Our Vision

Brown girls do.

Brown Girls Do Ballet® is a division of Brown Girls Do.® , Inc, a registered 501(c)3. Our purpose is to promote diversity in the arts by providing annual scholarships, a mentor network, and community programs to empower young girls. Our mission is supported by merchandise sales and fundraisers.

Mission Statement

The mission of Brown Girls Do Ballet® is to help increase participation of underrepresented populations in ballet programs through organizing and arranging ballet performances, photo exhibitions, and providing resources and scholarships to assist young girls in their ballet development and training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Bella: Bella, the icon of Brown Girls Do Ballet, is not just a logo; she is a vibrant symbol of our shared diversity. Designed with intentionality, Bella is a tapestry of various shades of brown, each hue harmonizing to form a face that celebrates and represents the beauty of every individual.

If Bella could speak, her message would be this:

"Just like you, I am intentionally designed. I am not fragmented. I am the living choreography of your hues, dancing in harmony to form a face that celebrates yours. I am a love letter to you. For you. Because of you. Your beauty is made in every tint and every shade.

I am your Corps de Ballet, dancing behind you, watching you leap to infinite heights.

Your culture, your lineage, your history, everything which makes you beautiful and unique is represented in me and ties you to everyone that sees themselves in me. I am purposefully created in your image.

Because when you see me, you see yourself."

Bella stands as a powerful reminder that our diversity is our strength. She embodies the essence of our community, showcasing the beauty found in every tint and shade. When you look at Bella, you see yourself and the collective story of all who embrace their unique heritage and beauty.

Our Story

TaKiyah Wallace & Charlie photo: Omar Ramos

TaKiyah & Charlie photo: Omar Ramos

Brown Girls Do Ballet®, a philanthropic organization often featured for its noteworthy Instagram movement, began in 2013 as a personal photography project by TaKiyah Wallace in an effort to highlight girls of African, Asian, East Indian, Hispanic, and Native American ancestry in Ballet programs. Wallace was taken by surprise upon discovering the lack of cultural diversity in local ballet schools while searching for a program for her then 3-year-old. Like any mom, she grew concerned about how her daughter would feel in a class where no one resembled her.

Through her engagement with dancers, their families, and the ballet community, TaKiyah developed a passion for re-defining a classically Euro-centric art form to reflect what America is today: beautifully diverse. Striving to touch the lives of little ballerinas, she set out to simply provide a media outlet highlighting the diversity. Little did she know, a movement would be born, and this photo project would become so much more.

Current and Past* Initiatives