Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement & Principles
Ballet Hispánico is an organization that has served BIPOC communities since its inception. At this pivotal moment in the racial justice movement, we too have a responsibility to look within and challenge areas in our organization that are affected by white supremacy and racial inequality. We stand by our original mission and its principles and will deepen each commitment in our daily practice.
Founding Principles
Principles in Practice
1. Creates and performs works of art that share the totality of the Latinx experience.
1. Create intentional processes in dancemaking that support the full spectrum of our intersectional Latinx diaspora stories and histories.
2. Provides alternative narratives through our work on stage and in the community.
2. Expand the artistic selection process by inviting diverse voices into the decision making.
3. Promotes Latinx cultures in all their diversity, beauty, and histories.
3. Demand the fullness of representation via repertory, marketing strategies, branding protocols, education programs, program language describing and illustrating our work and repertory and the quality of our productions and engagements, internally and externally.
4. Is a model for our communities through our art (leadership, inclusion, diversity.)
4. Demand and expect our values of engagement/education as a priority with presenters, collaborators, and partners.
5. Nurtures, elevates and makes visible artists of color.
5. Cement the engagement of partners, neighbors, and community in open discussions of DEI as a value and a programmatic priority.
6. Nurtures and trains our young people with a safe space for personal growth and self-actualization.
6. Invest our scholarship funding exclusively on children of
color and systemically disenfranchised communities.
7. Nurtures leadership with artists, educators, students, and staff.
7. Commit to the expansion of pipelines for artists, students, cultural workers and leaders in the field. Uphold mentorship and sponsorship for BIPOC leaders.
8. Provides a platform and engages with historically marginalized communities with external partnerships nationwide.
8. Identify partners to provide pipelines and trajectories for communities without the arts or arts resources. Create strategies that align communities and Latinx dance organizations with our resources.
9. Provides nationwide access to communities of color and quality dance experiences via performances, training, and community advocacy.
9. Develop relationships and design solutions that build catalysts for change by centering on serving communities of color.
10. Is a legacy of representation, equity, and inclusion.
10. Ballet Hispánico will always leave a legacy of humanity behind, a representation of equity and inclusion via dance.
Support LGBT+ Communities & Individuals
A Message for Pride Month
At Ballet Hispánico, we are proud to celebrate Pride Month along with members of the LGBT+ community.
Uniting in support of the LGBT+ community continues to be a critical component of fostering a culture of equality. Today and every day, we recognize the turbulent journey of the LGBT+ civil rights movement, as well as celebrate the courage, power, and resilience this community embodies. We honor everyone who takes a stand for human and civil rights and who freely and publicly lives their truth.
Organizations to Support
- The Audre Lorde Project: https://alp.org/about
- The Marsha P. Johnson Institute: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/
- Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA): https://www.btfacollective.org/
- The Okra Project: https://www.theokraproject.com/
- For the Gworls: https://www.forthegworls.party/home
- The Black Trans Travel Fund: https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/
- BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance: http://www.baadbronx.org/about.html
- The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: https://www.astraeafoundation.org/
- The Ali Forney Center: https://www.aliforneycenter.org/
Support BIPOC Communities & Individuals
Black Lives Matter | Stop Asian Hate
Black Lives Matter
Ballet Hispánico was born in New York City at a time when the city was burning, literally and figuratively, in the 1970s. Our black and brown communities were left to fend for ourselves in the harsh realities of the streets. We developed ways of coping and celebrating, and dance became an expression of activism. While deplorable brutalities were occurring on the streets, hip hop was born of black and brown voices.
Ballet Hispánico’s founding was about giving voice to that marginalized, often-forgotten community. It was, and is still, a glorious vision that demands there are seats at the table for Latinx people in the arts. And that is why today we stand with the black community, to aid in the amplification of their voices and their rights. The atrocities that continue to plague our black brothers and sisters must stop. But it can only stop if we unite. We must come together and demand justice, equity and peace for all communities.
Ballet Hispánico is an organization that lives diversity daily, providing our multi-racial, different-bodied youth the opportunity to find their passions in a safe space.
We understand that the black community’s issues are our issues. That is what community is about. And we stand with you!
Organizations to Support
- Official George Floyd Community Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
- Brooklyn Community Bail Fund: https://brooklynbailfund.org/
- Minnesota Freedom Fund: https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
- Free Them All for Public Health: https://freethemall4publichealth.org/
- Unicorn Riot: https://unicornriot.ninja/
- The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
- Black Lives Matter Greater New York: https://www.blacklivesmattergreaterny.com/
- Black Visions Collective: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
- Campaign Zero: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision
- Know Your Rights Camp: https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/our-camps
- National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
- NYCLU: https://www.nyclu.org/
- Reclaim the Block: https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home
- Communities United Against Police Brutality: https://www.cuapb.org/
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.: https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780
- Black Youth Project: https://www.patreon.com/blackyouthproject?fan_landing=true
Stop Asian Hate
Ballet Hispánico’s founding is rooted in the premise of providing a voice to marginalized and often-forgotten communities. This conviction is why we stand in solidarity with our Asian American/Pacific Islander community; to aid in the amplification of their voices and rights.
We condemn the attacks against our Asian American/Pacific brothers and sisters. This violence and racism must stop! We must unite, and demand justice, equity and peace for all communities.
Ballet Hispánico is committed to, and continues to uphold, our founding pillars of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Organizations to Support
- CAAAV: NY-based, builds the power of low-income Asian immigrants and refugees https://caaav.org/
- APIENC: Building power and increasing visibility on the non-binary, queer, and transgender AAPI community https://apienc.org/
- APEN: Helping Asian communities build cleaner and safer environments, and fight big polluters http://apen4ej.org/
- APEX for Youth: NYC-based org providing educational and mentorship opportunities to underserved Asian youth and immigrants https://www.apexforyouth.org/
- Asian Health Services: Provides health, social and advocacy services for Asian people https://asianhealthservices.org/
- Stop Asian Hate: Tracking and responding to Asian hate crimes https://stopaapihate.org/
- Asian American Legal Defense Fund: Protects and promotes civil rights of Asian Americans https://www.aaldef.org/
- APIA Vote: A mission to increase civic engagement among AAPI communities https://www.apiavote.org/
