As a junior soloist ballerina for the prestigious English National Ballet company, Precious Adams has graced stages across the world and has amassed a long career of outstanding achievements and fans in the ballet community. Outside of her phenomenal dancing abilities, Adams is known as a significant advocate for diversity and progression within the sport.
Originally from Michigan, Adams possessed a natural talent for dance from a young age and couldn’t help but notice that the traditional uniform of pink tights and ballet shoes were designed to match only the fair-skinned dancers’ skin tones, making her feel like an outsider. In the predominately white sport, this was the centuries-old standard and Adams knew something needed to change.
After receiving a revered position at a world-class ballet school in the UK, Precious decided to actively speak up. In 2018, she pushed her school to start allowing more options for dance and performance wear during practice and performance, which included tights and shoes in a range of melanin-rich tones. Her goal was to create a more inclusive image that doesn't fall short to the limitations of race and color. Not only did her school start implementing this practice, but a long list of ballet companies have also begun to follow her footsteps to include a range of tones to their dancewear.
Adams, who was recently tapped by fitness brand Gymshark to be a part of their 'We The Changemakers' campaign, aims to broaden people's ideas of what a lead performer, beauty and quality looks like, especially in a traditional art like ballet. She hopes to implement lasting change and continues to advocate for change with every pirouette.
