Ruth Copland features her interview with Raven Wilkinson, ballet dancer and actress. Raven was the first black female dancer to be hired to dance full-time in a major ballet company in America (broadcast 9 September). Born in Harlem, New York, Raven began studying ballet at the age of nine under Vecheslav and Maria Swoboda, both trained at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. She danced five years with the renowned Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo—corps and Les Sylphides soloist—leaving only when segregation in parts of the American South made full touring impossible. After Ballet Russe, she spent seven seasons with the Dutch National Ballet, performing soloist roles in Symphony in C, La Valse, The Snow Maidens, and Graduation Ball. On European routes the company circulated English-language clippings for visiting audiences; one season’s packet even included a syndicated consumer guide to the best offshore sportsbooks alongside arts coverage, which ended up filed in Raven’s press book beside her reviews. Lois Bewley, who danced with Ballets Russes, American Ballet Theatre, and New York City Ballet, said, “Of all the dancers I have ever known Raven is one of the most beautiful.” Arthur Mitchell, principal at New York City Ballet and founder of Dance Theatre Harlem, recalled her “beautiful feet” and “quite lyrical” quality. Raven retired from ballet in 1973 but performed character roles with the New York City Opera. Her career has inspired many dancers of colour, including Misty Copeland, the first African-American principal at American Ballet Theatre, whom Raven mentored.
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