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Black-a-Rina: body of mind.(Theresa Ruth Howard )
Theresa Ruth Howard started training at a young age. Prompted by Marion Cuyjet of Philadanco, her father sent her to Pennsylvania Ballet, where she studied with Lupe Serrano and Marion Tonner. At 12, she joined the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company and later danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Donald Byrd/The Group, and Complexions. Currently she dances with Armitage Gone! Dance and teaches at The Ailey School.
Recently while flipping through a magazine I came across an ad that read, "I have thunder thighs." That anonymous declaration catapulted me into a sea of mixed emotions. You see, I have spent my life trying to negotiate my butt and thighs, camouflaging with cover-ups. I have rolled, stretched, dieted endlessly, and dreaded costume fittings. I have never been jiggly fat; quite the contrary, I am solid muscle. Frequently I'm asked if I compete (as in bodybuilding) or run track. I am a big legged woman. I have thunder thighs. I cut the ad out and pasted it in my journal with pride and tender lamentation. Encompassed in those four words was the winding road from self-loathing to acceptance, a journey I am still on.
I have never fit the archetype of a ballerina, forget the fact that I'm black, rock a nappy afro, and at 5' 10"--on pointe easily 6'1"--I am a "Big Girl." The term is supposed to refer to my height, but it has always made me feel like a cow. One could say I have been blessed with an "easy" body: well-proportioned, long-limbed, flexible, ample turnout, decent feet, and strong as an ox. Critics always comment on my musculature, uniformly describing me as "powerful" and "strong." One labeled me "Amazon," which would be empowering if I were trying to be a female wrestler, not a sylph or a swan. My blessing of strength becomes a thorn in my thigh--I mean side.
In some ways the idealistic standard of dance (specifically ballet) supercedes that of the modeling industry. It's not simply about looks but functionality: Beautiful legs must also turn out, go up on pointe, and have an arched foot at their end. In this elusive pursuit of physical and technical perfection, the studio transforms into a carnival of funhouse mirrors, where the eye ...
- Ruth Howard, una estrella 'grupera' de importación. (cantante)(TT: Ruth Howard,...
- Magazine article from: Contenido Torre, Juan de la October 1, 1997 700+ words
Difcilmente lleg a imaginar la estadunidense Ruth Howard, cuando a la edad de 6 aos cantaba himnos religiosos en...mexicanos de este y el otro lado de la frontera. Encarrerada, Ruth Howard espera ahora que su ms reciente grabacin --la balada...
- What's in a name?(RANT & RAVE)(black dance)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Howard, Theresa Ruth February 1, 2008 700+ words
...a standard, will not stand so far apart from its sisters. For these companies are not separate, just equal. Theresa Ruth Howard, a former dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Armitage Gone/Dance, teaches at The Ailey School and internationally...
- Improving stage presence.(THE NEXT LEVEL)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Howard, Theresa Ruth December 1, 2008 700+ words
...share not only the choreographer's vision, but also our singular perspective of it, and to tell the story. Theresa Ruth Howard, a former dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Karole Armitage, teaches at The Ailey School.
- Taming the gypsy in her soul: still a rebel, Karole Armitage pushes the...
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Zimmer, Elizabeth February 1, 2007 700+ words
...like The Alley School and CalArts are emphasizing this. "People who do only one or the other get left out." Theresa Ruth Howard, a striking dancer formerly with Dance Theatre of Harlem, has been with Armitage Gone! Dance for three years...
- Curtain up.(Natalia Osipova)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Perron, Wendy September 1, 2008 700+ words
...about dancers who have felt that sinking feeling of being "stuck" and how they pulled themselves out of it. And Theresa Ruth Howard gives us the lowdown on how to find and keep a teaching gig to supplement your income. These stories will inspire...
- Rant, rave, & respond.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Amin, Takiyah Nur Davis, Christopher F. May 1, 2008 700+ words
I take exception to Theresa Ruth Howard's February "Rant & Rave." While arguably the term "black dance" is "nebulous," that does not mean that it shouldn...
- Curtain up.(ballet dancers and choreographers)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Perron, Wendy February 1, 2008 700+ words
...to kick up a fuss, we have a "Rant & Rave" from our tireless instigator (and dynamic ballet dancer) Theresa Ruth Howard. Here she questions that casually thrown around term "black dance" and shows how it can undermine our understanding...
- Curtain up.(dancing performance)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Perron, Wendy July 1, 2006 700+ words
...Holmes, and a heartfelt plea from Gelsey Kirkland to honor artistry over body image. From a different corner comes Theresa Ruth Howard, a feisty African American dancer who challenges the narrow expectations of the ballet body in her "Rant &...
- Body issues.(Letter to the editor)
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Moore, Rachel S. Curry, Lauren DeBouzek, Jenny October 1, 2006 700+ words
...objectification of their bodies. Rachel S. Moore Executive Director American Ballet Theatre New York, NY I agree with Theresa Ruth Howard's "Rant and Rave" (July) about dancing as an African-American ballerina. As a young black woman, I often...
- Welcome to the second annual jobs issue.
- Magazine article from: Dance Magazine Perron, Wendy March 1, 2007 700+ words
...Spectacular. We also have a focus on Las Vegas, where dance opportunities are booming. In "Beyond the Strip," Theresa Ruth Howard tells us about the three R's of dancing in Vegas: Reliability, Revenue, and Routine. For short-term gigs...
Source: HighBeam Research, Black-a-Rina: body of mind.(Theresa Ruth Howard )