After Years Of Covering Her Pointe Shoes In Makeup, 18-Year-Old Ballerina Finally Gets A Pair That Matches Her Skin Color
127Kviews
Dance is one of the oldest forms of self-expression. In the middle ages, it could designate your status or suitability; later on, it became a form of entertainment. Dances themselves also represent various cultures, as many of them have their own traditional dances or moves. But at the same time, there are more universal dances, the kind that you would find all over the world—especially nowadays—that stand for the beauty of expression instead of deeper heritage.
And while that’s commendable, as dancing became a universal thing, another problem arose. Certain dances require certain equipment, and the said equipment can then be made to reflect the needs of one race of people while neglecting others. Sadly, ballet is one of the dances that has strict rules, particularly in the clothing dancers wear. That’s exactly the problem Kira Robinson faced—how to find a ballet shoes that reflect her skin tone without going through Herculean trials.
Kira Robinson, an 18-year-old ballet student, received ballet shoes in her own skin color
Image credits: kiraelon
Image credits: kiraelon
One of the signature items associated with ballet is the shoes. Each dancer has to perform while wearing pointe shoes. The tricky part is, they are usually meant for Caucasians, coming in white or pink (there are other colors too, but those usually correspond to specific costumes, so they are rare). And that’s why Kira Robinson, a 18-year-old ballet student at the University of Oklahoma, was overjoyed when she received pointe shoes that match her skin color. The video quickly went viral, with 440.2K likes and 1.4m views.
@kiraelonYAYAYAY i’ll show you guys how they look on later ##fyp ##CleanTok ##blackballerina ##blackgirl ##dancer ##pointe ##pointeshoes ##suffolk ##VisionBoard ##dance♬ original sound – kira <3
Robinson posted another celebratory video, showing off her new pointe shoes
Image credits: kiraelon
Image credits: kiraelon
After her video, she received a request from a follower to dance in the new shoes. And so she did! The video showcasing the pointe shoes was equally well-received, with people saying “This is [the] first time I’ve seen points in shades other than pink or white” and “I’m so glad they finally do ballet shoes in more shades, it’s ridiculous it took so long! These look stunning.” The color of the shoes is seemingly such a small thing, but it matters in the grand scheme of things, especially for communities that have been neglected.
@kiraelonReply to @jess.yung since everyone wanted me to put them on here’s some clips of me breaking them in!! ##fyp ##pointeshoes ##blackballerina ##ballet♬ Jake25.17 sound – 🦋Olivia🦋
POC dancers can now look forward to more representation from big companies
Image credits: kiraelon
Image credits: kiraelon
Robinson revealed the new shoes were a replacement for her old—pink—ones. She used to cover them with foundation so they would match her skin, but it’s undoubtedly a messy and long process. The reason for such measures was because ballet often requires a so-called ‘nude’ look, meaning your attire should match your complexion. And many dancers who don’t fit the perceived standard are left struggling. Suffolk—the company that designed Robinson’s brown shoes—is one of the companies that stepped up to provide the dancers with what they need.
Diversity and representation are very important, especially in the dance world
Image credits: kiraelon
After her joyous video went viral, Robinson was invited to appear on Good Morning America. She said she has received a lot of support from people, but the comments on her TikTok all echoed the idea that representation in the dance world matters, but you don’t see it often. “Sometimes it’s frustrating and annoying, but it’s just how it is. The dance world is slow to accept POC dancers, and I’ve just had to deal with it and do what I need to do to perform.”
Recent global events have inspired change on a grander scale
Image credits: kiraelon
Image credits: kiraelon
According to the student, there was a major shift in the market due to Black Lives Matter movement. “A lot of people were fed up with companies’ lack of effort in diversifying their brand and it has taken a long time to see that change,” she said during the interview. “Many have signed and sent petitions to ballet brands to create more colors in their products, and Suffolk was one that heard our plea and started making those changes.”
Supportive comments were quick to follow
127Kviews
Share on Facebook
the fact that I thought that white/pink was just the default ballerina accessory color is a problem. it's been so normalized for things to fit white people perfectly and cause inconveniences for bipoc, and that has to change because at the end of the day, white people are just people with less melanin. that's nothing special, and they shouldn't be treated special.
same here. saw a few weeks ago a video of a guy being so happy after he finally found out bandages that match his skin tone. it made me feel kind of bad when i realized i had never even thought about that and noticed this is a problem
Bandages are white so you can see they are clean and not contaminated. Having said that band aids are usually beige and go perfect on a white skin. Not the same color but on a lot of white and light colored folk you will not notice them easily. Its a shame there is no darker toned band aids for sale. At least not where I live.
