Daphne Lee Is Breaking Stereotypes & Inspiring the Next Generation of Ballerinas
As a first-generation Afro-Latina, Daphne Lee has inspired ballet dancers of color worldwide by simply being herself. Talking to Lee is refreshing and enlightening as she exudes contagious energy through the phone. It’s no wonder the dynamic dancer won Miss Black USA in 2017 and was later featured in the opening video for Beyoncé’s acclaimed Mrs. Carter World Tour. As wise as she is talented, Lee is committed to breaking stereotypes about what a ballet dancer looks like according to Eurocentric beauty and body standards.
Hailing from New Jersey, Lee’s late mother exposed her to Black ballerinas early on. “I grew up out the womb seeing brown tights and brown pointe shoes,” Lee tells EDITION. Her mother would take her to the New York City Ballet and ask her what she noticed. “I was like, ‘Wait, there's nobody like me, there's only one,’ and at the time, it was Andrea Long,” Lee says. “However, the companies are changing rapidly. When you go to New York City Ballet, of course, there's not half the company filled with people of color, but it's with more than what I saw when I was a little kid.”
Despite her interest in ballet, Lee didn’t always set out to become the renowned dancer she is today. She originally wanted to be a doctor. Fortunately, Lee’s parents encouraged her to pursue her passion as a means for financial stability. When she reached the age of 18, Lee auditioned for The Juilliard School as a joke to see if she could make the cut – and she successfully made it to the end of the audition. However, Lee graduated with honors from The Ailey School/Fordham BFA program in dance.
Subsequently, Lee traveled the world as a modern contemporary dancer before transitioning into ballet. “Most ballet dancers start off in ballet, go to the major ballet schools, and then eventually do other things once they decide they don’t want to do ballet anymore,” Lee says. “It's just really incredible how I've evolved in terms of my artistry and how I'm expressing movement, how I'm able to see choreography and understand the Black aesthetics that come from it. That’s what I'm able to teach and pass down is understanding sourcing, understanding how choreography and movement are made on bodies.”
Over the years, Lee has witnessed positive changes within the world of ballet, from increased diversity to acceptance of an array of body types. “Ballet companies are allowing people of color to have the option of wearing flesh-tone tights because it looks better for their line, which was something my company Dance Theatre of Harlem had invented back in 1969. So, it's interesting to see how it's shifting,” Lee states. “Body types are now shifting. Even the Radio City Rockettes have a wider range of body types. So, I think there's an overall conversation going on.”
Further, in 2020, Lee wrote about identity politics within ballet while completing her master’s at Hollins University. She adds, “Hair has been a big thing that's been shifting in the ballet world. Recently, I went to City Ballet to see a performance, and there were several Black dancers on stage, and they had afros. So, that was really unique. That would have never been the case, or they would have been asked to straighten their hair.” Lee, who wears her natural hair with confidence, mentions the ballet world is “still not 100 percent there, but it's very different than what it was when I was younger.”
Despite Lee’s many achievements, she hasn’t been immune to life’s hurdles. She lost her mother in 2020 and has taken care of her father, who has Lewy body dementia. “The past five years for me has been extremely tough, but also extremely rewarding. So, it's about finding that balance and how do I just amplify the moments I have,” Lee says. She cites faith, therapy, friendships, and staying productive as the pillars of what’s kept her motivated. “I think I didn't want to sit in sorrow. I wanted to stay active and get ignited by positive things. So, getting distracted with my scholarship – I have a scholarship for performing artists of color that go to college – and having things around that worked for me was how I got through it.”
While COVID-19 has impacted dance companies globally, Lee is among the 18-member Dance Theatre of Harlem that's remained employed. As was the case with many businesses with the onslaught of the pandemic, the dancers shifted to working digitally. To keep the audience engaged, dancers would host virtual lectures and demonstrations. Company class rehearsals took place via Zoom. Lee adds, “I was very lucky that I got the opportunity to still stay active where many of the bigger ballet companies had to shut down because there were too many dancers to keep a flow and to keep in studios, but we were very small. We had our testing. We were able to go in and out of the studio, ready to work.”
Reflecting on her career as a ballerina throughout the years, Lee remains grateful that she hasn’t lost her identity. For burgeoning dancers of color, Lee advises them not to lose their cultural identity. “Sometimes young dancers get inspired by the ballerinas and everything that comes with it. I want them to be able to understand that having cornrows braided into a bun is still a bun. I want them to understand that their melanin and their power and their uniqueness being African American or Afro-Caribbean or Afro Latin in ballet still speaks volumes.”
