Rising Ballet Star Precious Adams Pushes Racial Boundaries With Rigorous Talent + Eloquence

Rising Ballet Star Precious Adams Pushes Racial Boundaries With Rigorous Talent + Eloquence

NOWNESS introduces us to English National Ballet rising star Precious Adams, appearing in a short film by Irish director Leonn Ward. Her film affords the Canton, Michigan-born Adams the visual and audio platform for a “youthful take on the rule-bound etiquette of ballet.”

"When Nowness and the English National Ballet approached me asking if I would like to create a film with Precious Adams, one of the few black rising stars in the world of ballet, I was honoured," explains Ward. "I wanted to create a piece of work that pushes beyond the traditional limitations of ballet. I loved that Precious was a tap dancer before she went onto ballet, so I really wanted to incorporate that into the film and sound. I wanted the film to feel real and honest and reveal Precious in her truest form."

Fredrik Lerneryd Captures Beauty & Ballet Magic Of Mike Wamaya's Kibera Dance School

Fredrik Lerneryd Captures Beauty & Ballet Magic Of Mike Wamaya's Kibera Dance School

"The sun rose in Kibera this morning, and it rose in my world, too, with my rapture over these Fredrik Lerneryd images of ballet dancers in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi. They are my best Christmas gift.

Anne of Carversville has a long psychological, emotional and now functional relationship with Kibera. Initially, my lovefest with the largest slum in Africa was triggered by JR's famous 'Women Are Heroes' project, with Kibera being one of the four slums featured in his everyday examination of the beauty and heroic female efforts worldwide. Over time I pieced together collection of intimate and deeply personal connections to Kibera through my muse Dan Eldon.  The functional dimension of AOC's connection to Kibera is GLAMTRIBALE's support of The Kibera School for Girls, with 5% of revenues. Another 5% is earmarked for elephant conservation.

The dancers photographed by Fredrik Lerneryd learn dance through a program run by UK-based charity Anno's Africa, which provides alternative arts education to over 800 children in Kenya. "

American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland Returns To Cuba As Cultural Ambassador

“It’s a great honor to be here,” Misty Copeland, the first Afro-American ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), said in the venue of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC). Copeland joined a group of U.S. personalities of culture, sports and the performing arts for a mid-November 2016 arrival in Cuba, after the renewal of diplomatic relations between both nations.

Misty Copeland is not the first figure of the ABT to come to the island, where cultural exchanges have been permitted for years. She was preceded by Cynthia Gregory, Ted Kivitt, Eleonor D’Antuono, Cynthia Harvey and other dancers. On Cuba reports on the decades long collaboration between American Ballet Theatre and the National Ballet of Cuba.

Misty Copeland Covers Self December 2017

Misty Copeland Is 'Misty On Pointe' As Self Magazine Prepares To Close Its Print Publication AOC Body

Misty Copeland Is 'Misty On Pointe' in Self Magazine's December issue. Self's February 2017 issue represents the last print issue of the women's health, wellness and fitness publication. With the exception of special issues devoted to core topics important to readers, Self will move to a strictly digital platform, facing the reality that its print advertising pages were down 32% through October.

Related: Misty Copeland Is Promoted to Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre in AOC Women In-Depth -- includes 60 Minutes Interview and multiple Copeland articles.

Read Misty Copeland's interview with Self.

AOC in Cuba