PRESS 2019
2019 By Date
“CAN LESSONS LEARNED AT “THE NUTCRACKER” CHANGE THE FACE OF BALLET?”- All Arts, December 24, 2019
“[We’re] really trying to be a resource for the community at large to have the dialog, because from where we stand, if our audiences think that our work is racist or outdated, it really kills the art form,” Chan said. “This will kill ballet if we don’t have this conversation, especially as we’re looking to diversify our audiences, our schools, our boards, our donors. If we want Asian people to participate in this art form, we’ve got to make sure that how we’re representing them is actually respectful.”
“Blackface at the Ballet Highlights a Global Divide on Race” - The New York TImes, December 23, 2019
Awareness of racist stereotypes in ballet productions has been growing among companies in the United States, too. In 2017, the New York City Ballet altered the choreography, costumes and makeup in “The Nutcracker” to remove racial stereotypes about Chinese people. The male dancer in one segment traditionally wore a Fu Manchu-style mustache. Despite these efforts, the ballet world has been insular, Mr. Millepied said, and “not open to looking at some of these issues staring them in the eye.”
Misty Copeland is right: Blackface and Yellowface have no place on ballet stages - Toronto Star, December 21, 2019
In the United States, the global epicentre of “The Nutcracker” industry, New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin and arts administrator and educator Phil Chan are spearheading a movement they call “Final Bow for Yellowface.” It invites anyone in the ballet realm to sign a simple pledge: “I love ballet as an art form, and acknowledge that to achieve a diversity amongst our artists, audiences, donors, students, volunteers and staff, I am committed to eliminating outdated and offensive stereotypes of Asians (Yellowface) on our stages.” In response, but also of their own volition and in several cases preceding the Yellowface initiative, ballet company directors have been revisiting their “Nutcracker” productions in an attempt to purge any taint of racial stereotyping.
Celebration Or Appropriation: Ballet West Works To Bring Chinese Tea Dance Into 21st Century, KUER NPR Utah, December 20, 2019
There was one man who sort of shuffled around the stage, and then he would do some spectacular leaps. He had a long braid and a sort of long mustache — sort of Fu Manchu style. Then there were four women with parasols who spun their parasols and bobbed their heads from side to side. Looking at it, I thought, ‘This is not going to work,’ as we look into presenting this now for our 21st century audiences.
“BWW Dance: Rebuke to Blackface, Orientalism, and Racist Equivocation in The Guardian” - Broadway World, December 20, 2019
What shocks me about this travesty is that Maillot was offered the platform to present his inanity while--in yet another sign of erasure--no Black or Brown people were interviewed at all. The focus of WInship's article was on artistic directors, so why didn't she contact Virginia Johnson of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Karen Brown--the first Black woman in history to direct a ballet company--or Maurice Brandon Curry of Eglevsky Ballet? While I appreciate Kevin O'Hare's thoughtful statements, he is not Black, nor is he able to adequately speak to the damage that blackface inflicts upon people who look like me.
“Classical Opera Has a Racism Problem” - The New York Times, December 19, 2019
The Orientalist stereotyping in “Turandot,” for instance, seeps into the music itself. The only way to get rid of it would be to rewrite the opera entirely, a revision that would destroy the classical canon. So how do we bring opera into the 21st century? How do we preserve the beauty of Puccini’s music, the likes of which will never be composed again, while also recognizing that it taints how we perceive Chinese women like me?
“It's derriere you! A French critic gives her take on three madcap pantos” - The Guardian, December 18, 2019
The Final Bow for Yellowface campaign currently gathering steam in the dance world may want to look at pantomimes, too: not to spoil the fun, but the Chinese caricatures that populate Aladdin are way past their sell-by date.
