En Avant

How far would you go to take a bow?

En Avant — Plot

“En Avant” highlights the internal struggle of a Black ballerina with self-acceptance as she faces racism in a white-dominated art form. It tells the story of one's battle with self-love through black-and-white imagery. After being cast in the lead role of a professional ballet, Ragan is pressured by the ballet’s director to lighten her skin with make-up, in order to be consistent with the white dancers on stage. She reluctantly goes along with the request, but with each performance in the lighter make-up, she feels more degraded. When a young adoring fan tells her she wants to be just like her, the dancer cannot continue to perform feeling such shame. She makes a decision to be authentic, and dance freely, in her own skin.

• Release date
• April 28, 2022
• Runtime
• 12 min
• Genres
• Drama
• Director
• Sarah Jean Williams

En Avant — Cast

Toi'ya Leatherwood Ragan Kevin Scott Allen Leon

N

Natalya James Washington Bailey

N

Noraye Gardiner Young Ragan

K

Katie O'Gara Core Dancer #1

E

Emily Van Citters Core Dancer #2

E

Eliza S. Tollett Core Dancer #3 Anaïs Blake Core Dancer #4