Redbridge Libraries are proud to be part of the national tour of the Black British Ballet Project.

Black dancers have been present in British ballet from at least the 1940s onwards when two Jamaicans formed Les Ballets Nègres in 1946. However, the presence and contribution of these pioneers has been largely forgotten in Britain. .

Into the Light: The Pioneers of Black British Ballet exhibition aims to change this by celebrating the lives of these trailblazers. The exhibition brings together archive photography, film, newspaper articles and posters alongside new video and audio interviews to trace the history of Black British ballet from the 1940s to the present.

This groundbreaking exhibition, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is brought to you by Libraries Connected and Oxygen Arts’ Black British Ballet project. Visit the exhibition to hear the stories of our Black British ballet pioneers, from those who were denied work in the UK to those who finally managed to smash the colour bar in Britain’s biggest companies.

Photo credit: Tony Butcher