Black Women in Dance: Stepping Out of the Barriers The Dance of Leadership

This paper is a personal reflection and perspective of a thirty year journey, captured through different roles in dance, the cultural and creative industries and wider society. During those three decades, of reinvention, rebranding and repositioning myself several times to create new futures and legacies. This journey would not have been possible without friendships, relationships and the leadership of others. The paper gives prominence to Black women in dance whose leadership have been inspirational and aspirational.
Dance has always been important in the lives and history of black women, and the black community.
Within the UK, there has been a proliferation of black women who have contributed to the development of the dance ecosystem and ecology, but they have not been recognised or become part of the history and culture of dance.

The conference on Black Women in Dance: Stepping out of the Barriers reflected upon the challenges that have faced Black Women in the world of dance, but also celebratedd the tenacity, strength and creativity of these women; from trailblazers such as Josephine Baker and Katherine Dunham to the contemporary ground breakers of Germaine Agcogny, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Brenda Edwards Edwards MBE and others.
But, crucially the conference gave a voice to women in dance; to tell their own stories, share their perspecttives, highlighted key issues and worke towards making a bright future for Black Women in Dance.

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