“EPISODE 2: TOM AND TY TALK...BLACK IS THE NEW PINK, WITH CASSA PANCHO” - Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Podcast @TOMANDTYTALK - December 16, 2019
How can dance, and ballet in particular, be more diverse? This is a big question! To help us better understand this issue we sat down with Cassa Pancho OBE, Artistic Director of Ballet Black. Throughout the episode we discuss where ballet has been. Where it is now and where it needs to go to become a truly diverse and inclusive art form.
“I Am a Black Dancer Who Was Dressed Up in Blackface to Perform in La Bayadère” - Dance Magazine, December 12, 2019
Even without the black and brown face in La Bayadère, the setting, the characters, their Indian "inspired" garb and much of the music and movement are prime examples of orientalism. So many classic works of art, literature and performance are tainted by the attitudes of the era in which they were born—dance is particularly evocative as it is real time reenactment. So do we kiss the off color ballets goodbye—including America's favorite, The Nutcracker? Or do we just modernize them, as many have already begun to do?
“‘The Nutcracker’ needs an update” - The Massachusetts Daily, December 12, 2019
These dances are caricatures of our understanding of Eastern cultures. They are shadows of the Eurocentric imperialism that still haunts ballet today. The costuming and choreography have little to do with the cultures the dancers are supposed to represent. It’s blatantly offensive. Yet, ballet companies continue to stage these dances, and audiences continue to eat them up.
“A Fresh Cup of Tea: What the Nutcracker Can Teach us about inclusion” - Profiles in Diversity Journal, December 10, 2019
The greater longevity and relevance of the works from the Western canon depend on their ability to touch audiences around universal human truths. As a result, the arts are a unique platform to build empathy for “the other” at a time when we need it most in our society; presenting outdated representations of race goes against that critical work. When arts organizations stop reviving caricature and instead offer up complex characterizations, audiences can be guided to see and appreciate the nuance in the different people around us.
“The Australian Ballet's Nutcracker tones down the yellowface – and it's a relief” - The Guardian Australia, December 3, 2019
On the opening night of The Nutcracker, the Sydney Opera House was braced for controversy. The classical ballet is a mainstay of Christmas — a wistful, wintry escape from the Australian summer. But every time it returns, the show is accompanied by an escalating debate about how – or whether – to approach yellowface in performance.
“Taking on Yellowface in Classic Choreography at the 92nd Street Y with Phil Chan and Georgina Pazcoguin” - The Dance Enthusiast, November 26, 2019
Mark Twain once said, “The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.” Although Twain probably didn’t see much ballet in his lifetime, his words aptly describe an art form that is almost slavish in its devotion to a vaunted past. How else to explain the racist clichés that parade across stages around the world well into the 21st century? …During their Fridays at Noon lec/dem at the 92nd Street Y, they unpacked their goals and led a nuanced conversation about race in ballet. “Hopefully, we can give you guys a framework to think about any race in any ballet,” Chan said.
PNB’s efforts to tone down stereotypes in ‘The Nutcracker’ show how dance evolves - the Seattle Times, November 23, 2019
Chan, in a telephone interview, praised Boal’s actions as “artistically responsible.” PNB’s new “Nutcracker,” he said, came shortly after a 2014 controversy over a production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Mikado” that rocked the Seattle arts community, and it was essential that Boal and the company not make a misstep. Of all the cities where major professional “Nutcracker” productions are staged, Chan said, Seattle has one of the largest Asian populations. “The only way PNB is going to survive is with Asian board members and students and ticket-holders. They can’t get this wrong.” (PNB does, in fact, have several Asian board members, as well as Asian students and ticket-holders.)
Blackface and Fu Manchu moustaches: does ballet have a race problem? - The Guardian, November 2o, 2019
Do you drop problematic ballets from the repertoire, tweak them around the edges, or keep them on show for archive value? Ballets are not objects like paintings or books, so they can’t be reflected on at arm’s length. To keep them alive, they have to be re-embodied with those stereotypes acted out all over again.
