Frances McElroy

Frances’ documentary Black Ballerina uses the overwhelmingly white world of ballet to raise consciousness about issues of race, equality, and inclusion. Told through the stories of six women from varied generations, united in their passion for ballet, Frances’ film illustrates how the climate for some ballerinas of color has become more encouraging, while for others, there continues to be a lack of opportunity. Not only will Black Ballerina stimulate dialogue revolving around social change, but it will also increase awareness about the lack of diversity in ballet, and encourage the creation of more opportunities for ballerinas of color. Frances’ goal is to make the “gatekeepers” of ballet aware of their own limited, traditional way of thinking. 

Frances is a documentary filmmaker who uses her art to give voice to those whose lives reflect social justice concerns. Her work consists of telling the personal stories of individuals and organizations that stimulate recognition of shared problems, increased understanding, and action. As a filmmaker with nearly 25 years experience, she is also a mentor, encouraging young filmmakers to create work with a social purpose. Her two most recent projects are Making Waves, a film exploring ways to increase racial diversity in the historically white sport of rowing, and Mirror Dance, a story of twin sisters whose art of ballet sustained them during a 40-year estrangement following the Cuban Revolution. Previous work includes An Angel In The Village, a documentary about Lily Yeh’s activist work with youth in North Philadelphia, and Our Food Our Future, which looks at community-based food programs working to solve hunger and food insecurity. Beyond the content of her films, Frances sees opportunity for social change in their exhibition and distribution. Her films are aimed at public, non-commercial, free television, creating the opportunity for those who may not otherwise be inspired or challenged by its subject matter to see her work. She also makes her films available to educational, cultural, community and advocacy groups to stimulate dialogue and motivate change. Frances is committed to representing subjects through personal, unfiltered representation and approaching their stories with conscience and compassion.

Support for work with film editor on a documentary for public television about the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ballycastle, Ireland.