
The Colour Barre
'Dancers are the athletes of God’ Albert Einstein
Ballet is seen as the pinnacle of the dance world, but what happens when your entry to this world is blocked because of the colour of your skin? Hear the stories of the black British ballet pioneers, from those denied work in the UK to those who finally smashed the UK's colour bar. Featuring Darren Panton, Julie Felix, Carlos Acosta, and more!
Project
The Colour Barre
The history
Black dancers have been present in British ballet from at least the 1940s onwards when two Jamaicans formed Les Ballets Nègres in 1946. However, the presence and contribution of these pioneers has been largely ignored in Britain.
When black British dancers started to train in mainstream ballet institutions in the 1970s, they were bluntly told that they would not be hired because they were black. Almost everyone who trained during this period was forced to seek work abroad, usually at Dance Theatre of Harlem. It was not until the mid-80s that black dancers began to find success in British ballet.

The story
Featuring exclusive interviews with Carlos Acosta, Julie Felix MBE, Darren Panton, and others who either trained or worked in the last century. Want to find out who was held up at gunpoint in NYC? Who became friends with Princess Diana? Who met Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg? We gotcha!
This is their chance to tell their stories, shining a light on their triumphs and their struggles that reach far beyond the world of ballet. These are our black British heroes, the pioneers who, in the face of racism and rejection, fought to keep their dreams alive.

Why we need your help
This film has been largely self financed, with the team capturing the interviews with dancers, and the dancers generously donating their time. We now need your help to bring their stories to a wider audience.
Your support will allow us to remaster the film so that it can be broadcast in cinemas and on television, and help us promote the film to distributors and audiences around the world.

Watch our event with Royal Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem!
Presented before a live audience in London and in New York City, this special programme highlighted the little-known but extensive history of black dancers in ballet in the UK and US, and featured Brenda Garratt-Glassman, Julie Felix MBE and Shevelle Dynott from the Black British Ballet project.
The event is now available to watch on The Royal Opera House's YouTube channel.