Twin Cities woman wants to introduce kids from underrepresented communities to ballet

Emilia Garrido Vásquez describes her ballet education experience as a first-generation immigrant as, in a word, incredible — as in "incredibly generous," "incredibly kind" and "incredibly thankful."

"In order to 'make it' in America, not only do you need to work hard, you also need to get a bit lucky," she said. "And I got so lucky when it came to my art."

In 2015, 14-year-old Garrido moved from Ecuador with her parents. She soon realized she might not be able to continue to learn ballet because of the costs.

Pointe shoes, $100. Leotards, $80. Tights, $15. Soft shoes, $30. Nutcracker costume, $200. Tuition fees, $500. …

As graduate students, Garrido's parents couldn't afford ballet studies in a professional academy. Still, they wanted to support their daughter's dream. So they reached out to St. Paul Ballet, which offered Garrido a placement class.

She clearly remembers how intimidated she felt when she stepped into that classroom. Not only was she the only student of color, but she couldn't speak English.

The instructor, Karen Paulson Rivet, is a light that shines through the towering language barrier for Garrido.

"I don't think that there could have been a better person to introduce dance to me in a more loving and caring way than Karen did," Garrido said, recalling that Rivet would always make sure she understood her directions.

As part of a scholarship to the ballet studio, Garrido has assisted in introductory kids' classes, where she met several Spanish-speaking families facing the same challenge that she once did.

That opened her eyes to the need for bilingual dance classes. So when Garrido was selected as a Philip Scholar by the Minnesota Private College Council (providing $9,500 in scholarships and stipends), she decided to initiate a community-based program to make ballet more accessible to minoritized communities.

Another huge inspiration came from Project Plié, a program initiated by Misty Copeland of the American Ballet Theatre, the first Black woman to become a principal dancer in a major ballet company.

Under Project Plié, instructors hold free class auditions at boys' and girls' clubs to find students with potential and offer scholarships. That is how Copeland was introduced to dance.

"If it wasn't because she took that free introductory-level class at a boys' and girls' club, we would not have a Ms. Copeland today," Garrido said. "If I didn't get that scholarship from St. Paul Ballet, none of these projects, experiences and achievements I have would happen."

So, Garrido is launching her own project, Ballet Explorer.

This bilingual introductory ballet session will welcome children ages 7 to 9 from minoritized communities in the Twin Cities at no cost. Garrido will teach a 45-minute ballet class involving basic steps, barre, jumps and cross-the-floor movements.

The sessions will run from Aug. 15 to 17 at 5 p.m. at St. Paul Ballet, where the executive director, Lori Gleason, has donated studio space.

"Amazing things happens when you're in community," Garrido said.

In addition to Gleason's help, Garrido got another partnership with Grand Jeté, a dance clothing store in St. Paul, which is offering free ballet clothing and shoes for children who attend the sessions.

"We all are consciously working toward equality in accessibility for dance education," Garrido said.

She describes dance as the "ace up my sleeve" that provides the diligence, resilience and perseverance to navigate the challenges in life.

"Dance just gives you a bunch of skills that, even if you don't decide to become a ballet dancer in the future, those skills never leave you," she said.

She hopes Ballet Explorer sessions can give young participants a glimpse of this art form.

"Ballet is one of those things that if you don't start young, it can be very difficult and challenging to pick it up later in life," she said. "I want them to be exposed to resources, to these amazing companies, nonprofit organizations and people, because the ballet community is so small and it's so hard to get in there."

With its European roots, ballet has long been accompanied by the belief that those with Eurocentric characteristics are better fitted to it. According to a survey by Zippia in 2022, 45% of dancers are white and the remaining 55% are split among different minorities, of which Blacks constitute only 4%.

"But I see how it's diversifying now," Garrido said. "I think it's one of the beauties of ballet that it's actually becoming more accessible."

Knowing ballet might not be for everyone, Garrido also is inviting artists who will offer workshops on forms other than ballet.

"I want to make [the class] introductory and accessible, and I want them to have so much fun," she said. "I want them to come here and be excited and to love dance. Because dance is beautiful, is like the language of the soul."

This project is only the first step, she hopes. Her dream is to one day set up a permanent scholarship for children who want to continue dance studies.

"Everything comes full circle, always," she said. "It is really my tiny grain of salt that I can give back."

About Ballet Explorer
When: Aug. 15-17, 5 p.m.
Where: St. Paul Ballet, 655 N. Fairview Av., St. Paul.
Cost: Free.
How to sign up: forms.gle/g19eDi3W3ZBXBLxW9