Around the Music Festival

American ballerina, Raven Wilkinson, who is known for becoming a member of the world-class ballet for the first time as an African American woman passed away on the 19th. She was 83 years old. The causes of death etc are not disclosed.

Wilkinson was born in New York in 1935. She entered the ballet world from a young age and joined “Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo” in 1955 when she was 20 years old. Although she was active as a member of five soloists, she exited in 1961 after losing his place from being exposed to intense racial discrimination on a tour to the southern part of the United States.

After that she worked as a sales clerk at a department store and after having experienced living at a monastery, returned to the ballet world, joined the Netherlands National Ballet Company in 1967, and worked as a soloist. In 1974 she returned to the United States and joined New York City Opera. She continued his active care until 1985, and then continued her activities as a character dancer until 2011. She was longing as a master from the first African American Misty Copeland who won the status of a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater.

Photo：Dance Magazine　/　Cherylynn　Tsushima