Classical Ballet began during the Renaissance in Italy around the 1500s, which developed from courtship dances performed for the Kings and Queens of Europe. Believe it or not, men were the predominant gender to perform ballet.

France and Russia took to Ballet and developed their own style of movement for which the world is familiar with today, and expanded globally. Women were able to perform ballet around the late 1600s, and is now seen as the dominant gender in ballet.

Did you know that by 1850 dancing en pointe became popular for women and reserved for women only? Pointe shoes were consisted to be ballet shoes with a flat surface on the top to perform. Soft slippers are permitted for dancers to perform ballet if they are training for pointe or for male dancers.

Nowadays, there are two styles of Ballet: Classical (traditional, formal training of technique - image on the left side) and Contemporary (mixed elements of modern and classical ballet- image on the far right side).

By the 20th century, the United States adopts classical ballet, however, it did adopt the racial turmoil and prejudice against minorities who wanted to pursue a dance career in ballet. Perhaps because so much of the early form of Ballet was devoted to portraying the European idealist outlook and history, the assumption was often made that non-white dancers could not understand or embody something presumed alien to them which is not true. Arthur Mitchell will become one of the first African-American performers to succeed in classical ballet.  

Arthur Mitchell was born on March 27, 1934 in Harlem, New York to Arthur Mitchell, Sr. and Willie Hearns Mitchell, and is one of five siblings. Growing up in Harlem, he had many jobs since he was twelve to help support his family: shoe-shining, mopping floors, delivering newspapers, and working in a meat shop. Despite his responsibilities, he always love to dance and wanted to improve his craft.

Arthur's mother enrolled him in tap dance classes at the Police Athletic League in Harlem. Arthur's guidance counselor encouraged him to audition for the High School of Performing Arts, where he was encouraged to pursue ballet. Once he was accepted, Arthur made the decision to pursue a career in classical ballet. After graduating from high school in 1952, Arthur received scholarships to attend the Dunham School of Modern Dance and the School of American Ballet.

Arthur was working on Broadway as a performer and joined a dance company in Europe before Lincoln Kirstein, general director of the New York City Ballet (NYCB), invited him to join NYCB’s corps de ballet. Arthur Mitchell became the first African American permanent member of a major American ballet company in 1955, and he became the first black male principal dancer with the New York City Ballet with the help of ballet choreographer, George Balanchine. Arthur stayed with the New York City Ballet until 1969. 

Even when Arthur was succeeding in his career as a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, he was still treated differently because of his race. Arthur decided to try to make a difference in his community by teaching ballet classes in his native Harlem. At the height of the civil rights movement, he wanted to create a haven for dancers of all colors who craved training, performance experience and an opportunity to excel in the classical ballet world.

Arthur Mitchell, with mentor and friend Karel Shook, co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969, the first black classical ballet company, which debuted at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1971. The company would grow to have a lasting impact on the American ballet scene and become a beacon for black dancers worldwide. It was a pioneer in the dance world, integrating stages and spreading the art of ballet through massive outreach programs at home and abroad.