Events
Pioneering African American Ballerinas
Thursday, February 27 | 7 pm
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center
Four pioneering African American ballerinas discussed their groundbreaking careers and their paths to national and international stardom. The panel included: Virginia Johnson, prima ballerina and current director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH); Lydia Abarca, first prima ballerina of DTH; Debra Austin, first ever African American ballerina with New York City Ballet (NYCB) and principal ballerina with the Pennsylvania Ballet; and Aesha Ash, former ballerina with NYCB. View event photos on Flickr.
Ballerina Symposium
Friday, March 6, 10 am – 5 pm
Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Theater
Marvin Feldman Center, Second Floor
Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse was The Museum at FIT’s 23rd academic symposium. The one-day event explored the ways in which twentieth-century ballerinas and their glamorous, romantic costumes profoundly inspired modern fashion.
Speakers included Lynn Garafola, professor emeritus of Columbia University; Laura Jacobs, dance and fashion critic; Jane Pritchard, curator of dance at the Victoria and Albert Museum; and Patricia Mears, deputy director of MFIT and curator of Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse.
Watch recordings of each speaker’s presentation on The Museum at FIT’s YouTube channel!