She built her own dance empire and was hailed as the queen of black dance. ", Richard Buckle, ballet historian and critic, wrote: "Her company of magnificent dancers and musicians met with the success it has and that herself as explorer, thinker, inventor, organizer, and dancer should have reached a place in the estimation of the world, has done more than a million pamphlets could for the service of her people. Through her ballet teachers, she was also exposed to Spanish, East Indian, Javanese, and Balinese dance forms.[23]. The prince was then married to actress Rita Hayworth, and Dunham was now legally married to John Pratt; a quiet ceremony in Las Vegas had taken place earlier in the year. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190264871.003.0001, "Dunham Technique: Fall and recovery with body roll", "Katherine Dunham on need for Dunham Technique", "The Negro Problem in a Class Society: 19511960 Brazil", "Katherine Dunham, Dance Icon, Dies at 96", "Candace Award Recipients 19821990, Page 1", "Katherine the Great: 2004 Lifetime Achievement Awardee Katherine Dunham", Katherine Dunham's Dance as Public Anthropology, Katherine Dunham on her anthropological films, Guide to the Photograph Collection on Katherine Dunham, Katherine Dunham's oral history video excerpts, "Katherine Dunham on Overcoming 1940s Racism", Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, Recalling Choreographer and Activist Dunham, "How Katherine Dunham Revealed Black Dance to the World", Katherine Dunham, Dance Pioneer, Dies at 96, "On Stage and Backstage withTalented Katherine Dunham, Master Dance Designer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Katherine_Dunham&oldid=1139015494, American people of French-Canadian descent, 20th-century African-American politicians, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In 1971 she received the Heritage Award from the, In 1983 she was a recipient of one of the highest artistic awards in the United States, the. She was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small suburb of Chicago, to Albert Millard Dunham, a tailor and dry cleaner, and his wife, Fanny June Dunham. It opened in Chicago in 1933, with a black cast and with Page dancing the title role. "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology Through African American Dance Pedagogy." American Anthropologist 122, no. In 1978 Dunham was featured in the PBS special, Divine Drumbeats: Katherine Dunham and Her People, narrated by James Earl Jones, as part of the Dance in America series. Dunham is still taught at widely recognized dance institutions such as The American Dance Festival and The Ailey School. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Katherine Dunham Museum: Saving the Legacy of a True Renaissance Woman 1. Fun facts about Julie Belafonte brought to you by IDTC! Text: Julie She was likely named after Catherine of Aragon. It was a venue for Dunham to teach young black dancers about their African heritage. Her fieldwork inspired her innovative interpretations of dance in the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. She established the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities in East St. Louis to preserve Haitian and African instruments and artifacts from her personal collection. [36] Her classes are described as a safe haven for many and some of her students even attribute their success in life to the structure and artistry of her technical institution. Occupation(s): Dunham also studied ballet with Mark Turbyfill and Ruth Page, who became prima ballerina of the Chicago Opera. Dunham used Habitation Leclerc as a private retreat for many years, frequently bringing members of her dance company to recuperate from the stress of touring and to work on developing new dance productions. Dunham created many all-black dance groups. Katherine Dunham - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help The State Department regularly subsidized other less well-known groups, but it consistently refused to support her company (even when it was entertaining U.S. Army troops), although at the same time it did not hesitate to take credit for them as "unofficial artistic and cultural representatives". As a teenager, she won a scholarship to the Dunham school and later became a dancer with the company, before beginning her successful singing career. Birth date: October 17, 1956. She . A actor. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. Q. Katherine Mary Dun ham was an African-American dancer, choreographer, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist. Although Dunham was offered another grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to pursue her academic studies, she chose dance. 2 (2012): 159168. Katherine Dunham - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family - Sticky Facts He was the founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. She died a month before her 97th birthday.