I grew up in a town that was so white, most hair salons only carried gold Bobby pins (or they ran out of black/brown quickly and had more gold; I’ll give them some credit). So my black-haired best friend (not a white girl) had her black hair filled with gold Bobby pins when she had it styled in an up-do for prom.
They probably run out of black or brown ones because most people (whites too) have brown hair. Blonds are a minority.
It's awesome for her to have these shoes (I've seen similar stories before) but it's not that crazy that it is predominantly suited for "white" people. Ballet as an artform stems from 1661 under Louis XIV. This was all white Europe where it started. It's a great thing that this has lasted up to this point in time where it can be practised by anyone and everyone. The history is rich, like many cultural dance forms in all of Africa, which come with their own set of cultural clothing. Don't cancel history, just add to it. With these beautiful brown shoes for instance!
This comment has been deleted.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You make it sound like all white ppl are stopping her from getting slippers. You know what other races do? Make their own companies to make their color slippers like asians and hispanics. Black ppl wait for others to solve problems for them.
when did i say that lmao? i'm just saying that the lack of representation is horrible. it's extremely hard to find ones that fit her skin tone, which you obviously seem to know nothing about.
Wait, pointe shoes are supposed to match your skin colour? I always thought they should match the rest of your outfit?
They should, and the outfit often is nude coloured. Well... nude for white people. And often they wish to create the illusion that they are barefoot, like in the one shot above with the white dress.
I had no idea either.
in a video about that particular topic it's said the shoe is suppose to be seen as part of the leg not as part of the outfit.. before that, i was thinking the same :)
Truly a Million things we light skinned people would never imagine. But honestly, why is "nude" a thing stull when half of the world is not white?
It also doesn’t match the skin colour of most white people. It’s just an absurd colour
Her skin color is beautiful so rich and the tone of the ballet shoes so warm and pretty 🩰
Her skin is a beautiful tone, isn't it
Yesh beautiful. Her smile is also precious :)
wait, what? im sorry to say but, this sounds sooo auto-racist; ballerina shoes, the while ones are - ballerina shoes. yes, they could b any color but - the white of ballerina shoes is not the while of - white ballerinas... da fuq ppl!
White, black and pink ballet shoes have been around for decades. The white and black were to go with outfits, not skin and all about creating the illusion of length. Various skin shades have been available for a few years now thankfully. By no means as long as they should have been, that's for sure.
While I see what you're trying to say, I think I'm going to side with the actual ballet dancer that said that the matching skin tone is important, and the article even said why: "The reason for such measures was because ballet often requires a so-called ‘nude’ look, meaning your attire should match your complexion"
So stupid. These shoes have always come in non skin colors. Nobody is white, black or pink, and those have always been the colors. My third cousin does ballet and she’s tan, she usually has those black ones. They’re shoes, not second skin.
all i said was pointe shoes dont have to match your skin tone, the outfit as a whole matters. People are so mean, ai can share my thoughts if i want :(
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You think so it must be so? Shut up.
This feels less like racism and more like a stale tradition. Not to mention that shoes can be dyed any color of the rainbow if you choose. Ballet companies in Harlem were doing this in the seventies. Maybe manufacturers have been slow to realize that traditional white or pink are falling out of fashion. It just doesn't seem like a racial intent. Tell me ballet companies have been forbidding dancers from dying their shoes to match their skin tone. Then you got some thing.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
So POC dancers should have to take an extra step (dyeing their shoes) that white dancers don’t need to take? It may have begun as stale tradition but its result is an extra burden on POC.
No, not at all. The earliest I went to a dance store was 2012 with my daughter, and they had slippers and pointe shoes in a huge range of colors, including brown. A whole wall. I’m not entirely certain why this post is proclaiming it a miracle that these shoes exist.
If, you want your shoes to match your skin tone then yes, you need to get them dyed yourself. It's not cost effective for a company to make shoes in every shade under the sun. These are shoes not lipstick or hosiery. Now obviously SOME manufacturers have identified that there is enough demand NOW for shoes to be made in some shade of brown. They probably don't make any in my shade of skin tone. Why??? Because there isn't enough demand!!! NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE RACIST!!
Also, when have you seen a "White" person as white or as pink as their shoes are??
Shoes to match skin tone of brown dancers... Good... But to date I haven't actually met a pink person, so who are those shoes for?
