80 years ago on Monday June 24^th, Ballet Negres, Europe’s first Black ballet company, performed live on BBC Television.

This ground-breaking and innovative company was formed in London in 1946 by Jamaicans Berto Pasuka and Richie Riley, with dancers from the Caribbean, Africa and Britain.  There were some non-black members of the company including my father, Leonard Salzedo and my mother Patricia Clover.

Leonard was music director, composing four ballet scores for the company: ‘De Prophet’, ‘They Came’, ‘Market Day’ and ‘Aggrey’, all of which were choreographed by Berto, and playing them on the piano, with Ambrose Campbell’s West African Rhythm Brothers from Nigeria, credited with being Britain’s first ever black band, providing their own improvised rhythm. My mother was business manager, and then became a dancer as well. Two of the other dancers playing non-black parts were refugees from Nazism in Europe.  

Footage of the BBC TV broadcast, which took place at Alexandra Palace, is shown in the 20-minute film on YouTube Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music

First London season

The company started with an eight week season at the Twentieth Century Theatre, Westbourne Grove, beginning on April 30^th. My father remembered that everyone was very nervous but the performance, in front of a packed house, went very well and, after the final curtain, there was a standing ovation. 

BBC TV appearance June 1946

At the live BBC transmission from Alexandra Palace on 24^th June they performed ‘De Prophet’ and ‘Market Day’.  The programme was introduced by Edric Connor who also sang some Negro spirituals in between the two ballets, while the dancers changed costumes.

Artistic originality

In later years, the company has rightly been remembered for its artistic quality and originality, and audiences at the time gave their performances a rapturous reception, but they did not get the recognition and financial support they deserved, and folded in the early 50s.

I am one of many people proud to remember them now, and keep their memory alive.

Positive Steps

In the 1990s Leon Robinson set up Positive Steps to celebrate Black artists who have contributed to the cultural landscape of England from the 19th Century onwards. He honoured Ballet Negres with exhibitions and talks at the South Bank Centre in the early 2000s.

Black choreographers and dancers

Ballet Negres are also honoured in Voices of British Ballet and Black British Ballet.

Leonard Salzedo

For more information on Leonard Salzedo, read the other blog posts here, and go to his website where there is a biography and a catalogue of his works.

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