Celebrating the Life and Legacy of World-Renowned African American Ballerina Raven Wilkinson

Raven Wilkinson was an American dancer who is credited with having been the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company. Wilkinson broke the color barrier in 1955 when she signed a contract to dance full-time with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She also went on to dance with the Dutch National Ballet as a soloist, and New York City Opera. Born on February 2, 1935, and passed away on December 17, 2018, Ms. Wilkinson was also a cherished mentor to Misty Copeland.

Led by City Ballet of Los Angeles Founder and Artistic Director Robyn Gardenhire and UC Irvine Dance Historian Ariyan Johnson, this Raven Wilkinson Celebration of Life and Legacy celebration includes performances by LA County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and Colburn School Ballet Dancers with Saiko Fujii, Colburn School Pianist on Sunday, March 19 at 4:00 p.m. at the Ebell Club of Los Angeles.