Letter from the Editor

FROM THE EDITOR

En avant, marche.

Pink tule, ethereal aesthetics, femininity and grace. These forward-facing attributes of the ballet world lead many to assume it to be a female dominated realm. But like nearly every other profession, it has long been male-dominated – with leadership roles largely maintained by a sort of boys club. In fact, the ballet world, with its proclivity for tradition and patriarchal origins, is one which has been particularly slow-moving in the march toward equity and inclusion.

Yet, however slow the march, we are beginning to see signs of change. Over the years, we have seen the rise of some brilliant female choreographers and a tendency for women in the business to lift other women up. For instance, Smuin Ballet (whose founder was a man but which is now headed by a team of women), brought a wonderful performance featuring only women choreographers to the stage as one of their first live shows since pandemic lock-downs. We are seeing greater strength, versatility, and depth in the female roles imagined by these choreographers. San Francisco Ballet, the United States’ oldest ballet company, recently announced its new director would be a woman, Tamara Rojo – the first woman to lead the company in its history. Having been in the ballet world for most of my life, this is encouraging to see.

So, here’s to the small steps that march us forward – those that make history, and those that merely delight an audience for an afternoon. Happy Women’s History Month. En avant, marche (forward, march).

Genevieve