Philadelphia Mural Honors Black Ballet Matriarchs

A new mural in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighborhood will honor Essie Marie Dorsey, Sydney King, Marion Cuyjet, and Joan Myers Brown—Black ballet pioneers who trained generations despite segregation. The Black Dance Legacy Mural, designed by Bernard Collins Jr., is a collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia and will be installed on a wall belonging to Victoria Fernandez, sister of Odunde Festival founder Lois Fernandez. Karen Warrington, a former dancer with the Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble, spearheaded the project after 15 years of advocacy. The mural also pays tribute to Judith Jamison and Michaela DePrince. Work begins in late May 2025, with a dedication in June 2025. A complementary event series, 'Black Dance Collab,' co-convened by Warrington and Jovida Hill, will accompany the unveiling.