#Raven Wilkinson

[titanebaby]

collage tarot deck! scanned all of the major arcana & some of my fav minor arcana

inspired by 306saint’s trash tarot <3

[historysisco]

On This Day in New York City History February 2, 1935: Dancer Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) was born in New York City, New York. Wilkinson has the distinction of being the first African-American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company.

Wilkinson was born into a middle class black family in Harlem. Her father was a medical doctor and her mother a ballet dancer. Her love for ballet was born from watching a performance of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, a dance group that she would make history with.

Wilkinson would face difficulties in getting accepted to the Ballet Russe de Monter Carlo. Twice she was rejected before she was accepted at the age of 20 in 1955 by the director of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Serge Denham.

After leaving the group in the early 1960, Wilkinson would dance with a number row groups before retiring in 1974. That would be a short lived retirement. In the same year Wilkinson would join the New York City Opera and dance for them until 1985. In her later years she would serve as mentor to Misty Copeland who was a trailblazer in her own right. Copeland was the first African American to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre.

Wilkinson passed away on December 17, 2018 at the age of 83.

#AnneRavenWilkinson #BalletRusseDeMonteCarlo #AfricanAmericanHistory #AfricanAmericanStudies #BlackHistory #BlackStudies #BlackHistoryMatters #WomensHistory #WomensStudies #HERStory #DanceHistory #NewYorkHistory #NYHistory #NYCHistory #History #Historia #Histoire #Geschichte #HistorySisco

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKa8wxuhZG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tomsmusictaste]

And I'm terrified, just don't know what to say to convince you to stay

RedHook // Inarticulate ft. The Faim

[notebookmusical]

books read in 2024!

books read so far: 107/100

— gr: http://goodreads.com/cossettereads — sg: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/cossettereads

as always, askbox + dms are open if have any questions or would like to chat about books! 🤍

⊹ indicates any (new) favorites of the month! previous months are under the cut!

december ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) the raven boys by maggie stiefvater (reread, annotated) 2) these violent delights by micah nemerever (audiobook) 3) wicked: the the life and times of the wicked witch of the west by gregory maguire (audiobook) 4) alice's adventures in wonderland & other stories by lewis carroll (annotated) 5) the outsiders by s.e. hinton

january ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) beach read by emily henry (reread) 2) on palestine by noam chomsky & ilan pappé 3) valley verified by kyla zhao (gifted) 4) the wind at my back: resilience, grace, and other gifts from my mentor, raven wilkinson by misty copeland & susan fales-hill (gifted) 5) check please: year one by ngozi ukazu (reread) 6) check please: year two by ngozi ukazu (reread) 7) check please: year three by ngozi ukazu (reread) 8) check please: year four by ngozi ukazu (reread) 9) raiders of the lost heart by jo segura (gifted) 10) the frame-up by gwenda bond (arc) 11) everything i never told you by celeste ng ⊹ 12) forgive me not by jennifer baker (gifted) 13) ever after always by chloe liese (gifted) 14) the summer of bitter and sweet by jen ferguson (gifted) 15) the lily of ludgate hill by mimi matthews (gifted) 16) last call at the local by sarah grunder ruiz (gifted) ⊹ 17) the sun and the void by gabriela romero-lacruz (gifted) 18) a line in the dark by malinda lo (gifted) 19) biting the hand: growing up asian in black and white america by julia lee (gifted) 20) play it as it lays by joan didion

february ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) mister hockey by lia riley * 2) collide by bal khabra (arc) * 3) a curious beginning by deanna raybourn (gifted) 4) breaking the ice by k.r. collins * 5) if only you by chloe liese (gifted) * 6) anxious people by frederik backman ⊹ 7) the catch by amy lea (gifted) 8) weekends with you by alexandra paige (arc) 9) happily never after by lynn painter (arc) 10) klara and the sun by kazuo ishiguro 11) good material by dolly alderton 12) in the event this doesn't fall apart by shannon lee barry 13) the night ends with fire (arc) by k.x. song 14) the good, the bad, and the aunties (arc) by jesse q. sutanto 15) where sleeping girls lie (arc) by faridah àbíké-íyímídé 16) sophomore surge by k.r. collins * 17) lighting the lamp by k.r. collins * 18) glove save and a beauty by k.r. collins * 19) home ice advantage by k.r. collins * 20) power play by k.r. collins * 21) grounded by k.r. collins * 22) line chemistry by k.r. collins *

march ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) happy medium by sarah adler (arc) 2) a darker shade of magic by v.e. schwab (audiobook) 3) expiration dates by rebecca serle (arc) 4) divine rivals by rebecca ross (book club) 5) the siren by katherine st. john (gifted) 6) light in gaza edited by jehad abusalim 7) how to end a love story by yulin kuang (arc) // reviewed here 8) rising from the deep: the seattle kraken, a tenacious push for expansion, and the emerald city's sports revival by geoff baker 9) les misérables by victor hugo (reread)

april ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) the goodbye cat by hiro arikawa (reread) 2) the traveling cat chronicles by hiro arikawa (reread) 3) this is me trying by racquel marie (arc) 4) kill her twice by stacey lee (arc) 5) the pairing by casey mcquiston (arc) 6) swiped by l.m. chilton (arc) 7) lies and weddings by kevin kwan (arc) 8) the odyssey by homer (audiobook)

may ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚

1) this summer will be different by carley fortune (arc) 2) the viscount who loved me by julia quinn (reread) 3) romancing mister bridgerton by julia quinn (reread) 4) the iliad by homer (narrated by audra mcdonald) (audiobook) 5) a novel love story by ashley poston (arc) 6) when he was wicked by julia quinn (reread) 7) a banh mi for two by trinity nguyen (arc) 8) the secret garden by frances hodgson burnett (audiobook)

june ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus 2) the phantom of the opera by gaston leroux (audiobook) 3) you, with a view by jessica joyce 4) s. by j.j. abrams & doug dorst 5) the hunchback of the notre dame (audiobook) A

july ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) firekeeper's daughter by angeline boulley (audiobook) ⊹ 2) born to run by bruce springsteen (audiobook) 3) it had to be you by eliza jane brazier 4) the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald (reread; annotated) 5) death on the nile by agatha christie (audiobook) 6) blue sisters by coco mellors (arc) ⊹ 7) juniper and thorn by ava reid (audiobook) 8) the villain edit by laurie devore ⊹

august ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) a study in drowning by ava reid (audiobook) 2) just for the summer by abby jimenez 3) the match by sarah adams (audiobook)

september ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) the glitch by leeanne slade (audiobook) 2) howl’s moving castle by diana wynne jones (traveling book club; annotated) 3) how to kill your family by bella mackie (audiobook) 4) everyone i kissed since you got famous by mae marvel (audiobook) 5) blue sisters by coco mellors (reread, annotation) 6) mott street: a chinese american family's story of exclusion and homecoming by ava chin ⊹ 7) confronting the racist legacy of the american child welfare system: the case for abolition by alan j. dettlaff 8) jane eyre by charlotte brontë

october ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) anne of green gables by l.m. montgomery 2) intermezzo by sally rooney 3) razzle dazzle: the battle for broadway by michael riedel 4) designing broadway: how derek mclane and other acclaimed set designers create the visual world of theatre by derek mclane and eila mell 5) summer in the city by alex aster (arc) 6) rebecca by daphne du maurier (audiobook) ⊹

november ⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ

1) shoot your shot by lexi lafleur brown (arc) 2) ready or not by cara bastone 3) the secret life of the american musical: how broadway shows are built by jack viertel 4) the starless sea by erin morgenstern (reread, annotated)

[wizardysseus]

anyone who says only one era of dr who is misogynistic is selling something: by the numbers

series 1: 0 female writers or directors

series 2: 0 female writers or directors

series 3: 1 female writer (helen raynor, "daleks in manhattan/evolution of the daleks"), 1 female director (hettie macdonald, "blink")

series 4: 1 female writer (helen raynor again, "the sontaran stratagem/the poison sky"), 1 female director (alice troughton, "the doctor's daughter," "midnight")

no specials written or directed by women.

