Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story
By Tracy Moore,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspirational animated tale of famous black ballerina soars.
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Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story
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What's the Story?
In the 1930s, Janet Collins had big dreams to be a ballerina, but none of the other girls looked like her. With encouragement from her parents, dedication, and practice, she earned a spot as the first African-American ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera House, even after being asked to paint her face white. Along the way Collins learned a troubling lesson about achieving success as a minority: that you have to be twice as good to even get a foot in the door.
Is It Any Good?
Narrated by Chris Rock, this is an accessible, inspirational true story that can teach kids a lot about the lingering effects of slavery and racism in Jim Crow America. For girls and boys who are fans of ballet, this is a familiar story about the hard work, dedication, and practice it takes to be good at the art form. But it's also a story of unimaginable success and triumph during a time when the ballet was all white, all the more surprising given the fact that the recent success of Misty Copeland as the second-ever African-American ballerina comes 60 years after Collins paved the way. Some difficult moments tell the hardship of Collins' experiences but serve as a great primer on the realities of racism and discrimination.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why ballerinas are so popular. What makes them such interesting figures?
Why was Janet Collins asked to paint her face white? How do you think that made her feel?
What made Janet Collins a success? Do you think you could keep dancing if you were her? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 1, 2015
- Cast: Chris Rock
- Director: Saxton Moore
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Sweet Blackberry
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models, History
- Run time: 17 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
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