Girls banned from ballet performance because of their braids

NEW YORK CITY -- 9-year-old April and 10-year-old Brooke were banned from performing in the annual "Black Nutcracker" in New York City because of their braids, according to their mother.

Every year the Uptown Dance Academy puts on a performance of the Nutcracker for an annual fundraiser. The performers are the young students at the academy.

The girls have been at the academy for 3 years.

While it has always been the rule dancers must secure their hair in a bun for safety reasons, the girls' mom says this year they were told, no braids, even if it was tied in a bun.

Their mother said they were not allowed in the performance.

Prior to the performance a statement was posted on the website saying, "For traditional classical ballet production, our policy has always been for all the dancers to wear their hair in an unbraided classical ballet bun."

Both April and Brooke say they will not let this incident deter them from their love of dance.