[New York Daily News]

When "Black Swan" star Natalie Portman requested a pair of vegan ballet slippers to wear for her recent Vogue photo shoot, the go-to source was Brooklyn dance teacher Cynthia King.

The former professional dancer sells the nation's only "cruelty free" ballet slippers - made without leather or other animal products - an act en pointe with her passion for animal welfare and advocacy.

"I was 10 when I made the connection between the animals that I loved and what was sitting on my plate," said the longtime vegan, who teaches dance styles ranging from ballet and modern to hip hop and b-boy at the Cynthia King Dance Studios on Prospect Ave.

In addition to her studio's "no-leather" dance shoe policy, many of the pieces performed by her students - ranging in age from 3 to 80 - reflect her philosophy of compassion toward all animals.
...
Tomorrow, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., King invites the community to "A Children's Celebration of Farm Animals," a free event aimed at raising awareness for animals through interactive music, dance and poetry.

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full story:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2011/01/15/2011-01-15_brooklyn_dance_teacher_cynthia_king_has_ special_passion_for_animal_welfare_and_a.html