There not to match the person it's to match the outfit and make the shoes standout against the back drops casue the feet are the things most watched when dancing
Then what was the point of the article?
but i dont get it!! Personal preferance aside, pointe shoes are generally pink as the ballerina tutus are pink. And in nutshell ballet originated Italy and evolved to France and Russia, it was initiated by women and display of graceful femininity. So the pointe shoes and the tutu are an outfit. If you wear blue tutu, then light blue pointe shoes. And if brown tutu then light brown pointe shoes. But standard is a soft pink usually. Why the pointe shoes are a soft and lighter color is because footwork is especial to take note of when ballerinas dance. I am trying to explain as best what i mean.
So is a ballerina shoe representing a bare foot? I wasn't aware of that.
I am just thrilled about this and all I can say is About Time!!! But just letting folks know.... Toe shoes come in a bunch of colors. Even in the past, the shoes were often dyed to match the costume. OIP-1-6030...51a950.jpg
But that's a special pair of shoes for a specific role. Generally, toe shoes are supposed to create an optical illusion that the dancer's legs are much longer than natural.
I never thought the white ballerina shoes were supposed to mimic skin colour. They would have been more like a beige colour then.
Look at this person appropriating white culture!!! Nah, I'm just kidding :) I'm happy she found some shoes that suit her and I hope she keeps dancing :)
phew Screenshot...d25491.png
As long as you're just being a jerk in good clean fun, I guess it's OK.
she is appropriating white culture!
mcmp, everybody on earth is bored to tears by racist morons like you. Go away and don't come back.
The purpose of pointe shoes is not to match the skin tone of the dancer. It's nice that there are now easier options for those who wish to do so, however.
actually, the point of pointe shoes is often to match the tights, so that they appear to be an extension of the leg... and the tights are typically skin tone, to make the legs look "nude". So yes, the purpose of pointe shoes often IS to match the skin tone.
I'm surprised to know it is so difficult to get ballerina shoes in any color you want, since basically everything is sold in every color imaginable if you look close enough. Diversity is important, sure, but making it a race problem even in balette now, it's too much becoming a dangerous trend. Next time we see an article about 'Is snow racist?' Will this ever end?
She very clearly explained how it’s an issue with race. Don’t be dramatic.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sounds about white.
Totally off topic- but that last photo, how does she balance? Wouldn't you just tip right over?!
Years and years of hard work and practice.
Well I certainly would!
I don’t know if this is really a big deal... I’ve seen all sorts of ballet shoes, ranging from the traditional pink, to black and white. And these are when I’m not even looking for shoes, just in passing I see them in stores. Also I thought the shoes were just meant to match the outfit, I mean, who has really met a pastel pink person.
Why are they so hard to find? Companies are missing out on a huge market. Dumb. They did the same with "larger" clothing sizes and a lot of other products.
Eyy! That's awesome! I'm happy for her ^^ and everyone else who gets to enjoy things like this finally :)
But but but... it's not like the white shoes match a white person?
It is wrong, that white ballet shoes match the skin tone of ballerinas: No one has paperwhite skin. The bright shoes should stand out against the stage background, that you can easily see the movements of the dancers. Brown shoes are hard to see against darker backdrops. She looks beautiful in those shoes, but you can see from the garden photo that her feet and therefore her movement are hard to see. Especially in the theater, however, the audience in the back row also wants to be able to see the movements of the dancers.
No, the shoes should NOT be more visible, they traditionally should be seen as part of the dancer’s body, so their movements flow elegantly and gracefully.
That’s subjective, and depends entirely on company and performance.
This comment has been deleted.
She is magnificent! I hope she will have a great career, worthy of her talent. The shoes being the right color may seem like a small thing, but pointe shoes are usually intended to elongate the look of the dancer's legs, and the shoes matching her skin tone do the job beautifully.
I have only ever seen the traditional baby pink ballet shoes, and they do not look like anyone's skin tone. Literally, no one. I figured they were just the traditional colour everyone wore... like Karate suits are white, not to match skin, but just tradition. If the ballet shoes are supposed to match skin tone, they need better Caucasian shoes too!
ridiculous. what's wrong with white or pink shoes?
Shoes should be in all sorts of colours, not just to match someone’s skin! 🩰
Goes to show you that pink ballerina shoes for "white" people just means white people are pink, like pigs
This is great but the very last comment is wrong. Ballet didn't come out Russia. Ballet is French.
Ballet came from Italian Baletto and after was adapted for the French court when Catherine from Medicis married Henri II (and i'm French).
