“I was always a mover,” explains 25-year-old ballerina Precious (@preciousagram), who studied at several top ballet schools around the world before joining the English National Ballet, where she is currently a first artist.⁣ ⁣ “When I was about 16, the narrative of being Black in ballet really started to come to the forefront,” says Precious, who is originally from Michigan. “I really see it as a narrative projected onto my life because I never thought that it was a ‘thing.’ I always just thought of myself as a girl who wanted to dance.”⁣ ⁣ Precious is credited with opening up the conversation of ballet dancers wearing tights and shoes that match their skin tone. In 2018, Precious made the decision to wear brown tights — rather than the traditional pink.⁣ ⁣ “I am just playing my part moving forward and helping shape an art form that is inclusive,” she says. “I think people think of diversity as a potentially risky or scary thing, but I know I am qualified to do what I do, so actually I just have to keep taking up space in a positive way with a big smile on my face.”⁣ ⁣ “There is so much beauty and depth to being a Black woman that I am only just tapping into. The more I have discovered about all the facets and leaned into who I am as a Black woman, the more I have had agency and purpose within myself. You stop seeking any confirmation about your identity from anywhere except from that voice in your own head.”⁣ ⁣ #ShareBlackStories⁣ ⁣ Photo of @preciousagram by @tiialaukkanen

Actress Storm Reid (@stormreid) knows how to make a day amazing. 😏⁣ ⁣ Introducing Reels — a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. ⭐️⁣ ⁣ Reel by @stormreid

Day 1. Day 7. Day 365. 10 YEARS. 🤯⁣ The stages of becoming a yo-yo master, explained by a professional — Shu Takada (@shu_ffle).⁣ ⁣ Introducing Reels — a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. ⭐️⁣ ⁣ Reel by @shu_ffle

HERE FOR IT. Lorrayne Carolyne (@lorrayne_carolyne) claps and snaps her way into a shimmering makeup look. ✨⁣ ⁣ Introducing Reels — a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. ⭐️⁣ ⁣ Reel by @lorrayne_carolyne

🌟 Introducing Reels 🌟⁣⁣ ⁣ Now you can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with music, effects and new creative features. Reels lets you express yourself and entertain people, whether you’re showing off a new skill or making a funny video the world deserves to see.⁣⁣ ⁣ 🤳🤩🎥✨😂👀💯⁣⁣ ⁣ Share reels with friends on Feed — and if you have a public account, you can also share reels with the larger Instagram community in a new space in Explore.⁣⁣ ⁣ Today Reels is rolling out to more than 50 countries, and we can’t wait to see what you create. Tap the link in our bio for more information.

#HelloFrom Lampang, Thailand. We’re dreaming of the floating pagodas of Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao Rachanusorn temple, sitting upon this remote mountain top. Despite looking like it was built centuries ago, construction started in 2004 and it officially opened in 2015.⁣ ⁣ Photo by @lifewithelliott

On today’s #WeeklyFluff, we’re stepping out in style with Eda (@hazelnut_dog), a 4-year-old bichon frisé, a member of the toy dog group. 🤭 ⁣ ⁣ Video by @hazelnut_dog

A++⁣ ⁣ That’s the grade we’d give these videos if they were final projects.⁣ ⁣ Check out our story for more posts that made us 😊 this week.⁣ ⁣ Photo by @seamuswray; Videos by @memoirsofabaker and @margarita__art

Welcome to the (indoor) jungle. 🌿💚🌵⁣ ⁣ “Every room in our home has plants in it. Every windowsill is filled. A green guy guards every shelf, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Kate Chilver (@tribeandus), a photographer who shares her plant-filled home with her partner Craig and their three children: Marcie, Rowe and Bodhi.⁣ ⁣ “Rowe is always on the lookout for new growth. You can always find Marcie sticking her finger in the dirt to check if they need water. And Bodhi is our plant whisperer, talking and stroking plants is what he does best,” explains Kate, whose hobby of collecting cactuses as a child blossomed into an obsession.⁣ ⁣ “I am not trying to re-create a forest in my home, or at least I don’t think I am, but plants do make me extremely happy and fill me with tranquility,” says Kate. “I hope our plants bring some calmness to a house full of energy and madness… it can get a little manic at times but having plants creates uniqueness and comfort for us all.”⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photos by @tribeandus

Botanical artist Sophie Parker (@wifenyc) creates sculptures from real plants and flowers she hand-paints or reshapes.⁣ ⁣ “I consider the fusion of the natural and artificial elements in my work as a kind of new hybrid species. It is interesting to blur the boundaries that separate the organic world from the man-made world and explore how the two can relate to each other in a compelling way,” she says. “I like to let the plant itself guide me as I make a piece, allowing new facets of its character to be accentuated through added form and color.”⁣ ⁣ Sophie previously created large garden-scapes on canvas and velvet, but one day, she pulled her paintbrush across a real-life leaf and everything changed.⁣ ⁣ “Plants stir within us a very beautiful reminder that we, as humans, are part of nature instead of separate from it. The presence of a bloom or a fresh leaf has a gentle and profound effect on the soul. I want to make something that would invite you to play among the leaves and blooms, something truly wild and unexpected.”⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekOnInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photos by @wifenyc

Flower artist Azuma Makoto (@azumamakoto) spends his time seeking out the mystery and hidden beauty of flowers and plants. ⁣ ⁣ “The inspiration for my work always comes from the flowers themselves,” say Azuma, whose botanical sculptures range from boutique pieces to large-scale installation projects. “Rather than find my own voice, I listen to the quiet voices of the flowers and plants. The work starts when one understands what they are trying to say.” ⁣ ⁣ With the flowers “changing moment by moment,” Azuma says making time-lapse videos of flowers and his working relationship with his collaborator and photographer Shiinoki Shunsuke is essential to preserving his work. ⁣ ⁣ “A still photograph can capture the moment but not the continuity, hence the need for the time-lapse work. Depending on how the video is taken, it can show various characteristics of the flower, such as opening, moving and withering, as though the flower has a clock inside it,” says Azuma. ⁣ ⁣ “Using flowers involves accepting their gift of life, so I always show my respect for this life in my art.” ⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekOnInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photos and video by @shiinokishunsuke

#HelloFrom Lake Logipi in northern Kenya. 💓⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ We’re dreaming of this remote corner of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, home to one million migratory flamingos that enjoy the algae that blooms in this alkaline “soda lake.”⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Photo by @bobbyneptune