Gabrielle Salvatto, a Bronx, New York native, is a multidisciplinary performing artist, author, and educator. After training at the School of American Ballet and receiving her BFA from The Juilliard School, she performed across the United States and Europe with The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet West, The Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and The Saarländisches Staatstheater. She has been featured in soloist and principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jiříi Kylián, Marco Goecke, Ulysses Dove, John Cranko, Mauro Bigonzetti, Alvin Ailey, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Gabrielle is a featured dancer on the Starz mini-series Flesh and Bone. She has done freelance work for NYCDance Project, Flatt Magazine, The Victoria Secret Fashion Show, Google Fiber, Pronamel, Calvin Klein, Just Kids from the Bronx, Urban Ballet Theater, and Cirque du Soleil. Her writing is featured in Dance Magazine, Dance Geist Magazine, Interview en L'air, and the Routledge dance anthology "Anti-racism in Ballet Teaching.” Throughout her performance career she has also taught in dance institutions around the globe and carries the principles of inclusion and community building with her across stages and classrooms.
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Gabrielle Salvatto: My first professional job was with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), which was basically started through activism; founded by Arthur Mitchell after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, the company tried to create a space for black artists. A lot of those dancers - or their parents - grew up under Jim Crow era segregation and understood what it meant to be in a place where they didn't belong.
So I feel like the first entry into my career was inherently tied to activism. What I loved about DTH when we went on tour was that we talked to the community and did cultural exchanges. It was really about reaching out as an artist and interacting with different people, which was incredible.
The personal, pivotal moment for me probably started when I went to Ballet West in Utah. There is very little diversity in Utah, and I began to feel isolated. There were these microaggressions here and there, things that just really got under my skin. That’s what made me feel like I needed to do something about it - I needed to make the situation better for myself and for others. Going from a company that was so diverse to the complete opposite was definitely a wake-up call for me.
Gabrielle: Equity and access are a major part of it, for sure. While schools are definitely trying to bridge the gap, there’s still very much a “come to us” mentality, rather than going into community schools and reaching out to find talent. Because there are a lot of people who don’t even know about our major ballet schools. I’m a native New Yorker, I’m from the Bronx, and I wasn’t exposed to that, even though I was part of the dance world. Someone had to bring me into that space. It would be great if these institutions could actively seek talent in diverse communities.
Many of these programs are also very expensive, especially for women. It would be helpful to speak with parents about how much things are going to cost. For example, when my mother found out I had to start wearing pointe shoes, she was shocked. This financial reality can deter parents from being able to support their children, even though they want them to succeed.
There’s also some inherent bias within these institutions that even well-intentioned people may not recognise. In my work with Dancers Amplified, we've engaged with artistic directors as part of a cohort with the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD). Some of these directors, despite saying they wanted change, still express some problematic views. They may welcome us as a resource, but there's often a disconnect in truly listening and making change.
We need more structures of accountability and reporting, as human resources are not always on the side of the dancers - they’re trying to mitigate problems and make sure the company looks good. We’ve had this conversation in front of artistic directors, and they were adamant that dancers need to speak up for themselves and don’t need to go to a third party. However, it’s important to understand that it’s more nuanced and layered than that, and that artistic directors might be part of the problem. It’s so easy for dancers to be let go and replaced, so they naturally fear consequences if they’re labelled a “troublemaker”. There are valid reasons why dancers might hesitate to speak up.
It’s also a problem when directors turn to the one person of colour in the room, asking, “What should we do?” It’s a lot of pressure and very uncomfortable. I’m not a representative of my whole race or my whole community. Change requires a willingness to engage with diverse perspectives and listen to marginalised voices when they offer their insights.
Gabrielle: Exactly. Something I loved about DTH was that we were always doing community shows and free studio showings in the studio. You could invite your actual neighbours from your community to come in to watch dance. We didn’t cater only to those who could afford the ticket prices.
You start to learn that those audiences often dictate what happens in the room. How many times have we had to do The Nutcracker because it’s familiar and they know it’s going to sell? Doing lesser-known repertoire means pushback due to concerns about ticket sales, but I think the onus is on companies and their marketing teams to educate and expand their audience base; change audience perspectives and change what can be brought into the space.
Recognise what true diversity is - one human being is not diversity. Diversity is a multitude of people in a culture reflecting different views.
Gabrielle: I think so. The frustrating thing is that things move very, very slowly. And they're not really looked at from the root of the issue, focusing instead on surface-level solutions, and that delays progress. But I definitely think things are changing.
