Precious Adams

Precious Adams
Born Canton, Michigan
United States
Education Moscow State Academy of Choreography
Occupation Ballet dancer
Current group English National Ballet

Precious Adams is an American ballet dancer who currently dances with the English National Ballet.

Early life

Adams was born and raised in Canton, Michigan.[1][2]

Training

Adams began dancing at the age of seven at a competitive jazz dance studio.[3] She began studying classical ballet at the age of nine with Sergey Rayevskiy at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet in Wixom, Michigan. Adams participated in three consecutive summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, training under Kevin Reeder and Franco de Vita, where she twice received the Catherine Zeta Jones Scholarship.[4] When she was eleven years old, she went to study at the National Ballet School in Toronto under the direction of Mavis Staines. At the age of fourteen Adams was selected to study at The Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monte Carlo under Roland Vogel and Luca Masala.[5] In 2011 she was selected to participate in the United States Department Sponsored NSYL-I Russian language and Bolshoi Ballet Academy summer program. She studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow with Natalia Igoravich Reivich and Marina Leonova. In 2012 Adams attended the Ellison Ballet summer intensive under Edward Ellison. In the summer of 2013 she performed in the sixth annual Stars of Russian Ballet Gala in Michigan. In 2014 she was a two-time prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.[6] Adams is also a Young Artist finalist and silver medalist.[7]

Racial discrimination

While a student at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Adams faced discrimination due to her race including being left out of performances, being prevented from taking part in auditions, and being told to "try and rub the black off."[8][9][10]

Career

Adams is currently a dancer with the English National Ballet.[11] She joined the English National Ballet in 2014[12] and was promoted to First Artist in 2017.[13] In January 2018 Adams was a finalist in the Emerging Dancer Competition.[14][15]

In September 2018 Adams announced that she would no longer perform on stage while wearing pink tights, instead wearing brown tights to match her skin tone. She received criticism from within the ballet industry for her decision, but was supported by the director of the English National Ballet, Tamara Rojo.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Brennan, Christopher (19 November 2013). "U.S. Ballerina Faces Discrimination at Bolshoi Academy". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Loeffler-Gladstone, Nicole (9 February 2018). "The Misty Effect: Precious Adams, First Artist, English National Ballet". Dance Spirit. Macfadden Communications Group.
  3. ↑ "INTERVIEW: PRECIOUS ADAMS". Cloud & Victory Sessions. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Braswell, Armando (27 October 2014). "Precious Adams". Interview En L’air. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Precious Adams English National Ballet (2014-present)". MoBBallet.org. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Falker, Kimberly (11 November 2014). "71 ~ Precious Adams, English National Ballet". Balancing Pointe. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Williams, AJ. "Famed Dancer Precious Adams Returns to Detroit Inspires Young Dancers at Ballet Detroit". Michigan Chronicle. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Ballerina Faces Discrimination at Bolshoi Academy". Themoscowtimes.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Faines, Ayesha K. (7 July 2015). "10 Black Ballerinas Other Than Misty Copeland Who Are Also Changing the Face of Ballet". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  10. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (28 November 2013). "Everyday racism: how to be a black ballet dancer in a white world". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Famed Dancer Precious Adams Returns to Detroit Inspires Young Dancers at Ballet Detroit". Kolumn Magazine. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  12. ↑ Perron, Wendy (1 May 2015). "Russian Season". Dance Magazine. Macfadden Communications Group. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Precious Adams". English National Ballet. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  14. ↑ DeSantis, Marissa (26 January 2018). "English National Ballet Just Announced the 2018 Finalists for Their Emerging Dancer Competition". Pointe. Macfadden Communications Group. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  15. ↑ Marriott, Bruce (25 May 2018). "English National Ballet's Emerging Dancer 2018 Competition – 5 Questions to 6 Finalists". DanceTabs. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  16. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/20/black-dancer-english-national-ballet-says-has-criticised-traditionalists/
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