Boston Ballet is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of the organization in order to realize our vision of a company, school, and community that is truly welcoming to all.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Boston Ballet acknowledges that we gather on the traditional lands of Indigenous peoples, namely the Pawtucket, the Massachusett, and their neighbors the Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Peoples. We give our gratitude to the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land on which we gather. We recognize this as a part of our core belief in the transformative power of dance and our commitment to educating, enriching, and healing our community.
For information on resources and services provided by the Commission on Indian Affairs of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, please visit the COMMISSION ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, STATE OF MA.
DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is central to realizing BOSTON BALLET’S MISSION to inspire, empower, and deepen community through dance. Our goal is to be relevant to and reflective of the community we serve; recognize value in all voices; create welcoming experiences that connect, inspire, and enrich our community; communicate with honesty, clarity and transparency; and listen carefully to one another in order to honor our varying perspectives and lived experiences.
At Boston Ballet, diversity is respecting the intersection of varied differences and identities in our society, including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, nationality, culture, socio-economic status, and parental status. We define equity as the quality of being just, impartial, transparent, and fair to ensure everyone has equal opportunity in all levels of the organization—on and off stage. Inclusion means building a culture of belonging by engaging all voices in our organization and community.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN
Boston Ballet is committed to creating internal organizational systems, processes, structures, and cultures that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We believe in taking intentional and actionable steps to address systemic racism, elitism, and exclusion in our organization, our industry, and our community.
Beginning in 2021, organization-wide DEI efforts are organized around three strategic priorities:
- Create an inclusive, thriving workplace.
- Build a more racially diverse team.
- Evolve relevance of artistic identity and repertoire.
Internal, cross-functional teams are working to set quantifiable goals, establish baseline data, and prioritize projects for each strategic priority in consultation with external experts.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Boston Ballet’s Education and Community Initiatives (ECI) department has created the ECI TOOLBOX highlighting educational materials on racial equity and justice in dance and our communities.
A COLLECTION compiled by Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MOB Ballet) and The Equity Project is also available.
