Find a photo of the ballerinas Kennedy George and Ava Holloway standing in front of the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. (Note: The original photo, which you can find at the beginning of the Dance Magazine article Meet Ava Holloway and Kennedy George, the Teens Whose Photo Dancing On a Confederate Statue Went Viral, contains profanity. For a version without profanity, pause the Inside Edition video Ballerinas Reclaim Space Home to Robert E. Lee Statue With Photo Shoot at 0:06, and share that image with your child instead.) Ask your students:
What aspects of this photo stand out to you?
Where do you find beauty in this image?
Tell your child that this photo depicts two young ballerinas who participated in the protests that occurred over the summer of 2020 at the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia. Then, read the following excerpt from the Richmond Times-Dispatch article How a photo of young ballerinas at the Lee statue became an iconic image of Black Lives Matter with your students:
When 14-year-old dancers Kennedy George and Ava Holloway heard that the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue was coming down, they knew they had to be there.
They headed out in their matching black ballerina skirts and pointe shoes for an impromptu photo session.
“We went to the monument to capture a joyous moment,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy and Ava have been dancing since they were 3 years old at the Central Virginia Dance Academy.
“Dance, for me, is like the better half of myself,” Kennedy said. “It’s like my alter ego. It helps express different parts of who I am.”
“I feel stronger, I feel graceful, I feel confident when I’m dancing,” Ava said.
With the backdrop of the Lee pedestal covered with graffiti behind them, Kennedy and Ava stood proudly on pointe, wearing black tutus and raising their fists in a symbol of strength.
Ask your child:
Has your initial response to this photo changed now that you know more about the context? If so, how?
What do you think Kennedy and Ava’s dance meant to them?
What do you think this dance meant to the people who saw it or saw the image?
What do you think this suggests about the power of art and representation?
