The Black Iris Project: A Conversation with Daphne Lee
Madiba, a ballet tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela, was created by award-winning director and choreographer Jeremy McQueen. McQueen is the founder of The Black Iris Project, a ballet collaborative that spotlights Black culture and history through dance.
Brown Girls Do Ballet founder TaKiyah Wallace connected with Daphne Lee in an interview on Instagram to discuss the dancer’s role in the production as Mandela’s wife, Winnie Mandela.
Nelson Mandela was a South African political leader well-known for his role in fighting apartheid in his country. After being jailed for 27 years for his activism efforts, Mandela served as South Africa’s president from 1994 to 1999. An advocate for human rights and worldwide civil rights movements, Mandela died in 2013. “Madiba” was the name given to Mandela by South Africans as a sign of respect and honor.
The 20-minute Madiba production follows Mandela’s life from birth to his final days.
This is not the first time Lee has portrayed a historical figure in a ballet production. When she was in college, she portrayed African-American ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Janet Collins in a special tribute production.
Lee explained how McQueen helped the cast of Madiba prepare for their roles by researching Nelson Mandela’s mannerisms and his relationship with Winnie, then working to communicate that using choreography.
Lee initially struggled to embody the personality of Winnie: a supportive wife and a vocal activist who stood on the frontlines while Nelson Mandela was in jail. McQueen paid close attention to Lee’s movements, working carefully with her to ensure she felt comfortable and connected with Winnie’s character.
“There’s an immense amount of pressure. Not in a negative way,” Lee said, discussing the weight of playing a historical figure. “If it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t be here. They really paved the way, and to honor them in that way is just such a big feat, but it’s exciting.”
To build the connection, Lee found ways to empathize with Winnie, understanding her as a woman falling in love while not losing focus of the fight for equality and justice and then finding ways to communicate those emotions through ballet. With time and effort, Lee began to feel comfortable in the role.
The Black Iris Project’s elegant storytelling reputation is an artistic reflection of Jeremy McQueen’s desire to encourage observation, reflection, and connection over the human experience. Productions like Madiba not only boost curiosity about Black history, but they also bring a platform to ballerinas of color who are seeking to artistically express themselves and share their stories.
“I really feel like Jeremy was ahead of the curve in a lot of different ways,” TaKiyah said. “I’m starting to see so many girls coming together and using the physicality of ballet and the storytelling of it to help try to impact change in other ways. They’re not just looking at change in their studios. They’re not just looking at changes on stage. They’re actually in their communities trying to figure out how they can use this gift that they have - this skill that they’ve developed - in ways that are very tangible where they live.”
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Lee agreed, explaining her admiration for McQueen for his role in “giving the dancers that exchange of being able to be responsible to uphold this legacy, to uphold this history, to talk back and communicate with him.”
“Not only do you see it with the choreography,” Lee said, “You see it through the costumes. You see it through the lighting. All of that makes a big difference. Who he’s employed on this project makes a big difference. So you’re seeing how he’s implementing his community based on the things that the audience members may not recognize.”
Photo: Jeremy McQueen; The Black Iris Project
Nobody involved in the production was immune from McQueen’s artistic impact, it seems. Lee goes on to explain some of the personal lessons she gained from her involvement. Not only did she have the experience to witness an original ballet production being pieced together from scratch, but her participation in the show also left her with a boost of confidence at a time when she needed it most.
“There was a point when I didn’t feel like I was a ballerina - that I wasn’t good enough,” Lee said, reflecting on how she felt stuck between the categorization of a traditional, classical ballerina and a contemporary one. “I think from that experience, I’ve learned to embrace both worlds, and I’ve learned to be confident in the character that I am.”
Photo: Daphne Lee, shot by Theik Smith
“You also get to play a character that is about you essentially. It’s about the black female and her relationship to the world, her relationship to man, her relationship to society. That’s a huge experience that I got to learn.”
Daphne Lee seamlessly eased into ballet thanks to her mother, who was also a ballet dancer and would bring Lee to the studio with her instead of leaving her with a babysitter. As a first-generation American-born citizen, Lee never thought she’d be a professional dancer. Her goal was to be a doctor, pursuing a career that would bring the most money to her and her family.
“I didn’t understand the arts. I didn’t understand the importance and the impact of the arts,” she said, recalling the years when she was still focused on a medical career.
After receiving a crushing rejection from New York University, Lee was accepted into the Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Fine Arts program. From there, things quickly picked up for her career in ballet. Lee currently dances with Dance Theatre of Harlem and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Dance.
The curriculum, Lee said, is one of the toughest programs she’s ever enrolled in. She is learning about philosophy, theology, feminist theory, women’s rights, LGBTQ matters, capitalism, and many other societal aspects that connect with dance. Lee’s research paper is about Black hair politics in ballet and her thesis paper is about connecting with ancestral roots to uplift black women.
“I love that you’re able to fuse together the dance, the education, and activism,” TaKiyah said. “I want you to continue to do that because there are several girls who are looking up to you right now and knowing that there are so many possibilities for them.”
From the Madiba production, Lee says she hopes young ballerinas will take away a sense of the importance of preservation and persistence. Productions like Madiba are meant to inspire the audience to learn more. Lee encourages young ballerinas to embrace this enlightenment and to be curious enough to research other major classical ballet productions as well.
“Really start looking at the ballets that you’re telling because that’s how we can implement change,” Lee advised. “Don’t just do it for the steps. Really know what you’re playing. Really know what role you’re stepping into. Really know what organizations are out there. Find your resources.”
Lee also hopes more people can realize and accept the idea that not all productions created by Black directors are for the purpose of telling Black stories. Sometimes, it’s just a pure, artistic expression and should be appreciated as such.
“It’s about giving the freedom for Black choreographers - and the voices - for them to create works that are not always about historical figures,” she said.
To watch Daphne and TaKiyah’s full interview, click here. To learn more about Daphne Lee, visit her website or connect with her on Instagram.
About The Black Iris Project
Founded in 2016 by Jeremy McQueen, The Black Iris Project was originally inspired by a 1926 oil painting by Georgia O'Keeffe called Black Iris III. Its mission is to use ballet and dance as a classical platform to share diverse stories while also creating a curriculum about diversity in dance by sharing education and history on Black culture. To learn more about Jeremy McQueen and The Black Iris Project, visit the project’s website or follow the project on Instagram.
Brown Girls Do Ballet strives to increase the representation of Black and Brown ballerinas by supplying resources, a network, and a prominent platform for dancers of color to connect and share their stories. To learn more about our initiatives, click here.