Dio Diop, a French-Senegalese dancer, began his dance journey at age four and trained extensively at various conservatories before entering the Paris Opera Ballet School at age twelve.
In 2018, he joined the Paris Opera Ballet and in 2021, he made history as the first quadrille to dance a lead role in a major full-length work since 2003.
Diop, along with four other black dancers and two black singers, wrote a manifesto calling for an end to racial discrimination at the opera house, which resulted in the company responding with a report on diversity and taking actions to tackle racist caricatures.
In March 2023, at 23 years old, Diop was promoted to étoile, becoming the first black dancer to reach this rank in the Paris Opera Ballet’s history.
Source: Mckpage.com
