--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea that ballet is a white art is…" description: "\"The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. Nothing would make me happier than having a company that ref..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/benjamin-millepied-38507_absurd_the-idea-that-ballet-is-a-white-art-is-a_1982602.jpg" --- # The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and… ![“The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. Nothing would make me happier than having a company that reflects society, to have dancers onstage that people can relate to.” quote by Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/benjamin-millepied-38507_absurd_the-idea-that-ballet-is-a-white-art-is-a_1982602.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/benjamin-millepied-38507_absurd_the-idea-that-ballet-is-a-white-art-is-a_1982602.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/benjamin-millepied-38507_absurd_the-idea-that-ballet-is-a-white-art-is-a_1982602.jpg) > “The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. Nothing would make me happier than having a company that reflects society, to have dancers onstage that people can relate to.” [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The belief that ballet is exclusively white is false; the art should reflect society, and audiences should see dancers they relate to. **In simple terms:** Ballet should be diverse and inclusive. Key Takeaway Promote inclusive representation in ballet. Themes art diversity representation Mood inspirational hopeful Type mission vision When to use this quote - company casting - educational outreach - community workshops - media campaigns Key Concepts cultural equity social inclusion performing arts Questions to Reflect On - How can ballet companies diversify their rosters? - What impact does representation have on audiences? A Different Perspective Changing tradition can meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [The idea for 'Ballet Baby' started when I was going through my own pregnancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-helen-bowers/the-idea-for-ballet-baby-started-when-i-was-going-through-my-own/) [Mary Helen Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-helen-bowers/) > [We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/we-live-in-a-time-which-has-created-the-art-of-the-absurd-it-is-our/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I want to show that black people can dance ballet as well as white people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-want-to-show-that-black-people-can-dance-ballet-as-well-as-white/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [With Juliet, if you read the Shake'speare there is quite a clear idea of how she should be, but with the ballet you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-hayward/with-juliet-if-you-read-the-shake-speare-there-is-quite-a-clear-idea/) [Francesca Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-hayward/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [At Grinnell College, for the first time in my life, I was in an all-white setting. It was a shocking experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/at-grinnell-college-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-was-in-an-all/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [One of the things that was kind of shocking for humans... was to come to terms with was the fact that, hey, we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-anderson/one-of-the-things-that-was-kind-of-shocking-for-humans-was-to-come-to/) [Kevin J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-anderson/) > [I remember being a teenager and having a boyfriend - this guy I thought I was way better than, and completely out of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-remember-being-a-teenager-and-having-a-boyfriend-this-guy-i-thought/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [You don't always get to send your regards, or anything. You're just gone. That's the way it is. It's shocking and it's over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcelhatton/you-don-t-always-get-to-send-your-regards-or-anything-you-re-just/) [Michael McElhatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcelhatton/) > [With Katrina, it's almost like the sequel that doesn't live up to the original. It's certainly a shocking event and a tragedy, but somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-gottfried/with-katrina-it-s-almost-like-the-sequel-that-doesn-t-live-up-to-the/) [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) > [When it gets difficult is often right before you succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-walker/when-it-gets-difficult-is-often-right-before-you-succeed/) Jeffrey Walker > [Tell people what specific action to take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-abraham/tell-people-what-specific-action-to-take/) [Jay Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-abraham/) > [“In some circles, to not have seen The Wire had become a shocking breach of social protocol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-martin/in-some-circles-to-not-have-seen-the-wire-had-become-a-shocking/) Brett Martin > [It's shocking when someone who is really bad thinks they're really good. It's heartbreaking, because singing is such a vulnerable thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-camp/it-s-shocking-when-someone-who-is-really-bad-thinks-they-re-really/) [Anna Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-camp/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) ## More by Benjamin Millepied > [I'm interested in films, in directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/i-m-interested-in-films-in-directing/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [Nowadays I actually cook Italian-style food more than French heavy sauces. I make a good salad, some great roasted vegetables, grilled fish. I'm crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/nowadays-i-actually-cook-italian-style-food-more-than-french-heavy/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [In France, ballet is on TV ... It's on the eight-o'clock news. It's a cool thing to be a dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/in-france-ballet-is-on-tv-it-s-on-the-eight-o-clock-news-it-s-a-cool/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [I was born in France. I grew up in Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/i-was-born-in-france-i-grew-up-in-africa/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [Most dancers have no awareness of how they look; half of them think they're fat. There is anorexia in the ballet world; there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/most-dancers-have-no-awareness-of-how-they-look-half-of-them-think/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [When I see the attention movie stars get, it doesn't make me want to be in that position at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/when-i-see-the-attention-movie-stars-get-it-doesn-t-make-me-want-to/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [I did grow up in France, and even though I didn't go to the school or dance with the Paris Opera Ballet, I absorbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/i-did-grow-up-in-france-and-even-though-i-didn-t-go-to-the-school-or/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > ['Swan Lake' is the most difficult thing to portray for a female ballet dancer; it really requires such specific qualities of articulation, agility, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/swan-lake-is-the-most-difficult-thing-to-portray-for-a-female-ballet/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [I am passionate about ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/i-am-passionate-about-ballet/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [Directing is very close to choreography; you deal with space, time, emotions, lighting, making beautiful images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/directing-is-very-close-to-choreography-you-deal-with-space-time/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) [Explore all 11 Benjamin Millepied quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. 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Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. 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