Misty Copeland takes a stand against prominent Russian ballet companies for using blackface

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The director of a historic Russian ballet will continue to have dancers wear blackface in shows—despite world-renowned ballerina Misty Copeland's outrage over its use.

"I'm black. We [blacks] don't exist in the ballet world. I'm too muscular. I'm too short. My bust is too big," Copeland said."I get that this is a VERY sensitive subject in the ballet world. But until we can call people out and make people uncomfortable, change can’t happen," Copeland wrote in response to a follower who questioned Russian media defending the use of blackface.

In the performance arts world, characters have been portrayed in blackface going back to early 1900s and the production of La Bayadère is not excluded.The Bolshoi Theater is illuminated for a gala opening in Moscow, in this Oct. 28, 2011 file photo.Urin told Russian's local news agency, RIA Novosti on Dec. 16 that he will"not get involved in such a discussion" in response to Copeland's comments.

"The ballet La Bayadère has been performed thousands of times in this production in Russia and abroad, and the Bolshoi Theatre will not get involved in such a discussion," Urin said. It was just four years ago when the Metropolitan Opera House in New York broke a 124-year practice of having the lead in"Otello" perform in blackface.wearing blackface in July 2019 for the title role in"Aida" -- a 106-year practice.

Meanwhile, Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko received mixed reviews from her fans on Instagram on June 8, 2019, when she posted herself in character as"Aida" in blackface.

 

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Misty Copeland with Amy Astley: Life in Motion - 92Y On Demand mistyonpointe in conversation with AmyTAstley in 2015 47:55 to 51:25 'Don't let other people's words define you'. 'Most of the time, it's not about you, it's about them'.

Of course it will. Our differences with Russia continue to outweigh our similarities...additional evidence of this administration’s failure to advance and protect American values.

It’s...Russia

why does her outrage mean anything to anyone other than her?

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