By Leondra Head
ATLANTA (WUPA) — For many young Black ballerinas, something as simple as finding ballet shoes that match their skin tone can feel like an uphill battle, one that affects their confidence, sense of belonging, and visibility in an art form long shaped by Eurocentric standards.
An Atlanta entrepreneur is trying to change that.
In her Eagle’s Landing dance studio, 17-year-old Amira Lewis dips a makeup brush into a compact, brushing foundation across her pale ballet slippers — a ritual she’s repeated for years.
“When I was younger, I remember going into a dance store and I could not find my color,” she said. “They didn’t have the color that was closest to my skin tone.”
Ballet tradition calls for shoes that match a dancer’s legs, creating a seamless line that gives the illusion of dancing barefoot. But for dancers like Amira, that meant extra labor.
“I would always have to paint my jazz shoes, ballet shoes with makeup so they would match my tights and skin tone,” she said. “I would paint them every competition because the makeup would rub off on stage.”
The constant blending, matching, repainting was frustrating.
“It was disappointing,” she said. “It made me feel like I didn’t belong.”
That feeling is exactly what Atlanta-based entrepreneur and former dancer Jamia Ramsey set out to address.
Ramsey launched Blendz in 2018 after growing up in studios where dancers still wore “pink and tan tights that mostly matched fair skin tones.”
“Not having the right dancewear makes you feel like you don’t belong,” Ramsey said. “I wanted to make sure the next generation had shoes and tights that matched their skin tone.”
Blendz now offers four inclusive shades — Tan, Brazen Brown, Mahogany, and CoCo — designed specifically with young dancers of color in mind.
For Amira, that changed everything.
“When I got my ballet shoes, my confidence grew,” she said.
Dance instructors have long struggled to find products that reflect the diversity of their students.
“We have tried every brand you can imagine for different skin tones,” said Vanessa Gibson, owner of Eagle’s Landing Dance Center. “Blendz is the only one out of the many we’ve tried that comes closest to all of the girls’ skin tones.”
Ramsey personally fits dancers, including helping parents and kids find the right shade.
“To be here and have a brand that supports our skin tone gives us hope,” one mother told CBS News Atlanta.
When asked what shade he’d wear if he were a dancer, Ramsey told CBS News Atlanta: “Our Brazen Brown. It matches [my] skin tone.”
Amira has big dreams: becoming a professional ballerina.
And while shoes won’t determine the outcome, representation matters, especially in a discipline where so many young Black girls still struggle to see themselves.
With the right shade, the right support, and a stage that finally reflects her, Amira says she feels one step closer.
“The right shoes,” she said, “help me shine.”
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
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