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Last night's Backstage Dance Academy recital at New Bedford High School was supposed to be just one more toe-tapping capstone for academy owner Amy Fernandes. The recital also was supposed to be one more first for 4-year-old Amari Diaw - like the first letter she wrote, 'N,' or her first word, 'dada.' Instead, a feud over a hair style sparked a protest outside the recital and threw a shadow on the show. The dispute left Fernandes and the Diaw family feeling as though some of their deepest convictions were under attack. Fernandes, 27, did not permit Amari to participate in the recital because her cornrows did not comply with Fernandes's requirement that all performers' hair be pulled back straight in a low, tight bun, and parted on the right side. Amari's mother, Marie Diaw, 39, calls the requirement ''absurd,'' an affront to the family's African-American hertiage and a blow to her daughter's self-esteem. Diaw and supporters marched on the sidewalk outside the recital last night to protest the requirement. Fernandes says she has a right to make the rules for her studio, rules meant to ensure uniformity and professionalism on stage. Diaw said that last week she had a lawyer contact Fernandes to offer a compromise: smaller braids. But, Fernandes said in a phone interview, her policy is ''no braids'' at performances and stands by the policy. 'I used to attend a studio where we could wear our hair however we wanted and it was very distracting,'she said...
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