The Wiggles invite four black ballet dancers to feature in their new video – after receiving backlash from parents for ‘lack of diversity’
Australian children’s group The Wiggles have featured several black ballet dancers in their new music video, after facing backlash from American parents over the band’s ‘lack of diversity’.
Last Thursday, they released their new video called Le James Cafe Ballet on YouTube, and it notably includes four black dancers.
It comes after the entertainers faced criticism from parents in the U.S., who urged them to recruit a non-white member following the Black Lives Matter movement.
New music video: The Wiggles have featured four black ballet dancers in their new video, after receiving backlash from American parents for their ‘lack of diversity’
The video begins with The Wiggles standing alongside the guest performers, before the dancers each start performing individually.
The Wiggles, who formed in 1991, feature an all-white lineup, including Emma Watkins, 30, Lachlan Gillespie, 34, Simon Pryce, 48, and Anthony Field, 57.
Earlier this month, the band came under scrutiny for their lack of ethnic diversity and parents urged them to set a better example by recruiting a black member.
Diversity: On Friday, they released their new video called Le James Cafe Ballet on YouTube, and it notably includes four black dancers
Lack of representation: It comes after The Wiggles came under scrutiny for their lack of diversity. Pictured (L-R) Lachlan Gillespie, Anthony Field, Emma Watkins and Simon Pryce
Much of the criticism on Twitter appeared to be coming from American parents, not Australians.
‘We’re watching the Wiggles this morning and I’m surprised by the lack of diversity and stereotypical gender roles for a current children’s show. What’s going on in Australia? Back to Sesame Street,’ one person tweeted.
Another wrote: ‘My daughter loves the Wiggles. Can y’all get some black wiggles together for her?’
‘What’s going on?’ In the wake of the Black Lives Movement, parents have urged the group to set a better example by recruiting a black member
A third commented: ‘Watching the wiggles with Moo I wanna turn it off because it’s no black ppl on here but she’s dancing so hard.’
One Twitter user said they had ‘stopped watching The Wiggles as a child’ because of the lack of diversity.
Jeff Fatt, an Australian of Chinese descent, was the group’s only non-white performer but he retired in 2012.
Previously: Jeff Fatt, an Australian of Chinese descent, was the group’s only non-white performer but he retired in 2012. Pictured on December 23, 2012 in Sydney