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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Carla Feric

The emotional story behind Britain’s first Black professional ballet dancer and her pointe shoes

Felix recounted a pivotal moment in the 1970s when a London ballet company rejected her due to her race - (Ricochet/BBC/PA Wire)

Britain’s first professional black ballerina was left "winded" and "breathless" after witnessing the restoration of her historic pointe shoes on the BBC’s popular programme, The Repair Shop.

Julie Felix, a London-born dancer who is of Caribbean heritage, brought the very ballet shoes she wore for her inaugural professional solo performance four decades ago to the reality series.

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