--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I feel an obligation to use black dancers…" description: "\"I feel an obligation to use black dancers because there must be more opportunities for them, but not because I'm a black choreographer talking to black..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/alvin-ailey-18729_black_i-feel-an-obligation-to-use-black-dancer_2993501.png" --- # I feel an obligation to use black dancers because there… ![“I feel an obligation to use black dancers because there must be more opportunities for them, but not because I'm a black choreographer talking to black people.” quote by Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/alvin-ailey-18729_black_i-feel-an-obligation-to-use-black-dancer_2993501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/alvin-ailey-18729_black_i-feel-an-obligation-to-use-black-dancer_2993501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/alvin-ailey-18729_black_i-feel-an-obligation-to-use-black-dancer_2993501.png) > “I feel an obligation to use black dancers because there must be more opportunities for them, but not because I'm a black choreographer talking to black people.” [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black dancers should be hired for equity, not tokenism, regardless of choreographer’s race. **In simple terms:** Hire black dancers for fairness, not tokenism. Key Takeaway Promote equitable casting practices. Themes art equity representation Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - casting decisions - arts education - community outreach Key Concepts diversity inclusion Questions to Reflect On - How can creators ensure genuine inclusion? - What policies support fair representation? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic vision with equity can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Choreographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-choreographer-1498664/) [Black Dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-dancers-1102576/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Choreographer Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choreographer-talking-4716387/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancers/) [Feel Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-obligation-452605/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Opportunities Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunities-black-3101907/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) ## Related quotes > [Europe is great, especially for dance. 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I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/my-dancers-must-be-able-to-do-anything-and-i-don-t-care-if-they-are/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I always want to have more dancers in my company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/i-always-want-to-have-more-dancers-in-my-company/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [For every album, I feel an obligation to myself to make something that I'm really proud of. But other than that, I make an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-g/for-every-album-i-feel-an-obligation-to-myself-to-make-something-that/) [Alex G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-g/) > [I don't feel the obligation to be a specific weight. I don't feel like I have to fit into a body that's not my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-don-t-feel-the-obligation-to-be-a-specific-weight-i-don-t-feel-like/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [I do feel the weight of being the steward of the greatest sport the world ever came up with. I grew up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baruchel/i-do-feel-the-weight-of-being-the-steward-of-the-greatest-sport-the/) [Jay Baruchel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baruchel/) ## More by Alvin Ailey > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [One of the worst things about racism is what it does to young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/one-of-the-worst-things-about-racism-is-what-it-does-to-young-people/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [If you live in the elite world of dance, you find yourself in a world rife with racism. Let's face it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/if-you-live-in-the-elite-world-of-dance-you-find-yourself-in-a-world/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I am trying to show the world that we are all human beings and that color is not important. 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Otherwise, it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/its-roots-are-in-american-negro-culture-which-is-part-of-the-whole/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I wanted to explore black culture, and I wanted that culture to be a revelation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/i-wanted-to-explore-black-culture-and-i-wanted-that-culture-to-be-a/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [No matter what you write or choreograph, you feel it is not enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/no-matter-what-you-write-or-choreograph-you-feel-it-is-not-enough/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/the-creative-process-is-not-controlled-by-a-switch-you-can-simply/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [Money is a never-ending problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/money-is-a-never-ending-problem/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [It will take very sophisticated marketing to achieve our aim of bringing more black people into the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/it-will-take-very-sophisticated-marketing-to-achieve-our-aim-of/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [We still spend more time chasing funds than we do in the studio in creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/we-still-spend-more-time-chasing-funds-than-we-do-in-the-studio-in/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) [Explore all 34 Alvin Ailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. 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