“To be young, gifted, and black.” – Lorraine Hansberry, 1964. 

 I originally started this project with a focus on the Black experience in America. I wholeheartedly imagined my final outcome to be a collection of photos that depicted Black excellence and perseverance through various lenses; however, as the project progressed, I realized something: all of the photos that I created and had a connection to were related to me being a Black dancer, specifically a Black ballet dancer. This project has evolved to showcase what it is like being Black in a field that often does not favor Black people. Black ballerinas are not nonexistent, it’s just that many of their stories are hidden. This book is a collection of photos that emphasize my experience with being a Black ballet dancer and falling out of love with the sport due to comparison and desire for complete perfection. It is my hope that through these images other Black dancers and anyone who dreamt of doing/ being something when they were younger, but fell out of love with it feel, seen.