In celebration of Black History Month, LaDuca is honored to spotlight eight inspiring performers who not only exude Black Excellence on Broadway, but who are also an integral part of modern Black History themselves.
“I feel such pride being a black woman on Broadway! I’ll never forget one night performing the opening number of Aladdin, there was this sweet little Black girl a few rows back from the front. She and I locked eyes and she stared at me for the rest of the show. I felt so emotional because I remember being that little girl and I knew how significant of a moment that was. She saw herself in me. She could be on Broadway too one day. Representation matters.”
~ Khori Petinaud
Khori Petinaud began dancing at 13 and has never looked back since. She studied at Russell’s School of Ballet in Chantilly, VA, Dance Theater of Harlem, North Carolina School of the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and received her BFA in dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
She was a part of the original Broadway casts of Moulin Rouge, and Aladdin. Additional credits include In the Heights (Kennedy Center), The Color Purple (National Tour), King Kong, American Dance Machine, Freddie Falls in Love (Signature Theater: Al Blackstone) and Roman Holiday (San Francisco). Tv credits include: Rent: Live (FOX), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon), Vinyl (HBO), The Knick (Cinemax), and Z:The Beginning of Everything (Amazon).
What Black History Month means to Khori:
Black history is American history. If we’ve learned anything in this past year, it’s that the very foundations of this country were built on the backs of Black people and yet we are still extremely underrepresented in places of power. That must change. Especially on Broadway.”
Black History Month is a time to celebrate our wins. This year, BHM has even more significance for me because I now have a son! Because they did, he can, and that makes me beam with pride thinking of all the possibilities that will be available to him moving forward! I want my son to look around and see himself reflected in every corner of this world. From Producer, to Architect, to Wall Street banker, to Theater owner, to Scientist, to Costume designer, to Director, to Chef, to whatever his little heart desires.
You can follow Khori at @kmr8787 on Instagram.
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