Well yes, that is true. But the modern day ballet we see today is French in origin.
https://www.britannica.com/art/ballet
here is the link to an article https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/apr/01/pointe-shoes-black-ballet-ballerinas-dancers............................copy and paste
Well I love that color and want flats that color! I had no idea that in ballet you were supposed to look like you are bare footed. I thought pink was the just the color of ballet shoes. Even now, the color is described as "ballet pink". In my dance class days - mostly took tap and jazz, those shoes were black. And so were my character shoes (that had a heel on them totally inappropriate for an 11 year old but I had to have them). I think its great they come in complexion colors. But as a darker complected caucasian, I never thought the ballet shoes were supposed to match my complexion. Good for her! She is adorable!
Omg the picture with the black tutu was so stunning! I would put that picture as art in my home.
Since I'm only 25% African American, I can pass with tan batter shoes, but come to think of it, I've never seen darker pointe shoes. It's nice to see that people with darker skin can get skin toned shoes now!
Pointe shoes are meant to be an extension of the legs, so why this took so long is an example of the dance companies not being sensitive to the girls/women. of color that want to dance. That why it was so brave of Misty Copeland to break down that barrier.
Some people'd say ballet is for f**s anyway. I don't really care about it but this is kinda bullcrap, if this would have bothered someone that 'needs' them in that colour there are other options too. And there are so many shades of skin colour going from almost pinkish white to almost black dark brown, they need their specific tone too, no?
As a POC we have always taken things in stride because that's the way things have always been. I am very excited that things have started to change. Bandaids use to be made in different shades until they were not. I am glad they are being manufactured once again. Everyone deserves to be able to have their skin tone represented. From clothing such as nude colors in stockings or whatever because that's the color of human beings, we are not one color fits all, thank you.
Reminded me of this 1119276463...a204a9.jpg
It is fairly crazy to think it took so long, it makes you wonder how few non-white ballerinas there were that no one thought to start a business selling them.
I don't understand that. I have seen ballerinas of colour for YEARS with matching dancing shoes. This isn't new.
My daughter is a preteen dancer and ballet is one of her passions. How did I not know that ballet shoes are just now being diversified for people of color? Robinson has such beautiful lines! I love the pictures!
It’s ridiculous that companies took so damn long to make a simple colour change. Should have happened long before now
A beautiful and talented young woman. The pointe shoes are gorgeous and I wish her every success.
So can the white ballerinas wear that too?
Wow I really had no idea that this wasn't already a thing. She is a beautiful young woman and I appreciate her story so much. It's hard to preach diversity and inclusion when any dancer can't get ballet shoes to compliment her skin tone. I really do hope we're coming into a world in which the next generation doesn't experience exclusion by realizing how many things aren't made to compliment them - ex: left handed people have been trying to fit in a right handed world for years.
OMG. Really??
The shoes look so beautiful on her. She is a beautiful woman with beautiful skin and now have beautiful shoes to match. This made me so happy!
I think this is important! We have to remember that all humans share 99.99% of their DNA with each other and skin color (or anything else that makes each person different) is just in that tiny percentage of difference. We're all the same. We're all humans. And we should all be treated as such.
how did u add the tik tok video?
cringe lasers
what?
My father wanted me to try out for ballet since I don't do a sport and I should stay active and do something, but I said no for multiple reasons, the biggest ones being A) I'd more than likely be the only dark-skinned person in the whole class. B) I'm not the most flexible person and would probably be the most behind girl in class. And C) Ballet has never been interesting to me! But I think he was planning on signing me up anyway until COVID and other problems came up.
I can name only two ballet dancers: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Misty Copeland. I’m not saying there are a lot of nonwhite ballet dancers, but Misty may be the most famous American ballet dancer today and she is not white.
Mikhail is white.....
Bwahaha, I've been doing ballet for 5 years, and I'm 25% African- American.
I am so happy for her!
yes, i am too! she looks so happy!
It looks awful, like your feet are deformed. It's much better when you can distinguish the shoes from the rest of the leg.
I'm not crying. You're crying.
I am so pleased to see people expanding their understanding of WHY things such as what "skin tone" is decided to be contributes/has contributed to institutionalized racism that most people are completely unaware of.
don't be an idiot!
You can literally get point shoes in any color , black ,white, blue etc.....
