Despite a lack of representation, women of color have long blazed trails in the world of ballet.
Janet Collins and Maria Tallchief became the first Black and Native American prima ballerinas, respectively, in the mid-20th century.
Decades later in 2015, Misty Copeland became the first Black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater.
Dancer Steena Hernandez started ballet in West Texas when she was just three years old and was often one of the few Latina dancers in her classes.
Inspired by her own experiences as a dancer of color, Hernandez wrote her debut children’s book, Lupita’s Brown Ballet Slippers.
The book centers on a young girl who begins pancaking her ballet slippers — a practice where dancers color their shoes with makeup to match their deeper skin tones.
“In ballet, specifically, everything is about long, elongated lines — and we work so hard for that,” she said. “The traditional pink ballet slipper would be coated with (foundation) … so that you have that full, elongated line.”
Hernandez said incorporating her own experiences as a dancer in a children’s book highlights the importance of diversity in dance and beyond.
“Picture books really are for everyone, not just children,” she said. “They carry big themes and big ideas that are for everyone.”