100 Dancers Take the Stage in Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's The Nutcracker - The Soraya Blog, November 19, 2019
Former dancer Phil Chan, co-founder of “Final Bow for Yellowface,” a social-media movement, is encouraging dance companies to rework the Chinese variation in particular. “One way to do inclusion is to invite traditional performers from that culture, pay artists from that culture, and have it represented in an authentic way,” Chan wrote in an email. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet anticipated this idea more than two decades ago. The company has long hired authentic folkloric dancers for the Chinese, Russian and Spanish divertissements.
“Ballet West: Balanchine's Ballets Russes” - LoveDANCEmore, November 2, 2019
It was wonderful to see Ballet West show up for this challenging, complex, and necessary conversation. It is also of utmost importance to note that Ballet West is responding to a pressure and cultural shift in the landscape that has been ongoing for some time now. The momentum begun and directed by dancers of color like Chan and his partner at Final Bow for Yellow Face, the New York City Ballet dancer Georgina Pazcoguin, may be attributed to the force now pushing companies across the country to expel outdated, harmful, or appropriative choreography in recent years…It is incredible and exciting to see a company like Ballet West digging into and committing itself to a journey down this road…This willingness to adapt without preciousness and engage audiences and communities in meaningful conversation will be a vital new way for Ballet West to stoke fresh interest, provide leadership in the arts, and keep its legacy alive and vibrant.
“Ballet West provides context and spectacle with ‘Balanchine’s Ballets Russes‘“ - Utah Arts Review, November 2, 2019
In its totality “Balanchine’s Ballets Russes” is a testament to the power of collaboration, something that distinguished the Ballets Russes company itself. The dialogue generated by Sklute with Chan and others, and then shared through these performances, essays, and panels, shows that ballet history can be illuminating and instructive. The season opener is a glimpse into the past that teaches us about the power of the arts to communicate and uplift.
“No more ‘outdated caricatures’: KC Ballet will alter Chinese dance in ‘Nutcracker’” - The Kansas City Star, November 1, 2019
“Unfortunately, things continue and propagate themselves for generations after generations,” [Carney] told The Star on Friday. “We all continue on the same path without questioning its origins. That’s what’s so wonderful now, when we as a society question norms. Is this right? Does this accurately and respectfully represent an individual of that cultural background?”
“Kansas City Ballet Announces Company's Intention to Commit to Culturally Appropriate Representations in The Nutcracker” - Broadway World, November 1, 2019
Devon Carney, Artistic Director of Kansas City Ballet, today announced the Company's continued intention to commit to more culturally appropriate representations of Asians in presentations of The Nutcracker. Most notably, the artistic representations as seen through the Chinese Tea variation will continue to evolve away from stereotypes and outdated caricatures.
“Kansas City Ballet Says It Will Phase Out Racist Stereotypes In 'The Nutcracker'“ - KCUR 89.3, November 1, 2019
"I was surprised to see the choreography and costumes were still perpetuating stereotypes (no longer could you blame decades-old choreography)," she wrote. "We hadn't been back to the Nutracker since (though we did attend other dances) and know some community members who chose not to support it because of that section."
“Woman starts petition to eliminate ‘yellowface’ from Kansas City Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’” - FOX 4 WDAF Kansas City, November 1, 2019
The Kansas City Ballet is busy as they prepare for their upcoming production of “The Nutcracker.” The lavish production is a holiday tradition, dating back decades. But now, one Kansas City woman is challenging the ballet company to make "The Nutcracker" more culturally appropriate.“I think the Kansas City Ballet has an incredible reputation in the community," local arts advocate Kerri Voyles said. "And I know there is a national conversation happening about Asian Americans in the Nutcracker, and I thought it was important to raise this in the community on a local level, as well."