[53]. In this post, she choreographed the Chicago production of Run Li'l Chil'lun, performed at the Goodman Theater. Her alumni included many future celebrities, such as Eartha Kitt. After he became her artistic collaborator, they became romantically involved. Her technique was "a way of life". Katherine Mary Dunham, 22 Jun 1909 - 21 May 2006 Exhibition Label Born Glen Ellyn, Illinois One of the founders of the anthropological dance movement, Katherine Dunham distilled Caribbean and African dance elements into modern American choreography. At an early age, Dunham became interested in dance. Video. for the developing one of the the world performed many of her. However, she did not seriously pursue a career in the profession until she was a student at the University of Chicago. Dancers are frequently instructed to place weight on the balls of their feet, lengthen their lumbar and cervical spines, and breathe from the abdomen and not the chest. The Katherine Dunham Museum is located at 1005 Pennsylvania Avenue, East St. Louis, Illinois. A key reason for this choice was because she knew that through dance, her work would be able to be accessed by a wider array of audiences; more so than if she continued to limit her work within academia. This led to a custody battle over Katherine and her brother, brought on by their maternal relatives. In 1966, she served as a State Department representative for the United States to the first ever World Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar, Senegal. [49] In fact, that ceremony was not recognized as a legal marriage in the United States, a point of law that would come to trouble them some years later. At an early age, Dunham became interested in dance. [35] In a different interview, Dunham describes her technique "as a way of life,[36]" a sentiment that seems to be shared by many of her admiring students. Her popular books are Island Possessed (1969), Touch of Innocence (1959), Dances of Haiti (1983), Kaiso! She made world tours as a dancer, choreographer, and director of her own dance company. Beda Schmid. Kraut, Anthea. He lived on 5 January 1931 and passed away on 1 December 1989. [15] It was in a lecture by Redfield that she learned about the relationship between dance and culture, pointing out that Black Americans had retained much of their African heritage in dances. VV A. Clark and Sara E. Johnson, editors, Joliet Central High School Yearbook, 1928. Dunham early became interested in dance. [34], According to Dunham, the development of her technique came out of a need for specialized dancers to support her choreographic visions and a greater yearning for technique that "said the things that [she] wanted to say. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Receiving a post graduate academic fellowship, she went to the Caribbean to study the African diaspora, ethnography and local dance. ", Scholar of the arts Harold Cruse wrote in 1964: "Her early and lifelong search for meaning and artistic values for black people, as well as for all peoples, has motivated, created opportunities for, and launched careers for generations of young black artists Afro-American dance was usually in the avant-garde of modern dance Dunham's entire career spans the period of the emergence of Afro-American dance as a serious art. Corrections? She also danced professionally, owned a dance company, and operated a dance studio. Dunham passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2006 at the age of 96. Facts About Katherine Dunham. Long, Richard A, and Joe Nash. "Hoy programa extraordinario y el sbado dos estamos nos ofrece Katherine Dunham,", Constance Valis Hill, "Katherine Dunham's, Anna Kisselgoff, "Katherine Dunham's Legacy, Visible in Youth and Age,". Intrigued by this theory, Dunham began to study African roots of dance and, in 1935, she traveled to the Caribbean for field research. She returned to the United States in 1936 informed by new methods of movement and expression, which she incorporated into techniques that transformed the world of dance. Marlon Brando frequently dropped in to play the bongo drums, and jazz musician Charles Mingus held regular jam sessions with the drummers. Charm Dance from "L'Ag'Ya". [14] For example, she was highly influenced both by Sapir's viewpoint on culture being made up of rituals, beliefs, customs and artforms, and by Herkovits' and Redfield's studies highlighting links between African and African American cultural expression. Katherine Dunham Quotes On Positivity. Another fact is that it was the sometime home of the pioneering black American dancer Katherine Dunham. In 1921, a short story she wrote when she was 12 years old, called "Come Back to Arizona", was published in volume 2 of The Brownies' Book. Other movies she performed in as a dancer during this period included the Abbott and Costello comedy Pardon My Sarong (1942) and the black musical Stormy Weather (1943), which featured a stellar range of actors, musicians and dancers.[24]. Katherine Dunham - Author, Career, Childhood - Katherine Dunham Biography Dunham Technique was created by Katherine Dunham, a legend in the worlds of dance and anthropology. Please scroll down to enjoy more supporting materials. Tropics (choreographed 1937) and Le Jazz Hot (1938) were among the earliest of many works based on her research. He needn't have bothered. Then she traveled to Martinique and to Trinidad and Tobago for short stays, primarily to do an investigation of Shango, the African god who was still considered an important presence in West Indian religious culture. You dance because you have to. In 1987 she received the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award, and was also inducted into the. After noticing that Katherine enjoyed working and socializing with people, her brother suggested that she study Anthropology. 1910-2006. The critics acknowledged the historical research she did on dance in ancient Egypt, but they were not appreciative of her choreography as staged for this production.[25]. Dunham created Rara Tonga and Woman with a Cigar at this time, which became well known. One of the most significant dancers, artists, and anthropologic figures of the 20th century, Katherine Dunham defied racial and gender boundaries during a . All You Need to Know About Dunham Technique - Dance Spirit She graduated from Joliet Central High School in 1928, where she played baseball, tennis, basketball, and track; served as vice-president of the French Club, and was on the yearbook staff. Dunham, who died at the age of 96 [in 2006], was an anthropologist and political activist, especially on behalf of the rights of black people. 