Raven Wilkinson

Anne Raven Wilkinson (February 2, 1935 – December 17, 2018) was an American dancer who is credited with having been the first African-American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company. Wilkinson broke the color barrier in 1955 when she signed a contract to dance full-time with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She was promoted to soloist during her second season with the troupe, and remained with the company for six years. Wilkinson later became a mentor to American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland.

Early life and training Anne Raven Wilkinson was born in New York City on February 2, 1935, to Anne James Wilkinson and Dr. Frost Birnie Wilkinson, a doctor. She had a brother 2 years younger, Frost Bernie Wilkinson Jr. The family lived in a middle-class neighborhood in Harlem. She was baptized in the Episcopal faith and her family adhered to the Anglo-Catholic tradition. They attended services at Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the Church of the Transfiguration. Wilkinson's father's office at 152nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue was located across the street from the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Wilkinson became a ballet fan at a young age, after seeing Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo perform Coppelia. Her mother, who had studied ballet in Chicago, took young Raven to the School of American Ballet for lessons. But they said they could not accept her until she was nine, so she initially trained in the Dalcroze method. According to Wilkinson, "It was basically eurhythmics and was all about music and tempi and meters." For her ninth birthday, an uncle made her the gift of ballet lessons at the Swoboda School, later known as the Ballet Russe School.

Sergei Denham, director of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, bought the Swoboda School in 1951, giving Wilkinson an opportunity to audition for the troupe. Even though she was light-skinned, acceptance into a ballet company was unlikely because of her race. Fellow ballet students also advised her not to seek a position. But, in 1954, Wilkinson auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She was rejected. On a second attempt, she was rejected once again. On her third try, in 1955, Denham informed her that she had been accepted on a six-week trial basis.

Career Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Wilkinson advanced to the position of soloist in her second season with Ballet Russe and remained with the group for six years. She performed with the company across the U.S., routinely dancing the waltz solo in Les Sylphides. Her repertoire also included roles in Ballet Imperial, Le Beau Danube, Capriccio Espagnol, Gaîté Parisienne, Giselle, Graduation Ball, Harlequinade, Swan Lake, and Variations Classiques.

As word of Wilkinson's racial identity spread, discrimination became increasingly problematic in both her personal and professional life. Denham forbade her from dancing in certain locations and sent her ahead to safer cities on the tour. Ultimately, one of the company's ballet mistresses told her she would not go any further in her ballet career and should leave to start a school of African dance. Exhausted by years of discrimination, as well as the belief that the financially stressed troupe had become old-fashioned, Wilkinson left the company in 1961. In 1974, at the age of 38, a homesick Wilkinson retired and returned to the U.S. She also played Bloody Mary's assistant in a Broadway revival of South Pacific in 1987.

Later life and death Misty Copeland, the first African American to gain principal dancer status at the American Ballet Theatre, has called Wilkinson a mentor. The narrative tells of a young dancer who, with Copeland's help, finds self-confidence and success.

Wilkinson presented the 2014 Dance Magazine Award to Copeland in December of that year. In June 2015, Wilkinson received the 2015 Dance/USA Trustee Award from presenter Misty Copeland.

Wilkinson's biography is included in Black Ballerina, a full-length documentary. The film tells the story of three black ballerinas from the past: Wilkinson, Delores Brown and Joan Myers Brown and contrasts their experiences with those of three young black dancers presently pursuing ballet careers.

Raven Wilkinson died on December 17, 2018, at the age of 83.