10 Amanda Morgan (she/her)

Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Amanda Morgan, born 1997, was enrolled by her mother at Dance Theatre Northwest at the age of two. She embarked on her journey with Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016. Her dedication and talent propelled her through the ranks, earning her a promotion to the Corps De Ballet in 2017. In 2022, Morgan achieved a historic milestone by becoming the company’s first Black woman ballerina in its fifty year existence.

This breakthrough highlights the lack of diversity which has persisted in the ballet world for decades. Morgan’s ascent to the revered soloist role signals an important step towards greater inclusivity in an art form traditionally dominated by white performers. Her promotion carried significant symbolic weight, inspiring young Black dancers and underscoring the vital need to dismantle the masculinization of women of color, especially in ballet.

Morgan recalls in an interview with Dance Magazine that from a young age, her parents exposed her to art and dance. They made sure she understood the struggles of women’s rights and racial equity in her community. This grounding in social movements from an early age shaped Morgan’s passion for using her platform to advocate for change.

However, it was her role as the principal dancer and founder of The Seattle Project in 2019 that propelled Morgan into the spotlight. This collaboration sought to decolonize the ballet space by uplifting underrepresented narratives and empowering marginalized voices to reshape this artistic tradition, as Morgan explained to The Seattle Times. Her ability to convey complex emotions through movement is admirable and is a testament to her commitment to equity in ballet and in her community.

Her 2018 op-ed for Dance Magazine helped spark companies, including the American Ballet Theatre, to implement new diversity initiatives, applying pressure for substantive change. Ballet community aside, she has also been a voice of change for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. She has been a speaker at multiple protests and marches, as well as a key figure in the fight for new legislation to protect fundamental rights for the Black community.

Morgan’s activism extends to global human rights issues as well. She has been outspoken about Palestine, telling her Instagram followers during 2023 that as long as the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians continued, she had a moral obligation to use her platform to demand justice. Morgan has participated in protests and fundraisers benefiting Palestinian aid since 2021, leveraging her influence to raise awareness.

Within the dance world, Morgan has been a champion for the inclusion of women of color in the industry. She represents just 5.5% of Black women who are company dancers. This underrepresentation emphasizes her unique perspective on the importance of feminist concepts in traditionally exclusive spheres. Such perspectives enable her to not only be an extraordinarily talented dancer, but also an invaluable advocate for women struggling to find their place in the dance industry.