No, not really. It's extremely expensive to dyed. So to get "normal" shoes, its pink. That's it. So for companies now to offer other tones is huge and a good step forward (pun intended)
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Reverse racism! Retarded post
Congratulations on displaying your ignorance in two concise sentences.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Pink ballet shoes do not match the skin tone of white people. We aren't pink. Why do u need brown ballet shoes. Because your a racist pig that wants attention.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
black lives, matter, if you agree, comment if you agree, then put your skin tone, i want to see if whites like me think the same!
I think everyone is equal, no matter what sexuality, race, class and so on and so on. I am a gypsy (I don't know what skin colour that makes me but my skin tone is olive) and have experienced racism from all skin colours. I believe that we must continue to work towards making all people deemed and treated as equal. It is disgusting how people can be discriminated against, bullied and so on just because of their culture or anything else and it needs to end - but we all need to work together for that to happen.
@ Serenity - thank you so much for that! I love my culture and skin tone and am not ashamed in the slightest. I have used the tactic you suggested for mild attacks at my culture but most of the racism I have experienced is pretty serious and mostly from adults (I am only 16 but was even younger during most of it). One of the things that people have done is tamper with the breaks on a vehicle that my father and I often used together. We could have easily been killed if we hadn't noticed and that was their intention: to kill or harm.
omg you dont deserve that, i love the color olive, i bet you look great! if anyone does that to you agian, complament him or her, and tell them you dont care what they think, and do it every time, hopefully, they will lose intrest!
@ Serenity - thank you! Stay safe too.
you are so welcome doggo froggo! stay safe, you dont deserve harm !!!!!!\(UwU)/
im 11 and i hate all of this sort of thing, no one needs this in life, if you are doing this to other people, think how you would feel in there skin tone, you would not like being discriminated would you, no you would not, so dont do it to other people,btw froggo doggo, im not talking to you, you clearly dont discriminated!
A mutt here! I'm a mixture of dozens, possibly more things! South African, French, German, Irish, and Native American (Cherokee tribe) to name a few! And I believe that all lives don't matter unless/until black lives do!
yes! you are so right!
you're an idiot!
(Bp duplicate)
the fact that I thought that white/pink was just the default ballerina accessory color is a problem. it's been so normalized for things to fit white people perfectly and cause inconveniences for bipoc, and that has to change because at the end of the day, white people are just people with less melanin. that's nothing special, and they shouldn't be treated special.
same here. saw a few weeks ago a video of a guy being so happy after he finally found out bandages that match his skin tone. it made me feel kind of bad when i realized i had never even thought about that and noticed this is a problem
Bandages are white so you can see they are clean and not contaminated. Having said that band aids are usually beige and go perfect on a white skin. Not the same color but on a lot of white and light colored folk you will not notice them easily. Its a shame there is no darker toned band aids for sale. At least not where I live.
I grew up in a town that was so white, most hair salons only carried gold Bobby pins (or they ran out of black/brown quickly and had more gold; I’ll give them some credit). So my black-haired best friend (not a white girl) had her black hair filled with gold Bobby pins when she had it styled in an up-do for prom.
They probably run out of black or brown ones because most people (whites too) have brown hair. Blonds are a minority.
It's awesome for her to have these shoes (I've seen similar stories before) but it's not that crazy that it is predominantly suited for "white" people. Ballet as an artform stems from 1661 under Louis XIV. This was all white Europe where it started. It's a great thing that this has lasted up to this point in time where it can be practised by anyone and everyone. The history is rich, like many cultural dance forms in all of Africa, which come with their own set of cultural clothing. Don't cancel history, just add to it. With these beautiful brown shoes for instance!
This comment has been deleted.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You make it sound like all white ppl are stopping her from getting slippers. You know what other races do? Make their own companies to make their color slippers like asians and hispanics. Black ppl wait for others to solve problems for them.
when did i say that lmao? i'm just saying that the lack of representation is horrible. it's extremely hard to find ones that fit her skin tone, which you obviously seem to know nothing about.
Wait, pointe shoes are supposed to match your skin colour? I always thought they should match the rest of your outfit?
They should, and the outfit often is nude coloured. Well... nude for white people. And often they wish to create the illusion that they are barefoot, like in the one shot above with the white dress.
I had no idea either.
in a video about that particular topic it's said the shoe is suppose to be seen as part of the leg not as part of the outfit.. before that, i was thinking the same :)
Truly a Million things we light skinned people would never imagine. But honestly, why is "nude" a thing stull when half of the world is not white?
