Theresa Ruth Howard – Founder of MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet): “The people make up the art form” (StageLync Podcast Ep.66)
A former ballet dancer turned journalist, scholar, and organizational consultant, Theresa Ruth Howard is the founder of MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet) and has been recognized by The New York Times as a “force for change” in the dance world.
Her visionary work in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (IDEA) has catalyzed institutional change across the industry, advancing cultural reform in ballet and increasing representation. As President of From Here to Diversity, Inc., she has worked as an organizational consultant with companies including Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada. Since curating Reframing the Narrative at the Kennedy Center in 2022, she has continued her curatorial work there with Pathways to Performance (2024), the choreographic initiative she developed to platform Black choreographers. Her latest initiative, The Oasis Dance Journal: A Home for Conscious Critique and Ethical Commentary, addresses the critical need for culturally competent writing in the dance ecosystem. Merging artistry and advocacy, Howard continues to reshape the cultural landscape of ballet, fostering systemic accountability and inclusive dialogue across the field.
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Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Host: Anna Robb
Editor: Rose Anne Fermocil
Music: Jeremy Willi
Design: Em Holt
Production Coordinator: Roselle Bernardo
Producers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
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