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2020, making her the school's first
African American female full-time faculty member. Her tenure started in September 2020. Rochester Museum & Science Center celebrated her appointment by declaring her one of its "women who changed the world 'change makers'", along with a dedicated exhibit in her
323:
In 2011, Ash founded the Swan Dream
Project to encourage African American children to start ballet. For the project, she was photographed in full ballet attire in order to raise fund for other projects that also promoted diversity in ballet. The project also has a summer camp in Ash's hometown,
296:
in
Lausanne, Switzerland, as a soloist. In an interview with Dance Magazine, Ash revealed that she did not enjoy her time at Bejart and left after 2 years because she was constantly being typecast in roles with "fierce, strong energy", and denied the opportunity to revel in her softer side.
347:(SAB) started their diversity committee, Ash was one of the founding members. She taught the school's workshop in California the following year, was an SAB guest faculty member for the 2016-2017 school year, and was the visiting faculty chair between 2018 and 2020. In July 2019, she gave a
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where she shared her story, spoke about the challenges she faced as a Black woman in ballet, and invited a young aspiring dancer to visit the New York and to tour the School of
American Ballet after the pandemic was lifted. In January 2021, she was invited by
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about the importance of leaving one's comfort zones in order to "find home". Ash was invited to join the permanent faculty of the School of
American Ballet in 2019, though she did not accept the position until January
169:. Following her retirement from performing, she founded The Swan Dreams Project in 2011 to dispel stereotypes about Black women in ballet. In 2020, she became the first African American female faculty member at the
368:
In
December 2021, it was announced that Ash will become the School of American Ballet's associate chair of faculty, a newly created position, in summer 2022, while Darla Hoover will be the chair of faculty.
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312:, where she acknowledged the difficulty of changing companies, but her willingness to do so in pursuit of greater artistic challenges. Concurrent with this period, she also toured with
281:. Ash departed the company in 2003 following her father's death, having grown tired of facing years of discrimination as well as being encouraged to leave by City Ballet's director,
185:. She started ballet, tap and jazz at 5 at a local studio. When she was 10, she switched studio to focus on ballet. At age 13, she traveled to New York City to train at
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1154:"Aesha Ash Shares Her Pioneering Journey as a Professional Ballerina to Becoming the First Black Female Permanent Faculty Member at the School of American Ballet"
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for their distinction as excellent dancers with the company. While with the company she performed leading roles in
Balanchine's
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464:"'Images had power': Former ballerina uses images to empower women of color, children from underprivileged communities"
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189:'s summer intensive. She attended the course two more years before being accepted as a full-time student. She won the
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153:(born December 30, 1977) is an American ballet dancer and teacher. She danced numerous leading roles as a member of
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Dreamers
Academy to speak about her journey and share her message “to never let anyone define who you are.”
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1080:"Aesha Ash Is Bringing Her Boundary-Defying Spirit to SAB As Its First Black Female Full-Time Teacher"
1031:"Aesha Ash Is Bringing Her Boundary-Defying Spirit to SAB As Its First Black Female Full-Time Teacher"
805:"How Former New York City Ballet Dancer Aesha Ash Is Encouraging a New Generation of Black Ballerinas"
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1340:"Trailblazer Aesha Ash chosen as first Black female full-time faculty at School of American Ballet"
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until 2020, then moved to New York when Ash took up her position at the School of
American Ballet.
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as "an elite ballerina helping everyone feel welcome onstage." She was also featured in the book
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at the age of 18. She was the only black woman in the company at the time and remained in the
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1220:"Meet Aesha Ash, the ballerina in the inner cities changing stereotypes about black women"
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company in San
Francisco. Five months after joining the company, she was profiled by
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1130:"Aesha Ash Surprises Aspiring 8-Year-Old Ballerina With Life-Changing Opportunity"
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in 1996. She will become the school's associate chair of faculty in summer 2022.
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514:"BALLET REVIEW;A Workshop That Ends With a Bang And a Tribute (Published 1996)"
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In 1996, after leading the SAB student workshop as the lead in Balanchine's
1006:"Aesha Ash is making history at New York City's School of American Ballet"
328:, where Ash resided. In 2016, she won the Women Making History Award from
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between 2007 and 2008. She retired from dancing at the end of that year.
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893:"Aesha Ash: the elite ballerina helping everyone feel welcome onstage"
850:"Ballerina Aesha Ash Is Challenging Stereotypes About Race and Ballet"
1314:"Why Aesha Ash is Wandering Around Inner City Rochester in a Tutu"
831:"Why Aesha Ash is Wandering Around Inner City Rochester in a Tutu"
1390:"A ballerina who reached her dreams now helps kids reach theirs"
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for her works. That same year, she was profiled for her work in
1202:(Short), Maria Kowroski, Aesha Ash, Regina Sobel, Jan Burkhard
1427:
American Museum of Women's History Congressional Commission
1055:"What Makes It So Difficult to Diversify Ballet Faculties?"
