Brown Ballerina Ambassador Nia Rackley on Inspiring Black Dancers
Having purpose is all about living in the present moment and being intentional about everything you do. It is about actions that make a larger impact, in some way, in the world around us. This month, we asked some of our Brown Ballerina Ambassadors to tell us what their purpose is in dance.
Our first featured ambassador, Nia Rackley, is a 14-year-old ballerina from Connecticut. She started dancing at her local YMCA at the age of 6 when her parents enrolled her and her sister in a ballet-tap combo class. Since then, Nia has also studied jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, pointe, and acro dance. She has also been a part of a competitive dance team.
Nia currently studies classical ballet, pointe, character, and historical dance at the Hartt School Community Division. In her interview below, Nia discusses her purpose in dance, the importance of living a life with purpose, and the resources she feels are necessary to help her along the way.
Related: Building Confidence with Brown Ballerina Ambassador Quincy Thomas
Photo: Nia Rackley; shot by Megan Bonneau McCool
Nia’s Dance Inspiration
My dance teachers have been a huge inspiration to me in my dance journey. They have all been talented, and have had dance careers. My current dance teachers René Olivier and Sarkis Kaltakhtchian inspire me with their knowledge and dedication to teaching. My first dance teacher, Anisah Richardson, is an entrepreneur and just started her own dance business. I am inspired by how she created her own path for her dance career.
During the pandemic, there were so many opportunities to take dance classes virtually. I had the opportunity to take dance classes from dancers like Christina Johnson, Lauren Anderson, Kathryn Morgan, Ingrid Silva, Zhongjing Fang, and so many others. These classes gave me hope and really helped with my technique and artistry as a dancer. I learned so much from each of them, but the most valuable lesson I learned is how to be creative about my dance training. These dancers inspired me to not let the fact the pandemic stop me from growing as a dancer. We were all dancing in our homes, and it really helped to keep my spirits up when our studio could not meet in person due to the pandemic.
Making an Impact Through Dance
My biggest hope is that I am able to inspire other young Black dancers and that I can be part of the movement to help change the image of what a ballet dancer “looks like.” There have always been Black ballerinas who have made huge contributions to ballet. However, their names have been missing from discussions on ballet history. Misty Copeland has done an amazing job of sharing her spotlight to shine a light on dancers like Lauren Anderson, Raven Wilkerson, and Christina Johnson. There are multiple dancers who came before Misty Copeland, who also broke barriers within the dance community, and she makes sure that she acknowledges that.
We still have a long way to go, and I want to be a part of making the dance community more accepting of dancers who are Black, and who have trained at schools that are not necessarily well-known.
Working Toward Her Purpose
One of the biggest strides that I have made in my dance journey is training at a classical ballet studio. When I started at a dance, my parents had the goal of just letting me explore. Once they realized I was serious about ballet, my parents knew I needed specialized training. Thankfully, I had some great introductions and some of the basics were being taught well by my teachers - but to be successful, I needed more.
Our main goal was to make sure that dance school was a good fit for me. My parents also wanted to make sure that the school had a solid reputation and that it would set me up for success so that I could accomplish my goals. We travel about an hour several days a week for ballet class. It’s a huge sacrifice, but I know that if I choose to dance professionally I’ll have the vocabulary and the experience needed to be successful.
Necessary Resources
There are so many resources that would help me fulfill my purpose. One huge resource is mentorship and support from others who have already done what I am trying to do. I could definitely benefit from being able to hear other Black dancers share their experiences with me. Just to talk about things like pancaking pointe shoes and how to make sure that the pancake does not get all over the dance floor, or how to make sure that you keep your body conditioned for ballet would be so fulfilling to me. I also value feedback and critique. As a ballet dancer, you learn quickly that you can always be better. I think that feedback is crucial for us even if we are not dancing. Feedback allows us to be the best version of ourselves.
Related: A Dancer's Guide to Seeking Mentorship
The Importance of Purpose
My first name, Nia, means purpose in Swahili. I think it’s important to have a purpose in your life because it helps guide you. Purpose helps you to define your reason for being. When I reflect on purpose, I think about my own dance journey. I was so young, but when I started dancing I knew immediately that dance was a passion. Purpose helps us to stay on task and to find our passions. I think a life without purpose can lead to a person not having direction. I am grateful that I have found my passion and purpose early in my life.
Thoughts for Dancers
I would like to remind dancers of something that I heard that inspired me recently: comparison is the thief of joy. If you constantly compare yourself to others, you could miss out on enjoying your own journey and seeing your own improvements. It is also not healthy to compare yourself to others. I think a lot of dancers get this message, but it does not resonate. As dancers, we spend so much time looking in the mirror at our placement, getting feedback, and applying corrections. Sometimes, when we look at our reflections in the mirror, we are not proud of what we see.
We look at someone else’s technique and we measure ourselves to them. I don’t know a dancer who isn’t guilty of this. You should never stop striving for better, but it is healthier to realize that we are all in progress. There will always be someone with a higher extension, a better arch, or better port de bras; however, no one is like you. We are all unique. Instead of hating the things that make you special, you should embrace those qualities while improving your technique. There will be enough people and situations that will try to tear you down, so do not do it to yourself.
I would also like to tell dancers that there are so many styles of dance, so don’t just limit yourself to one. Diversify your training! I realize not everyone can do this, but if you ever get a chance to try character, jazz, tap, hip-hop, or take a masterclass, do it. It's never too late to start!
Nia plans to eventually attend college, but she hopes to first dance professionally with a major dance company. After college, she hopes to teach classical ballet. “My family has made many sacrifices for me to be able to dance, and I hope that I can make them very proud,” she said.
Follow Nia’s dance journey on Instagram or Twitter.
Our Brown Ballerina Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and to eventually become mentors to other Brown Ballerinas in Training. To find out more about our ambassador program and how you can support it, visit our Ambassador/Mentorship Program page.
Be sure to check out our Brown Ballerina Blog, where we feature spotlights on our Brown Ballerina Ambassadors, updates from our organization, useful tips for ballerinas, interviews with dance professionals, and more!
Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.