Oklahoma City Ballet believes community, education, excellence, innovation, and inspiration all through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility should be at the heart of what we do.
It is our goal to provide all individuals, from our students, dancers, and staff to our leadership and board, an opportunity to achieve their full potential as ambassadors of art in our community. We are committed to actively promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to all persons working with or for Oklahoma City Ballet. We believe that the importance of varying perspectives is paramount to successfully representing our community with fervent integrity and cause. We will continuously pursue inclusivity both internally and externally, assuring all in our community that they have a voice which is heard, respected, and welcome.
We believe dance has the power to change lives and inspire people from all racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is our pledge to amplify the voices that reflect our diverse and supportive community. We will continue to move in a forward direction creating positive, uplifting, and sustainable change not just in our organization, or local community, but on a broader global stage at large.
We recognize the social and racial disparities that have been a historic part of ballet for over 100 years. We pledge to develop nurture, and supports efforts of anti-racism, social injustice, and equality. We commit to training and evolving our organization and its people so that we are effectively representing our mission of inclusivity in a cohesive, vibrant manner. From our repertoire, marketing, and vision, to our hiring practices, and outsourced contracting. We will ensure all feel welcome, represented, and celebrated. We will continuously review and develop our artistic programming, company collaborations, hiring practices and recruitment, and educational outreach, within our company and school, to ensure alignment with anti-racism and equity initiatives.
A Snapshot of our current and past initiatives:
In honor of Black History Month we've compiled the resources below for use in our Community Engagement and Yvonne Chouteau School classes. Feel free to use them with your own students.
Oklahoma City Ballet inspires its audience through classical and contemporary dance performances, a strong educational program, and community engagement.
We honor the Indigenous people who inhabited these lands before the United States was established, including the Apache, Caddo, Tonkawa, and Wichita. We also honor those tribes who have a historic relationship with this region, including the Comanche, Kiowa, Osage, and Quapaw. Before Statehood, we recognize that the lands around Oklahoma City were federally assigned to the Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole Nations. Today, 39 distinct tribal nations reside in Oklahoma. OKC Ballet gratefully acknowledges each nation for their continued leadership in caring for and respecting the land upon which we work and create.
Special thanks to the First Americans Museum for their guidance and contribution in preparing this acknowledgment.
Oklahoma City Ballet is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. Oklahoma City Ballet, in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of: race; color, national, social, or ethnic origin; age; religion or belief; gender; sexual orientation; gender identity; marital, civil union, domestic partner, or family state; disability; genetic information; Veteran status; or another characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. We expect and require the cooperation of all employees in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free workplace.
