenThumb-350x198.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15341\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Return to Raven Wilkinson \/ The Dutch National Ballet Orbit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-14178\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-2.02.05-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-2.02.05-AM.png 172w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-2.02.05-AM-170x300.png 170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 122px) 100vw, 122px\" \/>Raven Wilkinson performed with the Dutch National Ballet for six years. There were approximately 120 dancers in the company while Wilkinson danced there. The company performed both traditional and contemporary ballets. During Wilkinson\u2019s tenure, there were a handful of Black dancers and dancers of color dancers with the company. Wilkinson performed in <em>Firebird<\/em>, <em>Les Sylphides<\/em>, <em>Serenade<\/em>, <em>Giselle<\/em>, <em>Mozartiana<\/em>, and Concerto Barocco, usually in corps de ballet roles, and feature roles in the White Cat Pas de Deux in <em>Sleeping Beauty<\/em>, and Pas de Trois and the Spanish Dance in <em>Swan Lake<\/em>, in addition to other feature roles. The company performed operas, and Wilkinson discovered this interest of hers.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/docview\/251745832?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;fromopenview=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black Ballerinas Dancing on the Edge: An Analysis of the Cultural Politics in Delores Browne&#8217;s and Raven Wilkinson&#8217;s Careers, Joselli Deans<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-7970\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"103\" height=\"103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb.jpg 600w, 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-300x300.jpg 300w, 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\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 103px) 100vw, 103px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thandi Steele<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eHuRGr4oS_s\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/h2>\n<h2>More about Dutch National Ballet<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14054\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14054\" style=\"width: 260px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download-2-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14054 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download-2-1.jpg 260w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download-2-1-230x172.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sylvester in Giselle for DNB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before there was the Dutch National Ballet, there were two smaller but powerful groups in the Netherlands, the Amsterdam Ballet and the Netherlands Ballet. On August 31, 1961, the two companies merged into what would become the Dutch National Ballet. Sonia Gaskell would be the artistic director for most of the time that Campbell was a member of the company. She departed in 1969, leaving Rudi Van Dantzig and Robert Kaesan as the new artistic directors. Rudi was the sole artistic director from 1971 to 1991. He would be followed by Wayne Eagling (1991-2003) and Ted Brandsen (2003-current).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.operaballet.nl\/en\/ballet\/history-dutch-national-ballet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">History, Dutch National Ballet<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>See also:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2020\/12\/18\/arthur-mitchells-orbit-karel-shook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dutch National Ballet, MoBBallet<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Social Media:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nationaleoperaballet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@nationaleoperaballet<\/a><br \/>\nTwitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dutchnatballet?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@dutchnatballet<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13412\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"111\" height=\"79\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download.png 266w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/download-230x164.png 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 111px) 100vw, 111px\" \/><\/a> Fatmata Nallo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sylvester Campbell and the Dutch National Ballet After the New York Negro Ballet disbanded while on tour in Europe, Campbell decided to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"universe-template.php","format":"standard","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":[283,281,253],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-raven-wilkinson-constellation","category-sylvester-campbell-constellation","category-universe"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13415","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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13415"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15351,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13415\/revisions\/15351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}