Solange Knowles is the first Black woman to compose a score for the New York City Ballet

Photo: The Root

This week the New York City Ballet announced that it has commissioned Solange Knowles to compose her first ballet score for the Fall Fashion Gala taking place in September. The R&B trailblazer will become the first Black woman to compose a score for the world famous ballet institution. The score will be composed for a chamber ensemble that will accompany an untitled piece of choreography by Gianna Reisen.

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Founded in 1948, the New York City Ballet has faced rightful criticism over the years for being slow to evolve and integrate real change. The modern day ballet scene is similarly not known for being welcoming to Black dancers and audiences alike. It was only recently in 2015, that Misty Copeland became the first Black principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre, and some of ballet’s most prominent dancers are still forced to wear pointe shoes and ballet tights that don’t match their skin tone.

But the New York City Ballet’s decision to work with Knowles is yielding much-needed positive results. The Seat at the Table artist has already begun to bring new audiences to the ballet with many of her fans purchasing tickets for the first time. Knowles has a history of successfully marrying music with dance and performance art, developing her own pieces and bringing them to audiences in places like the Guggenheim and Getty museums, as well as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. With this demonstrated ability to seamlessly merge pop and dance culture, she is a natural fit for this assignment and continues to cement her legacy, breaking barriers and opening doors for artists of color.  

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