It also doesn’t match the skin colour of most white people. It’s just an absurd colour
Her skin color is beautiful so rich and the tone of the ballet shoes so warm and pretty 🩰
Her skin is a beautiful tone, isn't it
Yesh beautiful. Her smile is also precious :)
wait, what? im sorry to say but, this sounds sooo auto-racist; ballerina shoes, the while ones are - ballerina shoes. yes, they could b any color but - the white of ballerina shoes is not the while of - white ballerinas... da fuq ppl!
White, black and pink ballet shoes have been around for decades. The white and black were to go with outfits, not skin and all about creating the illusion of length. Various skin shades have been available for a few years now thankfully. By no means as long as they should have been, that's for sure.
While I see what you're trying to say, I think I'm going to side with the actual ballet dancer that said that the matching skin tone is important, and the article even said why: "The reason for such measures was because ballet often requires a so-called ‘nude’ look, meaning your attire should match your complexion"
So stupid. These shoes have always come in non skin colors. Nobody is white, black or pink, and those have always been the colors. My third cousin does ballet and she’s tan, she usually has those black ones. They’re shoes, not second skin.
all i said was pointe shoes dont have to match your skin tone, the outfit as a whole matters. People are so mean, ai can share my thoughts if i want :(
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You think so it must be so? Shut up.
This feels less like racism and more like a stale tradition. Not to mention that shoes can be dyed any color of the rainbow if you choose. Ballet companies in Harlem were doing this in the seventies. Maybe manufacturers have been slow to realize that traditional white or pink are falling out of fashion. It just doesn't seem like a racial intent. Tell me ballet companies have been forbidding dancers from dying their shoes to match their skin tone. Then you got some thing.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
So POC dancers should have to take an extra step (dyeing their shoes) that white dancers don’t need to take? It may have begun as stale tradition but its result is an extra burden on POC.
No, not at all. The earliest I went to a dance store was 2012 with my daughter, and they had slippers and pointe shoes in a huge range of colors, including brown. A whole wall. I’m not entirely certain why this post is proclaiming it a miracle that these shoes exist.
If, you want your shoes to match your skin tone then yes, you need to get them dyed yourself. It's not cost effective for a company to make shoes in every shade under the sun. These are shoes not lipstick or hosiery. Now obviously SOME manufacturers have identified that there is enough demand NOW for shoes to be made in some shade of brown. They probably don't make any in my shade of skin tone. Why??? Because there isn't enough demand!!! NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE RACIST!!
Also, when have you seen a "White" person as white or as pink as their shoes are??
Shoes to match skin tone of brown dancers... Good... But to date I haven't actually met a pink person, so who are those shoes for?
There not to match the person it's to match the outfit and make the shoes standout against the back drops casue the feet are the things most watched when dancing
Then what was the point of the article?
but i dont get it!! Personal preferance aside, pointe shoes are generally pink as the ballerina tutus are pink. And in nutshell ballet originated Italy and evolved to France and Russia, it was initiated by women and display of graceful femininity. So the pointe shoes and the tutu are an outfit. If you wear blue tutu, then light blue pointe shoes. And if brown tutu then light brown pointe shoes. But standard is a soft pink usually. Why the pointe shoes are a soft and lighter color is because footwork is especial to take note of when ballerinas dance. I am trying to explain as best what i mean.
So is a ballerina shoe representing a bare foot? I wasn't aware of that.
I am just thrilled about this and all I can say is About Time!!! But just letting folks know.... Toe shoes come in a bunch of colors. Even in the past, the shoes were often dyed to match the costume. OIP-1-6030...51a950.jpg
But that's a special pair of shoes for a specific role. Generally, toe shoes are supposed to create an optical illusion that the dancer's legs are much longer than natural.
I never thought the white ballerina shoes were supposed to mimic skin colour. They would have been more like a beige colour then.
Look at this person appropriating white culture!!! Nah, I'm just kidding :) I'm happy she found some shoes that suit her and I hope she keeps dancing :)
phew Screenshot...d25491.png
As long as you're just being a jerk in good clean fun, I guess it's OK.
she is appropriating white culture!
mcmp, everybody on earth is bored to tears by racist morons like you. Go away and don't come back.
The purpose of pointe shoes is not to match the skin tone of the dancer. It's nice that there are now easier options for those who wish to do so, however.
actually, the point of pointe shoes is often to match the tights, so that they appear to be an extension of the leg... and the tights are typically skin tone, to make the legs look "nude". So yes, the purpose of pointe shoes often IS to match the skin tone.
