A Dancer's Body - Keana Poindexter

Acrylic
24” x 36”
 
When you think of a ballet dancer, what do you see? A toned body? A thin body? Long slender limbs? A flat stomach? Bodies that don’t fit the above descriptions are often overlooked, especially if it is the body of a person of color. A discriminatory environment has been created which discourages people with larger bodies from practicing ballet professionally. If you look closely at the dancer’s body, you will see that the lines are not clearly defined and there are frayed edges. This dancer is not perfect because they do not fit the description of a traditional ballet dancer. Still, they continue to dance. If you take a look at the dancer’s skin, it is textured and raised from the surface of the canvas because this dancer refuses to blend in. They stand out a and dance unapologetically.