773:"Tracing Evolution of Works and a Style (Published 2007)"
377:
In 2001, Ash appeared in Richard Blanshard's documentary
1423:"Women Making History Awards an Evening of Inspiration"
957:"Aesha Ash Faculty Bio - The School of American Ballet"
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honor. Soon after her appointment, she appeared on the
1199:
Living a Ballet Dream: Six Dancers Tell Their Stories
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Ash is married to Natale Ruello, a vice president at
1105:"New exhibit highlights women who changed the world"
580:"Aesha Ash Takes Her Place at the Head of the Class"
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That same year, she was introduced to choreographer
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715:"Where Are All the Black Swans? (Published 2007)"
607:"Where Are All the Black Swans? (Published 2007)"
547:"Pas de Quatre: Hopes of Spring (Published 1998)"
300:She returned to the U.S. in 2005 to perform with
1179:"School of American Ballet Appoints New Leaders"
403:during more complex sequences in the 2000 film
292:, who invited her to perform with his company,
1270:"Our Favorite Movie Dance Doubles of All Time"
8:
248:, Vienna Waltzes, Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3,
215:. During the 1998 City Ballet season, she,
324:Rochester, and an after-school program in
191:Mae L. Wien Awards for Outstanding Promise
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436:Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise
157:'s corps de ballet and as a soloist with
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421:, and has two children. They lived in
1540:21st-century American women educators
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1530:21st-century American ballet dancers
1525:20th-century American ballet dancers
829:Stahl, Jennifer (January 11, 2017).
640:"Dancer hangs up her NYCB toe shoes"
1535:American expatriates in Switzerland
1004:Quijano, Elaine (August 17, 2020).
848:Bahadur, Nina (February 16, 2018).
1177:Kourlas, Gia (December 16, 2021).
925:"The Ballerina's Little Black Book
868:"2016 Women Making History Awards"
383:New York City Ballet Work Out II,
16:American ballet dancer and teacher
14:
1505:School of American Ballet faculty
1296:"An Oral History of Center Stage"
1196:Blanshard, Richard (2001-10-23),
381:. Additional appearances include
338:The Ballerina's Little Black Book
1520:Artists from Rochester, New York
1490:School of American Ballet alumni
1029:Applebaum, Daniel (2020-09-04).
771:Dunning, Jennifer (2007-10-22).
578:Kourlas, Gia (August 13, 2020).
545:Dunning, Jennifer (1998-05-01).
512:Dunning, Jennifer (1996-06-05).
1545:21st-century American educators
1480:African-American female dancers
1475:African-American ballet dancers
872:National Women's History Museum
664:"Does Classicism Have a Color?"
330:National Women's History Museum
275:'s Bournonville Divertissements
1294:Angyal, Chloe (May 11, 2020).
318:Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company
167:Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company
139:Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company
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1515:Dancers from New York (state)
688:Howard, Rachel (2005-10-30).
1510:Mae L. Wien Award recipients
1495:New York City Ballet dancers
462:Nguyen, Chris (2020-02-29).
1450:Swan Dreams Project website
713:Kourlas, Gia (2007-05-06).
605:Kourlas, Gia (2007-05-06).
256:, Midsummer's Night Dream,
181:Ash was born and raised in
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444:Women Making History Award
1421:McGraw, H. (2016-03-23).
492:School of American Ballet
345:School of American Ballet
187:School of American Ballet
171:School of American Ballet
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488:"The Mae L. Wien Awards"
392:Barbie in the Nutcracker
302:Alonzo King LINES Ballet
163:Alonzo King LINES Ballet
135:Alonzo King LINES Ballet
1344:Democrat and Chronicle
1245:"A sweet "Nutcracker""
246:Le Tombeau de Couperin
933:Brown Girls Do Ballet
395:. She also served as
379:Living a Ballet Dream
227:were all profiled by
746:Spark (2003-09-03).
423:San Jose, California
326:San Jose, California
314:Christopher Wheeldon
209:New York City Ballet
155:New York City Ballet
127:New York City Ballet
1485:American ballerinas
358:Kelly Clarkson Show
306:contemporary ballet
273:August Bournonville
217:Alexandra Ansanelli
183:Rochester, New York
58:Rochester, New York
1388:Ferguson, Jill L.
777:The New York Times
719:The New York Times
611:The New York Times
584:The New York Times
551:The New York Times
518:The New York Times
468:ABC7 San Francisco
343:In 2015, when the
225:Benjamin Millepied
123:Former groups
1500:Morphoses dancers
1158:Disney Parks Blog
690:"FINDING HER WAY"
207:, Ash joined the
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1370:. 2008-11-06
1368:Dance Spirit
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