🪞SWANK LOG ENTRY
The Ballet School Withdrawal
Or, How Racism in Pink Tights Prompted an Exit Worth Archiving
Filed: 31 October 2024
Reference Code: SWK-RACIALTRAUMA-CHILD-2024-10
PDF Filename: 2024-10-31_SWANK_Letter_NKBalletSchool_RacismAndRefund.pdf
One-Line Summary: After one ballet class ends in racial trauma for her daughter, Polly Chromatic requests a refund — and redefines elegance as accountability.
I. What Happened
On Halloween morning 2024, Polly Chromatic sent a deceptively simple email to N.K. Ballet School, titled simply: “Dear Claire.”
Her daughter Honor had attended a ballet class.
There had been a sudden change in teacher.
There had been racism.
There had been trauma.
And there had been no warning.
Polly’s response? Calm. Unflinching. Refund-ready.
“The first class that Honor attended at your school traumatised her due to the teacher’s racism.”
No exclamation points. No theatrics. Just the velvet blade of truth.
II. What the Complaint Establishes
In less than 150 words, the message clarifies the following:
That racial harm in cultural institutions begins early
That sudden transitions for young children — especially following trauma — must be managed with forewarning and care
That emotional safeguarding is not optional when a parent pays for your pedagogy
That refund requests are not transactional — they are a form of protest
This is not about tuition. It is about dignity misrepresented as a schedule adjustment.
III. Why SWANK Logged It
Because British politeness is often a costume for institutional racism — and ballet, as it turns out, has both.
Because Honor’s emotional safety was compromised in the name of technique.
Because the real choreography here is institutional avoidance:
Change the teacher
Skip the notice
Skip the accountability
Smile through the refund process
But Polly doesn't do pas de denial.
IV. Violations
Racial Discrimination in Education – Child subjected to racist conduct without protection
Safeguarding Negligence – Abrupt teaching change without parental notice
Emotional Mismanagement – Ignoring cultural trauma as a barrier to participation
Consumer Rights Breach – Services paid for under false pretences of safety and inclusion
Professional Evasion – Failure to acknowledge or address racial harm proactively
V. SWANK’s Position
We consider this message a landmark in low-volume rage — a clinic in restraint, clarity, and aesthetic objection.
Let the record show:
Polly Chromatic did not raise her voice. She raised her daughter.
And in doing so, she withdrew from yet another institution unfit for grace.
This wasn’t just about ballet. This was about the expectation that children of colour should perform while uncomfortable — and parents should pay for the privilege.
No refund can restore Honor’s trust. But the archive now holds the truth:
She danced once. She won’t return. And the silence is yours to choreograph.
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