Īlso, I started pointe before I got the actual job. A lot of the guys actually took pointe then. It can stifle people’s natural gifts, so I love seeing what you’re seeing and I hope it just keeps getting better and better for all of us.ĪE: That also reminds me of an answer to your previous question – what taught me this bravery? At my home studio, there were older dancers who just danced for fun who came in for an open class. I’m in my early thirties, and growing up dancing there was an intense pressure to ‘butch it up’, be more ‘masc’, to present in a certain way. There are schools like Boston Ballet and San Francisco Ballet that now have some queer dancers on pointe and on flat. It’s made me so excited to see progress pop up around at other companies now, it’s so amazing in other schools. You know, that inspires me the most, seeing them. I feel like I knew at a really young age, and so seeing these kids being able to be themselves so early and to grow into themselves is just the most beautiful thing. Seeing the young ones, especially in my company and in the school, makes me so excited for the future to know that there’s a world where it’s not a question. What has it been like working for a company that embraces you?ĪE: It’s taught me so much hope for the future. Being Queer or gender nonconforming is just now becoming part of the conversation at all. Unfortunately the ballet world is built on systems, and full of traditions, that are problematic, often forcing Black dancers to conform to things that are uncomfortable to them. There are just so many talented artists out there, we have to help each other. I felt that in a major way, just knowing so many dreams could come true. Sometimes, what you need might be what the person next to you needs. They taught me courage to really fight for everything I wanted. Where do you feel this bravery comes from and what would you say to other people who desire to do the same thing?Īshton Edwards: I definitely got this bravery from watching really strong women in my life like my mom and my grandmother and my really strong aunt. And then, as a dancer myself, I know it can be a bold move to talk to your director and ask for things you want and need. We’ve been admiring your journey and, what seems to be, a self-possessed drive to forge your own path – from starting dance in a class predominantly of people who don’t look like you to training yourself on pointe during the pandemic. We had the chance to sit down with Ashton and talk about breaking boundaries, honoring their roots, and forging their own path. They have received recognition for breaking barriers as a non-binary dancer performing both traditionally female and male presenting roles and doing so extremely well. Ashton Edwards is a young and talented dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet.
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