total: 1 female writer across 4 episodes, 2 female directors across 3 episodes, out of 4 seasons (60 episodes and specials)

series 5: 0 female writers, 1 female director (catherine morshead, "amy's choice," "the lodger")

series 6: 0 female writers or directors

series 7: 0 female writers or directors

series 8: 0 female writers, 2 female directors (sheree folkson, "in the forests of the night"; rachel talalay, "dark water/death in heaven")

series 9: 2 female writers (catherine tregenna, "the woman who lived"; sarah dollard, "face the raven"), 2 female directors (hettie macdonald, "the magician's apprentice/the witch's familiar", rachel talalay again, "heaven sent/hell bent")

series 10: 2 female writers (sarah dollard again, "thin ice"; rona munro, "eaters of light"), 1 female director (rachel talalay back at it again, "world enough and time/the doctor falls")

1 special directed by a woman ("twice upon a time," rachel talalay again).

total: 3 female writers across 4 episodes, 4 female directors across 12 episodes, out of 6 seasons (84 episodes and specials)

series 11: 2 female writers (malorie blackman, co-writing with chris chibnall on "rosa"; joy wilkinson, "the witchfinders"), 2 female directors (sallie aprahamian, "arachnids in the uk," "the witchfinders"; jennifer perrott, "the tsuranga conundrum," "kerblam!")

series 12: 3 female writers (nina metivier, "nikola tesla's night of terror"; charlene james, co-writing with chris chibnall on "can you hear me?"; maxine alderton, "the haunting of villa diodati"), 2 female directors (nida manzoor, "nikola tesla's night of terror," "fugitive of the judoon"; emma sullivan ("can you hear me?" "the haunting of villa diodati")

series 13: 1 female writer (maxine alderton again, co-writing with chris chibnall on "village of the angels"), 0 female directors

1 special co-written by a woman ("legend of the sea devils," ella road with chris chibnall). 2 specials directed by women ("eve of the daleks," annetta laufer; "legend of the sea devils," haolu wang).

total: 6 female writers or co-writers across 7 episodes, 6 female directors across 10 episodes, out of 3 seasons (31 episodes and specials)

i did all this basic math just so that i would know, for my own personal databanks, but since it's done i may as well post it. just some food for thought. chibnall's era is the only one where the numbers or percentages increase anything like significantly, and even so, i don't think anyone wins here.

if you were to run this for writers and directors of color, it would also very quickly become depressing.

[lboogie1906]

Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) In August 1955 she became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full-time with a major ballet company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City. She was promoted to soloist during her second season with the troupe and remained with the company for six years. She was born in New York City to Anne James Wilkinson and Dr. Frost Bernie Wilkinson, a dentist. She had been a fan of ballet since the age of five. On her ninth birthday, an uncle gave her the gift of ballet lessons at the Swoboda School where she studied under the direction of well-known dancers from Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre. She later transferred to the Professional Children’s School in the Bronx where she continued her training, remaining there through her last two years of high school. She first auditioned for a position with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1954. Twice she was rejected but she persevered. On her third try, Sergei Denham, the company’s director, informed her that she would be accepted into the Company. She was asked not to publicize her race, she often had to wear white makeup onstage to conceal her racial identity. In 1957, the owner of a hotel in Atlanta asked if she was black, she refused to lie, and she was barred from staying at the hotel with the rest of the company. Two members of the Ku Klux Klan bolted on stage, interrupting a performance in Montgomery, asking “Where’s the nigra?” When none of the Company members responded to them, the men left. As word of her racial identity became known, she was not allowed to participate in performances in southern cities partly to ensure her safety. In 1961, she left the Ballet Russe Company and was never hired by another American ballet company again. She joined a convent in Font de Lac, Wisconsin. She got a soloist contract with the Dutch National Ballet, where she stayed for seven years. In 1973, she returned to the US where, between 1974 and 1985, she performed with the New York City Opera as an extra dancer. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKVPgJrshO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[carcosapr]

