Meet African American Ballet Dancer Raven Wilkinson…

Raven Wilkinson became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full time with a major ballet company in 1955 for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City.

With her mother’s influence, Raven developed a love for ballet at the age of 5. On her ninth birthday, she was gifted ballet lessons by her uncle to the Swoboda School, where she studied under the direction of well-known dancers from Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre.  

Looking to become a professional dancer, Raven first auditioned for a position with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1954 but was rejected twice. It wasn’t until her third audition that she was finally accepted.

While performing on tour with the company, Raven had faced many difficulties in the deep South due to the color of her skin. Though she had pale skin, she often had to wear white makeup onstage to conceal her racial identity and in order to perform with the Company in the South. She was also asked not to publicize her race for her own safety. 

In 1957 she was barred from staying at a hotel with the rest of the Company because she refused to lie about being black.

Once word was out about her racial identity, she was not allowed to participate in performances in Southern cities partly to ensure her own safety. Raven was told she was unlikely to go any further in ballet. After all the years of racism, she decided to leave the company.

Raven went on to audition with other ballet companies, but she was never accepted.  She eventually stopped dancing for several years and went on to teach ballet.

In 1963 Raven joined a convent in Font de Lac, Wisconsin for six months. Three years later she landed a soloist contract with the Dutch National Ballet, where she stayed for seven years. In 1973 Wilkinson returned to the United States where she performed with the New York City Opera as an extra dancer.  

Raven Wilkinson later became a mentor to American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland, presenting her with the 2014 Dance Magazine Award.

Sources: blackpast.org, aaregistry.org

♥