Label
Born March 7, 1917, in New Orleans, LA
Died May 28, 2003, in Fort Worth, TX
Prima ballerina Janet Collins was one of the first Black artists to perform on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. She won the Donaldson Award for best dancer in a Broadway musical in 1950, and then debuted at the Metropolitan the following year with a leading role in Aida. She remained with the Metropolitan’s ballet company until 1955, dancing in Carmen, La Gioconda, and Samson and Delilah. After touring the United States and Canada in solo dance concerts, she taught at colleges and dance institutions in New York and California before retiring to Seattle to paint.