The Arts are an underrated part of The Culture’s heritage. From dance to painting and drawing, here is our list of black creators in this most creative of spaces.

 

DANCERS/CHOREOGRAPHERS

• Katlyn Addison(ballerina) – The third black ballerina in history to play the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, choreographers and model for Elevé dancewear.
• Olivia Boisson (ballerina) – The only African-American female dancer with the New York City Ballet and only thefifth Black woman to ever dance with the company.
• Misty Copeland (ballerina) – The first African-American female principal dancer in the America Ballet Theater history. She has gone on to do Featured in commercials, a Drake video, and is a best-selling author.
• Michaela DePrince (ballerina) -The only dancer (soloist) of African origin in the Dutch National Ballet. Featured in the ballet documentary First Position and in Beyonce’s Lemonade visual. Authorthe book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.
• Paige Fraser (ballerina) – A founding member of Visceral Dance Chicago. Has appeared in Beyoncé’s “Bow Down” tour opener and has been featured in Essence, Dance Magazine, and is the featured dancer in the 2016 Intel “Experience Amazing” commercial.

PAINTERS

• Jean-Michael Basquiat – NY painter focused on “suggestive dichotomies”, such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience. His 1982 Untitled painting set a new record high for any American artist at auction, selling for $110.5 million.
• Amy Sherald – Michelle Obama’s portrait for the Smithsonian Museum.
• Kehinde Whiley – Barack Obama’s portrait for the Smithsonian Museum.