Adolph
Bolm

Janet Collins, the first black artist at the Metropolitan Opera,was a prima ballerina of the Metropolitan Opera House in the early 1950s, and one of a very few black women to become prominent in American classical ballet, according to an article by Jennifer Dunning in the NYTimes on May 31, 2003.

She faced an upward struggle and many discouraging moments as she worked hard to excel in her field.

Adolph Bolm, one of the few ballet teachers who accepted black students, along with Lester Horton and Carmelita Maracci, provided the training that Janet turned into a fruitful career in dance through her determination, hard work, and talent.

In 1949 following Ms. Collins' New York debut, John Martin, dance critic of The New York Times, called her style an eclectic mix of modern dance and ballet, describing her as "the most exciting young dancer who has flashed across the current scene in a long time".

He went on to say, "There is a wonderful sense of aliveness in the dancer's presence and in her moving. She is not self-absorbed, but is dancing comletely and wholesouledly for an audience. On the other hand, there is no air of showing off about it, no coyness or coquetry, but only an apparent desire to establish and maintain a communicative contact."

Janet Collins was born in New Orleans, and moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 4. She died in Fort Worth on May 28, 2003.