Image of ballet student in spotlight while holding a book

Shutterstock.com (background); Courtesy of Woodard family (Bellen)

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

Language

Colors for Everyone

Bellen Woodard is making sure all kids are represented in ballet and beyond.

August 25, 2025
By Nicole Tocco

As You Read, Think About: What are some ways you can make others feel included?

A Color for Everyone
Watch a video to hear from Bellen about how More than Peach got started.

Bellen Woodard’s classmates used to call peach “the skin-colored crayon.” Bellen thought that was confusing. Not everyone has peach skin.

When Bellen was in third grade, she took action. The next time a friend asked for the skin-colored crayon, Bellen asked which skin color.

“Because skin can be any number of beautiful colors,” Bellen explains.

Before long, Bellen’s entire school stopped calling peach the only skin-colored crayon.

That’s when Bellen realized she could make a difference in the world. 

Courtesy of Woodard family

Bellen Woodard holds her new book, Ballet Brown.

Making Change

In 2019, Bellen started a company called More than Peach. The first product she created was a box of inclusive crayons. It includes colors that represent all skin tones. 

More than Peach has since exploded in popularity. Bellen’s crayons are used in classrooms around the world. Bellen has also given speeches to crowds of more than 50,000 people. Three years ago, she wrote a book about her experiences called More than Peach.

Now Bellen is turning to the world of ballet in her new book, Ballet Brown. The goal of both books is to inspire kids to be more confident in who they are.

“My work is always about making sure kids can lead and that they have their best options,” says the 14-year-old. 

Courtesy of Woodard family 

“Whether it’s ballet pink or ballet brown, I want everyone to be encouraged to choose what they need from the start.” —Bellen Woodard

Think Pink

Bellen began taking ballet lessons when she was 2 years old. Early on, she was curious about something. Why was everything so pink?

Most ballet dancers wear pink tights and shoes. That helps create the look of an unbroken line that flows from their legs to their arms. But that isn’t true for Bellen—and many other young ballerinas.

“Since I have brown arms, when my legs and feet are in pink, there’s a break in my line,” Bellen explains. 

Ballet Brown

Bellen loves pink. But it didn’t feel right to her that pink was the standard dress code color for all ballerinas. So she started to wear brown tights and shoes instead. 

Bellen and her parents talked to the owners of her ballet studio about changing the dress code. They said they preferred dancers to wear pink because it was a tradition.

“But traditions should grow,” Bellen says. 

To her, pink ballet gear was like the peach crayon all over again. She came up with the term “ballet brown.” Bellen wants it to be a term all ballerinas use—like ballet pink.

Colors for All

For years, Bellen was the only one in her ballet class not wearing pink. In 2023, she switched to another studio and talked to the owners about ballet brown. They updated their dress code!

“Now there are little kids who wear brown,” Bellen says. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

Bellen has also added new colors to her More than Peach line of crayons—ballet pink and ballet brown. To her, ballet brown is more than a phrase. 

“All I ever wanted to do is make sure our spaces are welcoming,” Bellen says.

What Bellen Wants You to Know

Rodney Choice/AP Images for Scholastic, Inc.
  • We should make things better for everyone—not one specific group. We need spaces that welcome all. When I express myself, I find that I’m speaking for others too.
  • You don’t have to be loud to use your voice. I’m not the shyest kid, but I’m also not at all outspoken. I still get my point across. 
  • Don’t undervalue yourself. Bring your ideas to life. They can help make the world better!
  1. What was special about the first box of crayons that Bellen Woodard created?
  2. Summarize the main ideas of the section “Think Pink.”
  3. What does the author mean when she writes that to Bellen, “ballet brown is more than a phrase”?
videos (2)
videos (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Games (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Text-to-Speech