2023 The HistoryMakers. In 1931, at the age of 21, Dunham formed a group called Ballets Ngres, one of the first black ballet companies in the United States. Katherine Dunham's Biography - The HistoryMakers At the time, the South Side of Chicago was experiencing the effects of the Great Migration were Black southerners attempted to escape the Jim Crow South and poverty. Why was Katherine Dunham called the mother of African American dance Dunham early became interested in dance. The program she created runs to this day at the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, revolutionizing lives with dance and culture. Over the years Katherine Dunham has received scores of special awards, including more than a dozen honorary doctorates from various American universities. She was the first American dancer to present indigenous forms on a concert stage, the first to sustain a black dance company. She created and performed in works for stage, clubs, and Hollywood films; she started a school and a technique that continue to flourish; she fought unstintingly for racial justice. [26] This work was never produced in Joplin's lifetime, but since the 1970s, it has been successfully produced in many venues. Glory Van Scott and Jean-Lon Destin were among other former Dunham dancers who remained her lifelong friends. During her tenure, she secured funding for the Performing Arts Training Center, where she introduced a program designed to channel the energy of the communitys youth away from gangs and into dance. Video. In 1928, while still an undergraduate, Dunham began to study ballet with Ludmilla Speranzeva, a Russian dancer who had settled in Chicago, after having come to the United States with the Franco-Russian vaudeville troupe Le Thtre de la Chauve-Souris, directed by impresario Nikita Balieff. About that time Dunham met and began to work with John Thomas Pratt, a Canadian who had become one of America's most renowned costume and theatrical set designers. [15] He showed her the connection between dance and social life giving her the momentum to explore a new area of anthropology, which she later termed "Dance Anthropology". Dancer Born in Illinois #12. Much of the literature calls upon researchers to go beyond bureaucratic protocols to protect communities from harm, but rather use their research to benefit communities that they work with. Video. As one of her biographers, Joyce Aschenbrenner, wrote: "anthropology became a life-way"[2] for Dunham. For several years, Dunham's personal assistant and press promoter was Maya Deren, who later also became interested in Vodun and wrote The Divine Horseman: The Voodoo Gods of Haiti (1953). "[35] Dunham explains that while she admired the narrative quality of ballet technique, she wanted to develop a movement vocabulary that captured the essence of the Afro-Caribbean dancers she worked with during her travels. Stormy Weather (1943 film) - Wikipedia Keep reading for more such interesting quotes at Kidadl!) Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) is revered as one of the great pillars of American dance history. A carriage house on the grounds is to . She was hailed for her smooth and fluent choreography and dominated a stage with what has been described as 'an unmitigating radiant force providing beauty with a feminine touch full of variety and nuance. Died: May 21, 2006. Also that year they appeared in the first ever, hour-long American spectacular televised by NBC, when television was first beginning to spread across America. 1. New York City, U.S. Despite 13 knee surgeries, Ms. Dunham danced professionally for more than . Katherine Dunham's Mark on Jazz Dance | Jazz Dance: A History of the [6] After her mother died, her father left the children with their aunt Lulu on Chicago's South Side. Video footage of Dunham technique classes show a strong emphasis on anatomical alignment, breath, and fluidity. In Hollywood, Dunham refused to sign a lucrative studio contract when the producer said she would have to replace some of her darker-skinned company members. One of the most important dance artists of the twentieth century, dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) created works that thrilled audiences the world over. Understanding that the fact was due to racial discrimination, she made sure the incident was publicized. Encouraged by Speranzeva to focus on modern dance instead of ballet, Dunham opened her first dance school in 1933, calling it the Negro Dance Group. Jobson, Ryan Cecil. American dancer and choreographer (19092006). It was a huge collection of writings by and about Katherine Dunham, so it naturally covered a lot of area. Katherine Dunham is the inventor of the Dunham technique and a renowned dancer and choreographer of African-American descent. She taught dance lessons to help pay for her education at the University of Chicago. Its premiere performance on December 9, 1950, at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile,[39][40] generated considerable public interest in the early months of 1951. All rights reserved. Claude Conyers, "Film Choreography by Katherine Dunham, 19391964," in Clark and Johnson. Early in 1936, she arrived in Haiti, where she remained for several months, the first of her many extended stays in that country through her life. Katherine Dunham by:Miracle | Other Quiz - Quizizz Example. London: Zed Books, 1999. Subsequently, Dunham undertook various choreographic commissions at several venues in the United States and in Europe. Initially scheduled for a single performance, the show was so popular that the troupe repeated it for another ten Sundays. From the solar system