The Color of Dance: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in the World of Ballet

From the photographer behind the Instagram sensation Brown Girls Do Ballet, this stunning coffee-table book showcases breathtaking images of ballerinas of color of all ages and levels that reflect today’s beautifully diverse world of dance.  

For decades the prominent image of a ballet dancer has been a white body with pale clothing. It took 75 years for American Ballet Theatre to have its first African American female principal dancer, Misty Copeland. When TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian went to enroll her three-year-old daughter into her first ballet class, she immediately saw this lack of diversity and representation―even on her local dance studio’s website. Within weeks TaKiyah, a freelance photographer, began shooting a project she called Brown Girls Do Ballet, which eventually became an Instagram hit and a nonprofit organization that provides resources, mentorship, inspiration, and encouragement to young dancers of color worldwide.

For her first book, The Color of Dance, TaKiyah traveled around the United States seeking out dancers of African, Asian, East Indian, Hispanic, and Native American ancestry. With these more than 190 breathtaking images of colorful ballerinas of all ages and levels, both amateur and professional, TaKiyah gives a voice to dancers who have been underrepresented for too long.

With dozens of quotes throughout from ballerinas themselves, The Color of Dance redefines what this classically Eurocentric art form has looked like for centuries and will inspire dancers―and all of us―to pursue our dreams no matter what barriers are put in front of us.

TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian is a photographer and the founder and executive director of Brown Girls Do Ballet, a philanthropic organization that works to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in ballet programs through organizing and arranging ballet performances, photo exhibitions, and providing resources and scholarships to assist young girls in their ballet development and training. TaKiyah's photographs have been featured in The Washington Post, HuffPo, Pointe Magazine, Madame Noir and more. She is a former Gifted-Education teacher and television host, and she is the Owner/Photographer of Some Sweet Photography. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her family.