The holiday classic “The Nutcracker” has been performed by the New York City Ballet for more than 50 years. But this year, the timeless production actually features something new.
Charlotte Nebres, 11, is the first black dancer to win the coveted role of Marie, the young heroine of “The Nutcracker.” And Nebres’ story is just one example of the changing face of the world of classical dance, reports CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano.
The famed School of American Ballet, whose students star in an annual presentation of “The Nutcracker,” was founded by world-renowned choreographer George Balanchine in 1934 as a place to nurture young talent who could then move on to the elite stage of the New York City Ballet. But for dancers of color, getting there often meant encountering invisible barriers.
“When you are a minority in any environment, there is an added struggle,” said Aesha Ash, who attended the school in the 1990s and performed with the New York City Ballet for more than seven years.
Ash said it was sometimes the small things, like not having proper hair products or stage makeup that was in her skin tone, that sent a message about whether she truly belonged.
“I remember the girls I got in with were given many different palettes and things to choose from. And I sort of got a lipstick and that […]