“Theater review: Ballet West’s racially updated Balanchine piece is a feast for the senses” - Deseret News, October 29, 2019
A Chinese-themed tale written by a Danish author, turned into a French ballet by a Russian dancer. It could have been a cultural misappropriation nightmare. But Ballet West’s decision to revamp the controversial work “Le Chant du Rossignol,” which the company premiered over the weekend, was met with applause Friday night — and likely a sigh of relief from the artistic staff.
“Ballet West season opener celebrates Balanchine” - THe Utah Review, October 29, 2019
During the rehearsal period, Ballet West proactively invited leaders from the Asian American community to join a rehearsal and begin a dialogue about what changes were needed in order to ensure that everyone could enjoy the work without the distraction of caricature. Sklute and Ballet West took it upon the company to address how an arts organization honors and respects historical performing art—without perpetuating caricatured racial stereotypes—while still remaining true to the original choreography reconstructed by art and dance historians Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer.
“Local News Hour” - KPCW NPR - October 24, 2019
On today’s program, Summit County Council Member Glenn Wright has a recap of yesterday’s meeting. Snyderville Basin Planning Commission Chairwoman Malena Stevens has an update on Tuesday’s meeting. Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute discusses the opening of the ballet Song of the Nightingale and confronting the issues of racial stereotyping in a 94-year-old ballet and Park City Institute Director Teri Orr and Board Member Rachel Alday announce the upcoming Main Stage season, as well as news this is Orr’s final season with the Institute.
“A Fresh Cup of Tea: How to Make Nutcracker More Inclusive” - Dance Magazine, October 21, 2019
Since our Yellowface pledge went public last year, we've received hundreds of letters from Asian-American students, parents, teachers, and both professional and retired dancers talking about how caricatured "Chinese" dances in The Nutcracker have always bothered them. The most common question we've received is, How do we start this dialogue at our own studio/company to make our Nutcracker more inclusive?
“‘For Chinese Americans, it looks like an ugly stereotype’: Utah’s Ballet West gives Chinese-themed ballet a politically correct makeover” - Deseret News, October 21, 2019
Whether to perform the lost work reaches at a fundamental question asked by all who revive aging works of live art, whether by Balanchine, Rodgers and Hammerstein or Shakespeare: Is this piece an artifact? Or is it a living, breathing piece of art open to adjustment?
“Max Chang: How producers do, and don’t, move beyond ethnic stereotypes” - Salt Lake Tribune, October 19, 2019
‘Miss Saigon’ is a modern counterpart of Puccini’s ‘Madam Butterfly’ set in Saigon, Vietnam, instead of Nagasaki, Japan. Ballet West is performing three of master choreographer George Balanchine’s important early works, including ‘Le Chant du Rossignol’ (‘The Song of the Nightingale’). These two performances illustrate the opposite directions the performing arts are taking in respect to race and culture.
“Ballet West chose to perform a classic 1925 ballet, then faced another decision: Do racist elements stay or go?” - Salt Lake Tribune, October 18, 2019
Ballet West chose “Le Chant,” along with two other early works Balanchine created for the Ballet Russe, to open its 2019-20 season this month. That meant it faced another decision: Should dancers portraying Chinese characters perform movements from the original that reflect racist stereotypes — such as shuffling their feet and bobbing their heads?
“A Song for Today: Reviving Balanchine’s ‘Le Chant du Rossignol’” - Ballet West’s Front Row Magazine, 2019 Volume 3
With sets and costumes by Henri Matisse, Le Chant du Rossignol has all of the components to be a true classic dance work spectacle. However, as a historic work from 1925, what was then thought of as an “exotic” and stylized portrayal of Chinese people, now in 2019, had the potential to look racially dated or caricatured. The question for Ballet West was — how to revive the work with historical integrity without perpetuating offensive stereotypes of Chinese people?
“THE NUTCRACKER (THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET)” - Limelight Magazine, September 20, 2019
While not every ballet needs to push the artform forward, it certainly shouldn’t be dragging it backwards. Wright’s version of the “Tea” divertissement in Act II continues to present racialised stereotypes of Chinese characters, complete with Fu Manchu moustaches, upward pointing index fingers and fast shuffling runs. The characters are cartoonish and one-dimensional, and seemingly the only obvious “joke” in the whole ballet.