to the world economy to educational games, Fact Monster has the info kids are seeking. Dunham had been invited to stage a new number for the popular, long-running musical revue Pins and Needles 1940, produced by the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. The living Dunham tradition has persisted. She Learned From Katherine Dunham. At 93, She's Teaching Her Technique "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology through African American Dance Pedagogy." Although it was well received by the audience, local censors feared that the revealing costumes and provocative dances might compromise public morals. Educate, entertain, and engage with Factmonster. Katherine Dunham Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com Dancer, choreographer, composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Chicago. Artists are necessary to social justice movements; they are the ones who possess a gift to see beyond the bleak present and imagine a better future. 7 Katherine Dunham facts. She is known for her many innovations, one of her most known . The company returned to New York. Among her dancers selected were Marcia McBroom, Dana McBroom, Jean Kelly, and Jesse Oliver. Digital Library. Dunham also received a grant to work with Professor Melville Herskovits of Northwestern University, whose ideas about retention of African culture among African Americans served as a base for her research in the Caribbean. [13] The Anthropology department at Chicago in the 1930s and 40s has been described as holistic, interdisciplinary, with a philosophy of liberal humanism, and principles of racial equality and cultural relativity. Based on this success, the entire company was engaged for the 1940 Broadway production Cabin in the Sky, staged by George Balanchine and starring Ethel Waters. Katherine Dunham. While trying to help the young people in the community, Dunham was arrested. They were stranded without money because of bad management by their impresario. After her company performed successfully, Dunham was chosen as dance director of the Chicago Negro Theater Unit of the Federal Theatre Project. Each procession builds on the last and focuses on conditioning the body to prepare for specific exercises that come later. Dunham herself was quietly involved in both the Voodoo and Orisa communities of the Caribbean and the United States, in particular with the Lucumi tradition. He was only one of a number of international celebrities who were Dunham's friends. She is a celebrity dancer. Among Dunham's closest friends and colleagues was Julie Robinson, formerly a performer with the Katherine Dunham Company, and her husband, singer and later political activist Harry Belafonte. ", "Dunham's European success led to considerable imitation of her work in European revues it is safe to say that the perspectives of concert-theatrical dance in Europe were profoundly affected by the performances of the Dunham troupe. Cruz Banks, Ojeya. Beautiful, Justice, Black. ", Kraut, Anthea, "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 22:48. Dunham, Katherine | FactMonster Alvin Ailey later produced a tribute for her in 198788 at Carnegie Hall with his American Dance Theater, entitled The Magic of Katherine Dunham. Video. Born Katherine Coleman in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia . Somewhat later, she assisted him, at considerable risk to her life, when he was persecuted for his progressive policies and sent in exile to Jamaica after a coup d'tat. It closed after only 38 performances. The impresario Sol Hurok, manager of Dunham's troupe for a time, once had Ms. Dunham's legs insured for $250,000. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) By Halifu Osumare Katherine Dunham was a world famous dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, social activist, and humanitarian. Katherine Dunham - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Omissions? Her many original works include Lagya, Shango and Bal Negre. During her studies, Dunham attended a lecture on anthropology, where she was introduced to the concept of dance as a cultural symbol. Early in 1947 Dunham choreographed the musical play Windy City, which premiered at the Great Northern Theater in Chicago. It next moved to the West Coast for an extended run of performances there. Kraft from the story by Jerry Horwin and Seymour B. Robinson, directed by Andrew L. Stone, produced by William LeBaron and starring Lena Horne, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Cab Calloway.The film is one of two Hollywood musicals with an African . "What Dunham gave modern dance was a coherent lexicon of African and Caribbean styles of movementa flexible torso and spine, articulated pelvis and isolation of the limbs, a polyrhythmic strategy of movingwhich she integrated with techniques of ballet and modern dance." Katherine Dunham - Wikipedia The committee voted unanimously to award $2,400 (more than $40,000 in today's money) to support her fieldwork in the Caribbean. In 1963, Dunham became the first African-American to choreograph for the Metropolitan Opera. Jeff Dunham hails from Dallas, Texas. Katherine Johnson graduated from college at age 18. Lyndon B. Johnson was in the audience for opening night. She describes this during an interview in 2002: "My problemmy strong drive at that time was to remain in this academic position that anthropology gave me, and at the same time continue with this strong drive for motionrhythmic motion". Katherine Dunham in a photograph from around 1945. 8 Katherine Dunham facts - Katherine dunham There, he ran a dry cleaning business in a place mostly occupied by white people. [5] She had an older brother, Albert Jr., with whom she had a close relationship.