156/SILENCE Announce Co-Headline US Winter Tour with VCTMS

Rising metalcore heavyweights 156/SILENCE are proud to announce their co-headline U.S. winter tour with VCTMS, spanning 24 cities beginning Jan. 9 in Detroit and wrapping up Feb. 8 in Chicago. The absolutely stacked tour features support from Heavy//Hitter, Saltwound, Monochromatic Black, Wiltwither, fallingwithscissors, and Banged Out on select dates. PURCHASE TICKETS: https://linktr.ee/156silence.tour Tour Dates: 1/9 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary 1/10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground 1/11 - New York, NY @ The Meadows 1/12 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground 1/13 - Providence, RI @ Alchemy 1/15 - Syracuse, NY @ The Song & Dance 1/16 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery 1/17 - Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones 1/18 - Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly 1/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory) 1/21 - Orlando, FL @ Conduit 1/22 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum 1/23 - Birmingham, AL @ LCY 1/24 - Little Rock, AR @  The Rev Room 1/25 - OKC, OK @ VFW 9265 1/26 - Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s Sports Cafe 1/27 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad (no 156) 1/28 - Mesa, AZ @ The Underground 1/29 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick (21+) (no 156) 1/30 - San Luis Obispo @ Humdinger Brewing SLO Taproom 1/31 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction 2/1 - Fresno, CA @ Full Circle Brewery 2/2 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s - Starlet Ballroom 2/4 - Midvale, UT @ The Pearl on Main 2/5 - Denver, CO @ HQ (16+) (no 156) 2/6 - Des Moines, IA @ Lefty's 2/7 - Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade 2/8 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies About the band:

156/SILENCE creates soundtracks for the pushed aside and marginalized. Equal parts frenetic, unhinged, passionate, and focused, their music resonates with outsiders of all stripes. 156/SILENCE is for anyone determined to peel back the façade of false pleasantries, shallow platitudes, and fakery. 

It’s a mission the band began in earnest with underground missives. (Metal Injection advised readers to “wreck your speakers with 156/SILENCE” on the eve of 2017’s Karma EP.) The group excels live, offering both community and devastation, while touring with the likes of The Acacia Strain, Unearth, Upon A Burning Body, D.R.U.G.S., Signs Of The Swarm, and Orthodox, among others. 

Howling personal declarations, jagged riffs, post-hardcore, noise, thrash, sludge, and ambiance collide within 156/SILENCE. In 2018, Kerrang! hailed the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, group as one of the “6 Underground Metalcore Bands Redefining the Scene.” Less than a decade after their emergence, 156/SILENCE delivers again on that promise with an incendiary fourth album, People Watching. 

No two 156/SILENCE albums are alike, from the unhinged frenetic chaos of Undercover Scumbag (2018) to the gloriously savage and technical Irrational Pull (2020), which Metal Hammer likened to Converge and Botch. The diverse ruminations found in Narrative (2022) took things even further. 

People Watching continues the prolific outfit’s tradition of steadfast evolution. Produced by Jonathan Dolese (D.R.U.G.S., Emmure, Attack Attack!), the album embraces melodic hooks without sacrificing any heaviness. The band’s golden age of metalcore roots shimmer and swirl together with influences ranging from Aphex Twin to Thrice, Glassjaw, and Deftones, from movie soundtracks to horror games. As the band says: “People Watching is truly the culmination of the last nine years of 156.”

156/SILENCE sounds ravenous, ominous, and haunting. Their songs are literary and cinematic, cerebral and brutal, drawing from real and imagined horrors, all intertwined with melody and might. 156/SILENCE is: Jack Murray – vocals Jimmy Howell – guitars Ryan Wilkinson – guitars  Lucas Booker – bass Max Bradshaw – drums Social Links: https://instagram.com/156silence https://facebook.com/156silence https://twitter.com/156silence https://youtube.com/@156silence Press: “People Watching not only establishes a new precedent, but positions the band on a whole new tier of potential.” — KNOTFEST “From the home of Code Orange come another hardcore band ready to explode.” — METAL HAMMER “…an unhinged force to be reckoned with.” — KERRANG!

[scriptscribbles]

I have been summoned back to fact check!

This is mostly true, but needs additional context.

First, the depressing. Yes, not only does this gap exist, but The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky is by the ONLY woman to write for Russell T Davies' entire first era, Helen Raynor (I've heard rumors she's a TERF now but that's another thing). She also wrote Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks for the previous series. Those 4 episodes are the only ones in post-05 Who to be by a woman until Peter Capaldi's era.

