All posts tagged: Felix

The Repair Shop: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer Julie Felix and her pointe shoes

The Repair Shop: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer Julie Felix and her pointe shoes

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Britain’s first professional black ballerina was left “winded” and “breathless” after witnessing the restoration of her historic pointe shoes on the BBC’s popular programme, The Repair Shop. Julie Felix, a London-born dancer who is of Caribbean heritage, brought the very ballet shoes she wore for her inaugural professional solo performance four decades ago to the reality series. Her emotional appearance offered a poignant reflection on the profound struggles she endured throughout her pioneering career, with her mother remembered as her staunchest supporter. Ms Felix recounted a pivotal moment in the 1970s when a London ballet company explicitly rejected her due to her race, stating: “we can’t have a brown ballet dancer in the line-up of the swans”. This stark discrimination ultimately compelled her to seek opportunities abroad, shaping her remarkable journey. She subsequently secured a contract with the all-black Dance Theatre …

The Repair Shop: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer Julie Felix and her pointe shoes

Julie Felix: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer and her pointe shoes

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Britain’s first professional black ballerina was left “winded” and “breathless” after witnessing the meticulous restoration of her historic pointe shoes on the BBC’s The Repair Shop. Julie Felix, a London-born dancer, of Caribbean heritage, brought the ballet shoes she wore for her first professional solo performance four decades ago to the popular reality programme. Her appearance offered a poignant reflection on the struggles she endured throughout her career, with her mother remembered as her staunchest supporter. Felix recounted a pivotal moment in the 1970s when a London ballet company rejected her due to her race, explicitly stating, “we can’t have a brown ballet dancer in the line-up of the swans”. This discrimination ultimately led her to seek opportunities abroad. She subsequently secured a contract with the all-black Dance Theatre Of Harlem, based in New York, a move that shaped her professional …

The Repair Shop: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer Julie Felix and her pointe shoes

Julie Felix: The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer and her pointe shoes

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Britain’s first professional black ballerina was left “winded” and “breathless” after witnessing the meticulous restoration of her historic pointe shoes on the BBC’s The Repair Shop. Julie Felix, a London-born dancer, of Caribbean heritage, brought the ballet shoes she wore for her first professional solo performance four decades ago to the popular reality programme. Her appearance offered a poignant reflection on the struggles she endured throughout her career, with her mother remembered as her staunchest supporter. Felix recounted a pivotal moment in the 1970s when a London ballet company rejected her due to her race, explicitly stating, “we can’t have a brown ballet dancer in the line-up of the swans”. This discrimination ultimately led her to seek opportunities abroad. She subsequently secured a contract with the all-black Dance Theatre Of Harlem, based in New York, a move that shaped her professional …

Felix LA Names 52 Exhibitors for 2026 Edition

Felix LA Names 52 Exhibitors for 2026 Edition

Felix LA has named the 52 exhibitors that will participate in its upcoming eighth edition, scheduled to run February 26 to March 1, with a VIP preview on February 25. The art fair, which opens a day before Frieze Los Angeles, will once again return to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The fair includes a mix of established galleries like Corbett vs. Dempsey, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Morán Morán, Nina Johnson, Parrasch Heijnen, and Yossi Milo alongside emerging enterprises like ATLA (of Los Angeles), One Trick Pony (LA), and Plato (New York). Related Articles More than 20 galleries are exhibiting at the fair for the first time, including New York Life Gallery (New York), Feia (LA), and Som Gallery (Tokyo). Additionally, several international galleries will take part, such as Cohju (Kyoto), Patel Brown (Toronto and Montreal), Era Gallery, Milan), Gallery Playlist (Busan and San Francisco), and Ungallery (Buenos Aires). In a statement, the fair’s three cofounders—collector Dean Valentine and dealers Mills Morán and Al Morán —said, “We are thrilled to share the exhibitor list for …