Gabrielle: That was a huge turning point for me. Firstly, I was in Utah when Trump was elected to president in 2016. I thought, “I probably shouldn't stay here too long”. But it was a good job, a union job, and I was making decent money. I stuck it out, and then four years later, COVID, Black Lives Matter, and the murder of George Floyd all happened. The response to peaceful protests was startling; tensions started to rise once the police showed up, and the National Guard was deployed (right outside my apartment), transforming my whole environment into what felt like a militarised state. This happened in a very short amount of time just because people wanted to speak out, to stand up for other human beings, and be free to exercise their rights.
The convergence of all this with COVID made for a very explosive situation. The company was not really aware of the depth of the situation. They asked us to record ourselves dancing outside on the street to make virtual content, unaware that it was not at all a safe situation for us to do that. The lack of awareness and understanding was upsetting. A few of us wrote to them, saying we weren’t going to participate, which they were receptive to, but they didn’t cancel it. Also, then it was on me - I was the one who wasn’t in the video, I had been excused, but they didn’t understand the message that was sent.
This period was definitely a wake-up call for the dance community. Artists and grassroots activists began to vocalise that there were people in dance companies who felt unsafe and were going to work traumatised. Then institutions had to meet the call to action - I’m not sure the wheels would have turned so fast had these atrocities not been happening. I think that a lot of companies took performative steps like hashtags, which spread awareness but don’t address the root of the problem. Just saying you support something and writing #balletrelevesforblacklives or posting a black square is not helping people stay alive.
Companies did start to meet with groups like Dancers Amplified, which came together during this time. However, we weren’t sure of these companies’ actual intentions - were they genuinely committed to change, or were they afraid of losing funding and of people quitting?
Personally, this period was definitely a turning point. My husband and I felt we had to leave, and were grateful enough to be able to move to Europe.
Gabrielle: I think the multiple structures and the upholding of white supremacy affect all of us. It's not just a racial issue. It's a systemic problem that encompasses binary thinking, sexism, and the dominance of white heterosexual patriarchy. These power structures dictate who should be in positions of authority, who then dictate what the rest of us do.
Consequently, those who suffer from that are black and brown people, women, and individuals who don't conform to traditional norms or fit into easily understood categories, and it’s a huge problem. Research in anti-racism texts shows that black women, particularly black queer women, are among the most victimised people in the world.
As an example, the murder of Breonna Taylor, which occurred around the same time as George Floyd's, received less sustained attention. Her story got some traction but ultimately fell to the wayside, perhaps because of that gender bias, which shows how these different forms of oppression compound.
In the dance world, Clara Superfine's work with Dancers Amplified has been crucial. Clara brought me into Dancers Amplified, and was really trying to lift people up in her community and talk about that intersectionality. There are people with multiple levels of oppression who are suffering in multiple ways - it’s not only a racism issue.
In ballet specifically, marginalisation extends beyond skin colour to include body type and other physical attributes. There are so many things about ballet that demand you look a certain way, and if you don’t, you shouldn’t be here, or you’re an exception. I think the structures of the entire system affect everyone who does not fit into the mould of what people think a ballet dancer should be.
Gabrielle: The short answer is yes, but the long answer is not enough. It’s kind of like museums, in a way: there's a place for historical depictions, but context is crucial in today's environment. If you’re going to do something that is seemingly offensive, you need to explain why you’re performing it. You need to explain the piece's history, its relevance, and the reasons for performing it today.
Audience education is key. Most people don't read program inserts, so they may not understand the historical context of what they're watching. Public service announcements can go a long way. There's still a place for traditional story ballets, because they are so beautiful, albeit problematic and misogynistic. The women always die, they’re always chasing after a man, and a lot of the women in these stories are 14 years old.
I think we can adapt. It’s a chance for choreographers to stop doing the same things and change the choreography, change the story while retaining its intent, and cast people differently. Don’t always make the Asian person do the Chinese dance in The Nutcracker. Don’t assume the brown dancers should be cast in the Arabian dance. Involving dancers in the casting process could help avoid this harmful typecasting. We need to delve deeper into the nuances of the repertoire and challenge these outdated conventions in order for things to really change.
Gabrielle: My gut reaction is no. Obviously dancers in companies have varying skill sets and talents, but the problem with the current hierarchical system is that nobody really understands it. It can be unclear what specific requirements are needed to move to the next level. It lacks transparency. Favouritism obviously plays into it, as do many other unspoken factors, such as how people look, or gender biases. This lack of clarity is frustrating, especially when dancers feel they're meeting some vague unspoken requirements but aren't promoted.