I'm surprised to know it is so difficult to get ballerina shoes in any color you want, since basically everything is sold in every color imaginable if you look close enough. Diversity is important, sure, but making it a race problem even in balette now, it's too much becoming a dangerous trend. Next time we see an article about 'Is snow racist?' Will this ever end?
She very clearly explained how it’s an issue with race. Don’t be dramatic.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sounds about white.
Totally off topic- but that last photo, how does she balance? Wouldn't you just tip right over?!
Years and years of hard work and practice.
Well I certainly would!
I don’t know if this is really a big deal... I’ve seen all sorts of ballet shoes, ranging from the traditional pink, to black and white. And these are when I’m not even looking for shoes, just in passing I see them in stores. Also I thought the shoes were just meant to match the outfit, I mean, who has really met a pastel pink person.
Why are they so hard to find? Companies are missing out on a huge market. Dumb. They did the same with "larger" clothing sizes and a lot of other products.
Eyy! That's awesome! I'm happy for her ^^ and everyone else who gets to enjoy things like this finally :)
But but but... it's not like the white shoes match a white person?
It is wrong, that white ballet shoes match the skin tone of ballerinas: No one has paperwhite skin. The bright shoes should stand out against the stage background, that you can easily see the movements of the dancers. Brown shoes are hard to see against darker backdrops. She looks beautiful in those shoes, but you can see from the garden photo that her feet and therefore her movement are hard to see. Especially in the theater, however, the audience in the back row also wants to be able to see the movements of the dancers.
No, the shoes should NOT be more visible, they traditionally should be seen as part of the dancer’s body, so their movements flow elegantly and gracefully.
That’s subjective, and depends entirely on company and performance.
This comment has been deleted.
She is magnificent! I hope she will have a great career, worthy of her talent. The shoes being the right color may seem like a small thing, but pointe shoes are usually intended to elongate the look of the dancer's legs, and the shoes matching her skin tone do the job beautifully.
I have only ever seen the traditional baby pink ballet shoes, and they do not look like anyone's skin tone. Literally, no one. I figured they were just the traditional colour everyone wore... like Karate suits are white, not to match skin, but just tradition. If the ballet shoes are supposed to match skin tone, they need better Caucasian shoes too!
ridiculous. what's wrong with white or pink shoes?
Shoes should be in all sorts of colours, not just to match someone’s skin! 🩰
Goes to show you that pink ballerina shoes for "white" people just means white people are pink, like pigs
This is great but the very last comment is wrong. Ballet didn't come out Russia. Ballet is French.
Ballet came from Italian Baletto and after was adapted for the French court when Catherine from Medicis married Henri II (and i'm French).
Well yes, that is true. But the modern day ballet we see today is French in origin.
https://www.britannica.com/art/ballet
here is the link to an article https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/apr/01/pointe-shoes-black-ballet-ballerinas-dancers............................copy and paste
Well I love that color and want flats that color! I had no idea that in ballet you were supposed to look like you are bare footed. I thought pink was the just the color of ballet shoes. Even now, the color is described as "ballet pink". In my dance class days - mostly took tap and jazz, those shoes were black. And so were my character shoes (that had a heel on them totally inappropriate for an 11 year old but I had to have them). I think its great they come in complexion colors. But as a darker complected caucasian, I never thought the ballet shoes were supposed to match my complexion. Good for her! She is adorable!
Omg the picture with the black tutu was so stunning! I would put that picture as art in my home.
Since I'm only 25% African American, I can pass with tan batter shoes, but come to think of it, I've never seen darker pointe shoes. It's nice to see that people with darker skin can get skin toned shoes now!
Pointe shoes are meant to be an extension of the legs, so why this took so long is an example of the dance companies not being sensitive to the girls/women. of color that want to dance. That why it was so brave of Misty Copeland to break down that barrier.
Some people'd say ballet is for f**s anyway. I don't really care about it but this is kinda bullcrap, if this would have bothered someone that 'needs' them in that colour there are other options too. And there are so many shades of skin colour going from almost pinkish white to almost black dark brown, they need their specific tone too, no?
As a POC we have always taken things in stride because that's the way things have always been. I am very excited that things have started to change. Bandaids use to be made in different shades until they were not. I am glad they are being manufactured once again. Everyone deserves to be able to have their skin tone represented. From clothing such as nude colors in stockings or whatever because that's the color of human beings, we are not one color fits all, thank you.
Reminded me of this 1119276463...a204a9.jpg
It is fairly crazy to think it took so long, it makes you wonder how few non-white ballerinas there were that no one thought to start a business selling them.
