Brown Girls Do Ballet®, a philanthropic organization often featured for its noteworthy Instagram movement, began in 2013 as a personal photography project by myself TaKiyah Wallace in an effort to highlight girls of African, Asian, East Indian, Hispanic, and Native American ancestry in Ballet programs. I was taken by surprise upon discovering the lack of cultural diversity in local ballet schools while searching for a program for my then 3-year-old. Like any mom, I grew concerned about how me daughter would feel in a class where no one resembled her.Through my engagement with dancers, their families, and the ballet community, I 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, I set out to simply provide a media outlet highlighting the diversity. Little did I know, a movement would be born, and this photo project would become so much more.Brown Girls Do Ballet® is now 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.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.
We hope to create a new brand film that will further articulate our mission and vision for the organization to send to potential donors.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