“A Tough Nut to Crack” - Carleton Voice, Summer 2019
Looking back on Final Bow’s evolution, Chan observes that he and Pazcoguin initially felt powerless to invoke change on a wide scale, but were determined to try. ‘This was our way of saying, okay, we can’t change a lot of the horrible things that are happening in the world, but what can we change in our corner? What’s one small thing we can make better in our neighborhood? This was it.
“Throw Out the Bathwater and Keep the Baby: How to Stage Racially Problematic Works from the Western Canon” - Americans for the Arts Blog, August 20, 2019
But what about the dance heritage that is contained in the ballet itself? Is it possible to separate the artistic merit of Petipa’s choreography from the outdated representation of Arab culture? When encountering problematic portrayals of race in the classical Western canon, how do we not throw the baby out with the bathwater?
“It’s Time to End Yellowface in the Performing Arts” - CutCommon Magazine, August 19, 2019
Some people have expressed their concern that this movement is changing the original intention of an artist. However, in an era of increased political correctness, my fear is that works with strong artistic merit but don’t fit the social norms of the times will be thrown out. I believe there should be a way to preserve and present works of art in a way that is respectful to all humanity, and that speak to universal human truths. When we can make a work reflect that, it then becomes a work of art for everyone.
Opera's racism and sexism is built in to the classics - Stuff.co.nz - July 10, 2019
The US-based organisation Final Bow for Yellow Face actively lobbies companies to "replace caricature with character" in productions across ballet, opera, and theatre. These goals are difficult to achieve, particularly when traditional productions of works like Madama Butterfly and Turandot regularly pack in audiences worldwide.
“Opera is Stuck in a Racist, Sexist Past, While Many in the Audience Have Moved on” - The Conversation, July 9, 2019
More generally, arts organisations are facing broader calls to diversify their casts and creative teams. The US-based organisation Final Bow for Yellow Face actively lobbies companies to ‘replace caricature with character’ in productions across ballet, opera, and theatre. These goals are difficult to achieve, particularly when traditional productions of works like Madama Butterfly and Turandot regularly pack in audiences worldwide. As audiences continue to evolve, however, the opera industry will soon need to grapple with larger questions about which works still belong in the ‘canon’.
“25 Asian American & Pacific Islander Dancers to Follow” - A Ballet Education, May 3, 2019
A former grad school professor from the University of Minnesota recently was quoted for the organization and I thought to myself, ‘Why I haven’t I signed?’ I thought, ‘I am already a huge advocate of Asians in the Arts, so that is good enough. I don’t think we should have special treatment for being Asian. I definitely believe that talent matters and that this whole affirmative action in ballet is diluting the talent pool.’ I then thought, ‘But, I don’t want ballets that portray Asian stories to go away. I don’t mind watching the Ballet version of Madame Butterfly danced by a white woman. Is it that offensive that she drew her eyeliner on heavy and powdered her face?
“Yee: Performing arts must stop excluding marginalized communities” - Ottawa Citizen, January 27, 2019
Change in the ballet world means that new choreography and roles need to be created, and sets and costumes have to be purchased. But if the ballet world wants to commit to evolving and representing people well on stage (or if it just wants to prevent the art form from dying), it will make those changes.
“Under City Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ Tree, Dancers Find New Roles,” - The New York Times December 26, 2017
Connoisseurs of the Balanchine “Nutcracker” should notice a couple of changes that have been made this season. The most discussed has been to reduce the element of racial caricature in Chinese Tea: The male dancer now wears a modified hat and makeup, and neither points his index fingers upward or does rapid little runs. How to represent national or ethnic types within the framework of Tchaikovsky’s score? This is a challenge I hope the company will continue to consider.