Now, the Moffat of it all. He dropped the ball for his first few series, though reportedly not for lack of trying. Apparently he was turned down by a number of writers who weren't interested in the show. However, after increasing effort because people were calling it out and he agreed it was an issue, series 9 doubled the number of women to write for modern Who, with Catherine Tregenna penning The Woman who Lived (and she had to be begged with a premise she really liked, not a Who fan) and Sarah Dollard contributing the pivotal Face the Raven.

Things only improved from there. Dollard returned under Moffat with Thin Ice the following series, and Rona Munro penned The Eaters of Light, becoming the only writer to do both classic and modern Who.

There are many shortcomings with Chris Chibnall's era of Doctor Who but diversity in hiring was not one. No previous writers from past eras apart from him contributed, but he did give platforms to a number of diverse and often less experienced writers including Malorie Blackman, Joy Wilkinson, Nina Metevier, Charlene James, Maxine Alderton, and Ella Road. He also hired the first people of color to write for the show. Mind he did also take a cowriting credit with most of them so that's a thing.

Beyond that just for a bonus round, Torchwood, ran by Russell T Davies, fared much better than the parent show, with episodes by Helen Raynor, Jacquetta May, Catherine Tregenna, Doris Egan, and Jane Espenson. RTD's The Sarah Jane Adventures, the only spinoff lead by a woman so far, had... nobody. And Moffat's only spinoff, Class, was written entirely by a gay dude, Patrick Ness, though series 2 would have had women write including trans author Juno Dawson. Unfortunately, it was canceled.

Any questions?

you ever learn something you wish you didn't? I, for example, just learned that between 2008 and 2015 not a single episode of Doctor Who aired that was written by a woman. Between The Sontaran Stratagem, a story with David Tennant as the Doctor, and The Woman Who Lived, a Peter Capaldi story, not a single episode was written by a woman.

[drrubinspomade]

#raven wilkinson

YES, yes.

We post pinups daily! If you dig this pic we’ve found online, u should investigate the creator/subjects of the above work and fan them, follow them, hire them.

If you’d like us to remove, or you know who made this so that we can credit, DM. Thanks. Greetings from Los Angeles.

YOU ARE THE LIGHT

Dr Rubin’s Pomade

[theblackinfluencers]

Black Women In Dance

Black dancers helped impact the American dance scene significantly. Here are some of the most famous black dancers who broke countless barriers in their pursuit of artistry. These incredible contributions are an encouragement toward teaching people of different colors. 

Listed are a few of the game changers.

Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland started her ballet studies when she was only 13 years old at San Pedro City Ballet. One of her famous mentors is Raven Wilkinson, who broke new ground during the 1950s. Soon, Misty won first place in the Music Center Spotlight Awards at the age of 15. In the summer, Misty got accepted with a full scholarship into the intensive program.

Despite her difference in skin color and body type, she kept climbing the ranks with her unique skill. In 2007, Misty Copeland was the first black ballet dancer who pursued a solo career in two decades.

Ebony Williams

Among famous black dancers, Ebony Williams is a shining candidate not to miss. She has performed in the Super Bowl with Beyonce and danced for her “Single Ladies” MV. Besides that, she also showed up in many other videos for celebrities such as Ciara, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake. She has been known as a contemporary dancer for Cedarlake Contemporary Ballet. It’s a 10-year-old firm that has climbed to the top in the eyes of the whole world.

Katherine Dunham

Famous black American dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the greatest dance careers in African-American and European theaters. She had directed her dance firm for several years and excelled in every field.

Her dance career began once she took part in the Little Theater Firm of Harper Avenue. She devoted herself to ballet and other dance forms, including Javanese, Balinese, and Spanish. When Dunham turned 21 years old, she established the Ballets Negres Group. This dance group got targeted to teach young black dancers about their heritage. Aside from that, Dunham owns different accomplishments that go further than her performance. She had a long list of activist work, such as performances to continue a 47-day hunger strike. This event took place to protest the inhumane treatment of the Haitian refugees.

Janet Collins

Janet Collins, was a forerunner for black female ballet dancers. She was one of very few black women to become prominent in American classical ballet in the 1950s, inspiring a generation and giving hope for a more equal society.

Collins began dancing in Los Angeles and eventually relocated to New York. Her big debut was to her own choreography in 1949 on a shared program at the 92nd Street Y. She was well received, being praised for her sharp, technical precision. After performing on Broadway in the Cole Porter musical Out of This World, she was hired as a principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House in the early 1950s.

