As someone who once moonlighted in the world of professional ballet, trust me, it's a brutal business. You have to be great in order to get into any ballet company, let alone the New York City Ballet -- simply being "good" or even "very good" doesn't cut it. Greatness is a minimal job requirement.
And imagine being a black ballet dancer in what is one of the most lily white of artistic endeavours? And imagine entering that world as a black man more than sixty years ago?
Arthur Mitchell did it.
A kid from Harlem born in 1934, Arthur's talent for dance brought him downtown to the High School for the Performing Arts and eventually the School of American Ballet -- and then, finally, to the New York City Ballet in 1958. He rose to become a principal dancer in 1962 -- meaning his talent was great on top of great. At least that's what his boss, the legendary George Balanchine, thought.
Later in life, Arthur Mitchell founded the Dance Theater of Harlem and was a cultural ambassador. Not only was he a great dancer but he was also an entreprenaur and a teacher. He died yesterday at the age of 84.
Mitchel was a legend, a trailblazer, a barrier breaker, often called the "Jackie Robinson of ballet". He made his profession and city a better place.
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