Ultimately, I think these hierarchies can exist if it's clear what each level demands and artists have a way to work towards promotion. But until that becomes more transparent, I don't think it really makes a lot of sense. I also think that your salary should always reflect your level of experience. A corps de ballet member with 20 years in the company shouldn't be paid the same as a newcomer. That being said, there are some undeniably stand-out, star dancers who have worked so hard to achieve that meaningful status or title, and I wouldn’t want to take away from that either.
The statistics on leadership roles show that there’s still a lot of white men in charge of companies. I think that their view trickles down and becomes what's expected in the room.
Gabrielle: In general: do the work. Understand what tokenism means, understand the perspective of your dancers. Recognise what true diversity is - one human being is not diversity. Diversity is a multitude of people in a culture reflecting different views. Step away from performative actions, or doing things that make the company look good without thinking about the wellbeing of your artists.
Consider diversity of representation at the top. There's a platform called Dance Data Project with a lot of great research and data-based insights. The statistics on leadership roles show that there’s still a lot of white men in charge of companies. I think that their view trickles down and becomes what's expected in the room. Diverse leadership and diversity in all positions of management and companies would help. It also shows people in the company that they have people to talk to, relate to, and feel more comfortable with.
Really do the research and understand your inherent bias. Seek out other people with different body types, different skin tones, people off the binary, and make your room reflect the world. Lastly, be aware of stereotypical casting and step away from tokenism. Think more deeply about why you're putting people in certain roles.
Gabrielle: I will again give a shout out to Clara Superfine. She was a dancer at the Dutch National Ballet, and during the Black Lives Matter movement, she got a group of artists together and created Dancers Amplified.
Clara, a white woman from North Carolina, took the initiative with her colleagues to make change, put herself out there, and get strangers together. We aimed to develop a global list of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices for implementation across dance companies worldwide. It was ambitious, but I think this was exactly the kind of action needed at that time.
Regarding specific companies, Pacific Northwest Ballet and New York City Ballet have notably increased their diversity. You can see a wide range of people on stage now. But as I don't personally dance there, I can't really speak to how those artists are treated behind the scenes.
Many companies have made changes such as introducing brown tights and shoes, which is a very easy solution. Many dancers, including myself, have generally had to colour our own costume straps and shoes, which is tedious - why should that burden of responsibility fall to us? So these surface-level changes involving costumes and allowing natural hair in certain pieces have been great at breaking that conventional mould.
Certain organisations have been really making a difference, such as Dancers Connect, Dancers Amplified, Whistle While You Work, OFEN co-arts, Black Dance Changemakers, and the Black Artists in Dance (B.A.I.D) project. I’m also involved with The Bodily Autonomy and Integrity Cohort, where we are working towards a dancers’ guidebook for autonomy to be published in 2025. But I think most of the work is being done through dancers themselves, through grassroots organisations, through dancer cohorts coming together. And companies are certainly trying.
Gabrielle: To be honest, I think I could probably do better at this. The weight of this work is something I feel deeply and often. A friend who started the Black Dance Changemakers organisation once told me that even if we know these changes won't happen in our lifetime, we have to keep trying. I really take that to heart, especially when faced with scepticism about the impact of our efforts.
I think always holding on to that little bit of optimism really helps with self-care. Also, community support: talking to people who are like-minded, meeting with other dancers and sharing stories. That is one of the most important things, especially in dance where it often feels like people are at odds with each other.
Proper rest and being able to take a break sometimes (though I don't really do that) is also a part of it. Sometimes you just need to be a person and not feel guilty about enjoying your own life. We’re people pleasers as dancers and don’t tend to put ourselves first. Beyond activism, these are all things that we should be practising.
Gabrielle: I would encourage people to reach out and connect with others in the dance community. I’ve become great friends with people who were complete strangers to me, just because someone sent me a message and asked me a question. A lot of dancers do want to help other dancers - we're not all putting glass in a shoe or something like that.
Try to get involved in your community and have a life outside dance. Meet people who are not dancers, talk to them, bridge that gap between worlds, and understand what's happening around you in your city. Not being so immersed in one thing all the time also helps with self care.
View yourself as a whole human being rather than being entirely attached to your career, because when you leave it, you can feel completely lost. Find a more holistic approach to your life value in yourself, outside of your art form. That's why I’ve always been writing - I've kept a journal since I was in third grade. That's been such a beautiful outlet for me to process stories, and not holding it in has been wonderful.
Lastly, remember that you're not alone, and get lots and lots of rest.
Top image by David Monson