Throughout her career, Collins also danced alongside Katherine Dunham and performed with the Dunham company in the 1943 film musical Stormy Weather.

[freshoildance-1]

On This Day in New York City History February 2, 1935: Dancer Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) was born in New York City, New York. Wilkinson has the distinction of being the first African-American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company.

[goodblacknews]

GBN's Daily Drop: Raven Wilkinson - the 1st Black Ballerina to Dance with a Major Company in the U.S. (LISTEN)

GBN’s Daily Drop: Raven Wilkinson – the 1st Black Ballerina to Dance with a Major Company in the U.S. (LISTEN)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson) Today’s GBN Daily Drop Podcast is a bonus episode for Sunday, February 20, 2022 based on the  “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day®️ Calendar for 2022 format. It’s about Raven Wilkinson, who, when she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, became the first African American ballerina to dance with a major company in the…

[swanlake1998]

raven wilkinson photographed performing ~pas de trois~ in swan lake by dutch national ballet archives

[dancersofcolor]

Misty Copeland and her mentor, Raven Wilkinson, For AARP Magazine

Photo by Brad Trent

[lboogie1906]

Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) In August 1955 she became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full-time with a major ballet company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City. She was promoted to soloist during her second season with the troupe and remained with the company for six years.

She was born in New York City to Anne James Wilkinson and Dr. Frost Bernie Wilkinson, a dentist. She had been a fan of ballet since the age of five. On her ninth birthday, an uncle gave her the gift of ballet lessons at the Swoboda School where she studied under the direction of well-known dancers from Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre. She later transferred to the Professional Children’s School in the Bronx where she continued her training, remaining there through her last two years of high school.

She first auditioned for a position with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1954. Twice she was rejected but she persevered. On her third try, Sergei Denham, the company’s director, informed her that she would be accepted into the Company.

She was asked not to publicize her race, she often had to wear white makeup onstage to conceal her racial identity. In 1957, the owner of a hotel in Atlanta asked if she was Black, she refused to lie, and she was barred from staying at the hotel with the rest of the company. Two members of the Ku Klux Klan bolted on stage, interrupting a performance in Montgomery, asking “Where’s the nigra?” When none of the Company members responded to them, the men left. As word of her racial identity became known, she was not allowed to participate in performances in southern cities partly to ensure her safety. In 1961, she left the Ballet Russe Company and was never hired by another American ballet company again.

She joined a convent in Font de Lac, Wisconsin. She got a soloist contract with the Dutch National Ballet, where she stayed for seven years. In 1973, she returned to the US where she performed with the New York City Opera (1974-85) as an extra dancer. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) In August 1955 she became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full-time with a major ballet company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City. She was promoted to soloist during her second season with the troupe and remained with the company for six years.

She was born in New York City to Anne James Wilkinson and Dr. Frost Bernie Wilkinson, a dentist. She had been a fan of ballet since the age of five. On her ninth birthday, an uncle gave her the gift of ballet lessons at the Swoboda School where she studied under the direction of well-known dancers from Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre. She later transferred to the Professional Children’s School in the Bronx where she continued her training, remaining there through her last two years of high school.

She first auditioned for a position with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1954. Twice she was rejected but she persevered. On her third try, Sergei Denham, the company’s director, informed her that she would be accepted into the Company.

She was asked not to publicize her race, she often had to wear white makeup onstage to conceal her racial identity. In 1957, the owner of a hotel in Atlanta asked if she was Black, she refused to lie, and she was barred from staying at the hotel with the rest of the company. Two members of the Ku Klux Klan bolted on stage, interrupting a performance in Montgomery, asking “Where’s the nigra?” When none of the Company members responded to them, the men left. As word of her racial identity became known, she was not allowed to participate in performances in southern cities partly to ensure her safety. In 1961, she left the Ballet Russe Company and was never hired by another American ballet company again.

She joined a convent in Font de Lac, Wisconsin. She got a soloist contract with the Dutch National Ballet, where she stayed for seven years. In 1973, she returned to the US where she performed with the New York City Opera (1974-85) as an extra dancer. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence