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This week's episode:
For decades, dancers of colour at classical ballet companies have used makeup to dye their pink pointe shoes a darker shade to match their skin tone. My guest this week, award-winning ballerina Cira Robinson, tells me about the day she got tired of ‘pancaking’ and asked the renowned shoemaker Freed of London to make a pair of brown pointe shoes for her.
What we discuss in this episode:
If you liked this episode, it would be great if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help others discover the show. This is the first of two episodes on inclusive pointe shoes. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss my interview with Cassa Pancho, founder of Ballet Black, in a few weeks!
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About Cira Robinson
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cira began her ballet career as an apprentice with the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble. After a few months, she became a full member and danced many works from the DTH repertoire under the guidance of Arthur Mitchell.
She joined Ballet Black in London in 2008 and in 2013 was nominated for Outstanding Classical Female at the Critics Circle National Dance Awards. While at Ballet Black, Cira worked with the company and with Freed of London to create the first Brown and Bronze pointe shoe for dancers of colour. After retiring in 2022, she took up a new role as Director of the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars.
Follow Cira on Instagram: @ciraoslynn
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Connect with Made for Us
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Cassa Pancho on designing the future of ballet
A payment card that talks: the new, inclusive tool in banking
Ahead of the curve, part 2: helmet innovation and inclusivity, with Randy Swart of Helmets.org
Ahead of the curve, part 1: the helmet designer bringing diversity to sports, with Tina Singh of Bold Helmets
A new level of gaming: designing video games for all abilities, with Vivek Gohil
Game on: levelling the playing field for gamers with disabilities, with SpecialEffect’s Mick Donegan
Bridging the gap, part 2: How data is shaping the future of eyewear, with Reframd's Shariff Vreugd
Bridging the gap, part 1: crafting eyewear for diverse facial features, with Covry's Athina Wang and Florence Shin
Making it as a plus size male model, with Raul Samuel - Episode 10
‘No going back’: lessons from P&G’s product inclusion journey, with Sam Latif - Episode 9
A perfect match: how bandages became inclusive, with Intisar Bashir & Dom Apollon - Episode 8
'Plus size' men's clothing: fashion's best kept secret, with Charlotte Griffiths of BRIDGE Agency - Episode 7
Unlocking innovation through disability inclusion, with Microsoft’s Hector Minto - Episode 6
BONUS: Reflections on creating the headscarf emoji, with Rayouf Alhumedhi
The emoji puzzle: how to fit everyone in, with Emojipedia’s Keith Broni - Episode 4
Changing the narrative around accessible fashion, with Maura Horton - Episode 3
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