When John Alleyne started studying at the National Ballet of Canada at age 13, he was the school's only black student. Now 45, the head of Ballet British Columbia recently attended an international conference of artistic directors in Europe. He was the only black person there. Alleyne, who was born in Barbados and came to Canada when he was five, is accustomed to being a visible minority. But in the past he has never been one to willingly delve into conversations about race and its impact on him personally and professionally. That's recently changed, however, and Alleyne is now preparing for his role as the keynote speaker at the upcoming launch of Vancouver's Black History Month celebrations.

"To be asked by the community to do this is a huge honour," Alleyne says in an interview at the Ballet B.C. office. "It has led to a tremendous amount of reflection.

"Normally, race is something I do not talk about....The world I live in is very free and filled with very little hate. It's a creative, positive, inspiring, healthy environment. But if I became totally naive to issues of race, it would be dangerous.

"You learn that the way you see the world is not necessarily the way the next person sees the world, and the way you are perceived is not necessarily the same way the next person will be perceived."

Alleyne, who grew up near Montreal, has choreographed works for Dance Theatre of Harlem and Stuttgart Ballet, among other companies, and in his 13 years here has elevated Ballet B.C. to an internationally respected organization. He says it's a privilege to spend his life pursuing something he's passionate about, and that the colour of his skin has neither helped nor hindered his success. Rather, the values his parents instilled in him played a vital role in his accomplishments.

"I never expected anything," Alleyne says. "If you expect things, you will be very disappointed. I always had a great amount of determination and an intense work ethic. I wanted to be successful and to be the best I possibly could be.

"It's very difficult as a black man to get to where I am," he adds. "Not many white men have made it to where I am."

Alleyne isn't interested in recounting specifics when it comes to discrimination, but he will say he knows feelings of isolation and being misunderstood. He adds that when he has experienced racism, people are usually acting with a "subconscious historical prejudice".

"But you cannot let that take over your choices," Alleyne says. "If there is something negative that's going to get in the way of my vision, I do not give it any power. Enriching the life of my community is at the forefront of what I do. I want to bring beauty and richness into the community."

He admits that early in his choreographic career some of his works touched on issues like black stereotypes, humiliation, and body image. But he's long been more interested in exploring beauty, romance, and magic--the stuff of dreams, not nightmares.

"As an immigrant, there's an incredible need for storytelling," he says. "One of the ways of doing that is through art, through dance and music."

Dance as a form of cultural expression will be the focus of NightMoves, Black History Month's opening celebration, on Tuesday (February 1) at the Vogue Theatre. Presented by the Black Historical and Cultural Society of British Columbia, the event includes performances by Ach? Brasil, the Mabong African Dancers, and the Richmond Academy of Dance. (Details are at www.bhcsbc.org/.)

Ralph Taylor, the president of the BHCSBC, says the evening's goal is to raise awareness of the local black community and to connect its many diverse members. "We want as many people as possible from within the black community and those not in the black community. Everyone is welcome," Taylor stresses in a phone interview.

Alleyne notes that events like NightMoves help foster communication between those of African descent and others.

"Whether it's race, religion, creed, sex, we need to keep on talking," he says. "For me, age has helped. It [race] is a lot easier to talk about. Colour is not a scary thing. And if you can't talk about it freely, nothing will change. I'm in my 40s. Our job is to ensure that life for the person who's 20 or five now is better for them when they reach our age."

Through dance, Alleyne is doing his part.