En Avant (2022)
How far would you go to take a bow?
“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.
- Date of release
- 2022-04-28
- Runtime
- 12m
- Genres
- Drama
- Director
- Sarah Jean Williams
Casting
- Toi'ya Leatherwood — Ragan
- Kevin Scott Allen — Leon
- Natalya James Washington — Bailey
- Noraye Gardiner — Young Ragan
- Katie O'Gara — Core Dancer #1
- Emily Van Citters — Core Dancer #2
- Eliza S. Tollett — Core Dancer #3
- Anaïs Blake — Core Dancer #4
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- Salomé 2013 · ★ 6.1
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- Kisses 2008 · ★ 7.1
- Bastard Out of Carolina 1996 · ★ 7.1
- The Kindness of Strangers 2019 · ★ 6.4
- The Young One 1960 · ★ 7.0
- Home 2021 · ★ 6.7
- Inside I'm Dancing 2004 · ★ 7.4
- The Truth About Emanuel 2013 · ★ 6.0