Llanchie Stevenson facts for kids

Llanchie Stevenson (born Rosemary Llanchie Stevenson) is an amazing American ballet dancer. She made history by being the first African-American dancer at the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company. She was also the first African-American female dancer at the National Ballet of Washington. Later, she became a founding member and a main dancer with the famous Dance Theatre of Harlem. Llanchie retired from dancing when she converted to Islam.

Becoming a Dancer

Llanchie Stevenson started learning to dance at the Bernice Johnson Dance Studio. She loved ballet! When she went to LaGuardia High School, she wanted to focus on classical ballet.

However, because she was African-American, some people tried to make her switch to modern dance. They thought classical ballet wasn't for black dancers at that time. But Llanchie really wanted to be a professional ballet dancer. Her father spoke up for her, and she was able to continue her classical ballet training.

Her Amazing Career

Starting Out

After finishing high school at age seventeen, Llanchie took a class at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The famous dancer Alvin Ailey noticed her talent right away! He invited her to join his professional dance company.

Llanchie toured with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Even though she was doing modern dance, Alvin Ailey encouraged her to keep practicing her ballet and pointe work. He even suggested she try out for the ballet company at Radio City Music Hall.

Breaking Barriers

Llanchie auditioned for the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company. She worked hard on her dance moves and was accepted! This was a huge moment because she became the first African-American dancer in that company.

At the time, many classical ballet roles were not written for black dancers. So, new parts were created just for Llanchie because of her unique talent.

Facing Challenges

After Radio City Music Hall, Llanchie wanted to join the New York City Ballet. She got a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet for two years. Many of her classmates joined the New York City Ballet, but Llanchie wasn't offered a spot.

She asked George Balanchine, who directed the school and the New York City Ballet, about her chances. He told her that even though an African-American male dancer, Arthur Mitchell, was in the company, they weren't ready for a black woman. He said a black woman would "break the corps line," meaning she would stand out too much in the group of dancers. This showed the racial challenges dancers of color faced.

Joining New Companies

Llanchie then auditioned for the National Ballet of Washington. She was accepted and became part of the corps de ballet (the group of dancers). She was the only African-American dancer in that company when she joined.

After a few years, Arthur Mitchell, the dancer from New York City Ballet, reached out to her. He had started his own company, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, which focused on creating opportunities for black ballet dancers. Llanchie joined as a founding member and became the company's first principal dancer (a main dancer).

She performed many important roles with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, including a lead part in Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. She toured with the company and performed at famous places like Jacob's Pillow Dance.

Llanchie also helped change ballet traditions. She started wearing brown tights over her pink tights. This helped pave the way for other dancers of color to wear brown tights and pointe shoes, making ballet more inclusive.

New Path and Retirement

Later, Llanchie felt discouraged because she wasn't getting the roles she wanted at Dance Theatre of Harlem. She started reading a book called How to Eat to Live. This book had messages about Islam that inspired her.

She decided to learn more about Islam and eventually converted from Christianity. She changed her name to Aminah. Because traditional Islamic teachings suggest women should not perform in public or uncovered in front of men, Llanchie decided to retire from ballet.

After retiring, she continued to share her love of movement. She taught ballet and gymnastics to Muslim girls. Her focus was on teaching discipline and keeping them healthy, not on training them to become professional dancers.