I don't understand that. I have seen ballerinas of colour for YEARS with matching dancing shoes. This isn't new.
My daughter is a preteen dancer and ballet is one of her passions. How did I not know that ballet shoes are just now being diversified for people of color? Robinson has such beautiful lines! I love the pictures!
It’s ridiculous that companies took so damn long to make a simple colour change. Should have happened long before now
A beautiful and talented young woman. The pointe shoes are gorgeous and I wish her every success.
So can the white ballerinas wear that too?
Wow I really had no idea that this wasn't already a thing. She is a beautiful young woman and I appreciate her story so much. It's hard to preach diversity and inclusion when any dancer can't get ballet shoes to compliment her skin tone. I really do hope we're coming into a world in which the next generation doesn't experience exclusion by realizing how many things aren't made to compliment them - ex: left handed people have been trying to fit in a right handed world for years.
OMG. Really??
The shoes look so beautiful on her. She is a beautiful woman with beautiful skin and now have beautiful shoes to match. This made me so happy!
I think this is important! We have to remember that all humans share 99.99% of their DNA with each other and skin color (or anything else that makes each person different) is just in that tiny percentage of difference. We're all the same. We're all humans. And we should all be treated as such.
how did u add the tik tok video?
cringe lasers
what?
My father wanted me to try out for ballet since I don't do a sport and I should stay active and do something, but I said no for multiple reasons, the biggest ones being A) I'd more than likely be the only dark-skinned person in the whole class. B) I'm not the most flexible person and would probably be the most behind girl in class. And C) Ballet has never been interesting to me! But I think he was planning on signing me up anyway until COVID and other problems came up.
I can name only two ballet dancers: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Misty Copeland. I’m not saying there are a lot of nonwhite ballet dancers, but Misty may be the most famous American ballet dancer today and she is not white.
Mikhail is white.....
Bwahaha, I've been doing ballet for 5 years, and I'm 25% African- American.
I am so happy for her!
yes, i am too! she looks so happy!
It looks awful, like your feet are deformed. It's much better when you can distinguish the shoes from the rest of the leg.
I'm not crying. You're crying.
I am so pleased to see people expanding their understanding of WHY things such as what "skin tone" is decided to be contributes/has contributed to institutionalized racism that most people are completely unaware of.
don't be an idiot!
You can literally get point shoes in any color , black ,white, blue etc.....
No, not really. It's extremely expensive to dyed. So to get "normal" shoes, its pink. That's it. So for companies now to offer other tones is huge and a good step forward (pun intended)
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Reverse racism! Retarded post
Congratulations on displaying your ignorance in two concise sentences.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Pink ballet shoes do not match the skin tone of white people. We aren't pink. Why do u need brown ballet shoes. Because your a racist pig that wants attention.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
black lives, matter, if you agree, comment if you agree, then put your skin tone, i want to see if whites like me think the same!
I think everyone is equal, no matter what sexuality, race, class and so on and so on. I am a gypsy (I don't know what skin colour that makes me but my skin tone is olive) and have experienced racism from all skin colours. I believe that we must continue to work towards making all people deemed and treated as equal. It is disgusting how people can be discriminated against, bullied and so on just because of their culture or anything else and it needs to end - but we all need to work together for that to happen.
@ Serenity - thank you so much for that! I love my culture and skin tone and am not ashamed in the slightest. I have used the tactic you suggested for mild attacks at my culture but most of the racism I have experienced is pretty serious and mostly from adults (I am only 16 but was even younger during most of it). One of the things that people have done is tamper with the breaks on a vehicle that my father and I often used together. We could have easily been killed if we hadn't noticed and that was their intention: to kill or harm.
omg you dont deserve that, i love the color olive, i bet you look great! if anyone does that to you agian, complament him or her, and tell them you dont care what they think, and do it every time, hopefully, they will lose intrest!
@ Serenity - thank you! Stay safe too.
you are so welcome doggo froggo! stay safe, you dont deserve harm !!!!!!\(UwU)/
im 11 and i hate all of this sort of thing, no one needs this in life, if you are doing this to other people, think how you would feel in there skin tone, you would not like being discriminated would you, no you would not, so dont do it to other people,btw froggo doggo, im not talking to you, you clearly dont discriminated!
A mutt here! I'm a mixture of dozens, possibly more things! South African, French, German, Irish, and Native American (Cherokee tribe) to name a few! And I believe that all lives don't matter unless/until black lives do!
yes! you are so right!
you're an idiot!
(Bp duplicate)