On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [ ] Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909 (age 96) in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States. "In introducing authentic African dance-movements to her company and audiences, Dunhamperhaps more than any other choreographer of the timeexploded the possibilities of modern dance expression.". Each procession builds on the last and focuses on conditioning the body to prepare for specific exercises that come later. 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. Luminaries like Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Katherine Dunham began to shape and define what this new genre of dance would be. Born in 1909 during the turn of the century Victorian era in the small town of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, she became one of the first dance anthropologists, started the first internationally-touring pre-dominantly black dance company . The family moved to Joliet, Illinois when her father remarried. With Dunham in the sultry role of temptress Georgia Brown, the show ran for 20 weeks in New York. [59] She ultimately chose to continue her career in dance without her master's degree in anthropology. 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. On another occasion, in October 1944, after getting a rousing standing ovation in Louisville, Kentucky, she told the all-white audience that she and her company would not return because "your management will not allow people like you to sit next to people like us." The result of this trip was Dunham's Master's thesis entitled "The Dances of Haiti". . 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. The 1940s and 1950s saw the successors to the pioneers, give rise to such new stylistic variations through the work of artistic giants such as Jos Limn and Merce Cunningham. [6][10] While still a high school student, she opened a private dance school for young black children. Katherine Dunham Biography for Kids - lottie.com April 30, 2019. She and her company frequently had difficulties finding adequate accommodations while on tour because in many regions of the country, black Americans were not allowed to stay at hotels. "Her mastery of body movement was considered 'phenomenal.' A highlight of Dunham's later career was the invitation from New York's Metropolitan Opera to stage dances for a new production of Aida, starring soprano Leontyne Price. Cruz Banks, Ojeya. "Katherine Dunham's Dance as Public Anthropology." In 1964, Dunham settled in East St. Louis, and took up the post of artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University in nearby Edwardsville. She also choreographed and appeared in Broadway musicals, operas and the film Cabin in the Sky. Katherine Dunham - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Dancer Born in Illinois #12. Video. In the 1930s, she did fieldwork in the Caribbean and infused her choreography with the cultures . Chin, Elizabeth. As a student, she studied under anthropologists such as A.R. Katherine Dunham was an American dancer and choreographer, credited to have brought the influence of Africa and the Caribbean into American dance . Radcliffe-Brown, Fred Eggan, and many others that she met in and around the University of Chicago. With choreography characterized by exotic sexuality, both became signature works in the Dunham repertory. Dunhams writings, sometimes published under the pseudonym Kaye Dunn, include Katherine Dunhams Journey to Accompong (1946), an account of her anthropological studies in Jamaica; A Touch of Innocence (1959), an autobiography; Island Possessed (1969); and several articles for popular and scholarly journals. A Short Danceography: Katherine Dunham - YouTube Dancer. Katherine Dunham | Smithsonian Institution After noticing that Katherine enjoyed working and socializing with people, her brother suggested that she study Anthropology. From the 40s to the 60s, Dunham and her dance troupe toured to 57 countries of the world. Another fact is that it was the sometime home of the pioneering black American dancer Katherine Dunham. Her field work in the Caribbean began in Jamaica, where she lived for several months in the remote Maroon village of Accompong, deep in the mountains of Cockpit Country. Together, they produced the first version of her dance composition L'Ag'Ya, which premiered on January 27, 1938, as a part of the Federal Theater Project in Chicago. American Anthropologist 122, no. Not only did Dunham shed light on the cultural value of black dance, but she clearly contributed to changing perceptions of blacks in America by showing society that as a black woman, she could be an intelligent scholar, a beautiful dancer, and a skilled choreographer. She also continued refining and teaching the Dunham Technique to transmit that knowledge to succeeding generations of dance students. Katherine Dunham or the "Matriarch of Black Dance'' as many called her, was a revolutionary African American anthropologist and professional dancer. Our site is COPPA and kidSAFE-certified, so you can rest assured it's a safe place for kids . Dunham and Kitt collaborated again in the 1970s in an Equity Production of the musical Peg, based on the Irish play, Peg O' My Heart. katherine dunham fun factsaiken county sc register of deeds katherine dunham fun facts 10 Facts About Catherine Parr | History Hit Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. Among her dancers selected were Marcia McBroom, Dana McBroom, Jean Kelly, and Jesse Oliver. The first work, entitled A Touch of Innocence: Memoirs of Childhood, was published in 1959. The following year, she moved to East St. Louis, where she opened the Performing Arts Training Center to help the underserved community. As Wendy Perron wrote, "Jazz dance, 'fusion,' and the search for our cultural identity all have their antecedents in Dunham's work as a dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. Dunham turned anthropology into artistry - University of Chicago News Dunham was always a formidable advocate for racial equality, boycotting segregated venues in the United States and using her performances to highlight discrimination. Katherine Dunham. 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. There she was able to bring anthropologists, sociologists, educational specialists, scientists, writers, musicians, and theater people together to create a liberal arts curriculum that would be a foundation for further college work. [54] Her dance education, while offering cultural resources for dealing with the consequences and realities of living in a racist environment, also brought about feelings of hope and dignity for inspiring her students to contribute positively to their own communities, and spreading essential cultural and spiritual capital within the U.S.[54], Just like her colleague Zora Neale Hurston, Dunham's anthropology inspired the blurring of lines between creative disciplines and anthropology. Transforming Anthropology 20 (2012): 159168. ", "Kaiso! 1. Dunham is a ventriloquist comedian and uses seven different puppets in his act, known by his fans as the "suitcase posse." His first Comedy Central Presents special premiered in 2003. Her work helped send astronauts to the . Glory Van Scott and Jean-Lon Destin were among other former Dunham dancers who remained her lifelong friends. Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. While a student at the University of Chicago, she formed a dance group that performed in concert at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1934 and with the Chicago Civic Opera company in 193536. Based on her research in Martinique, this three-part performance integrated elements of a Martinique fighting dance into American ballet. Inspiring dancers: Ms Katherine Dunham - (Un)popular Cultures [6] After her mother died, her father left the children with their aunt Lulu on Chicago's South Side. Dancer, anthropologist, social worker, activist, author. In her biography, Joyce Aschenbrenner (2002), credits Ms Dunham as the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance", and describes her work as: "fundamentally . While a student at the University of Chicago, Dunham also performed as a dancer, ran a dance school, and earned an early bachelor's degree in anthropology. New York City, U.S. 2 (2020): 259271. Katherine Dunham and John Pratt married in 1949 to adopt Marie-Christine, a French 14-month-old baby. She made national headlines by staging a hunger strike to protest the U.S. governments repatriation policy for Haitian immigrants. Barrelhouse. [51] The couple had officially adopted their foster daughter, a 14-month-old girl they had found as an infant in a Roman Catholic convent nursery in Fresnes, France. Her father, Albert Millard Dunham, was a descendant of slaves from West Africa and Madagascar. She expressed a hope that time and the "war for tolerance and democracy" (this was during World War II) would bring a change. One recurring theme that I really . A carriage house on the grounds is to . Lyndon B. Johnson was in the audience for opening night. Additionally, she worked closely with Vera Mirova who specialized in "Oriental" dance. Interesting facts. Despite 13 knee surgeries, Ms. Dunham danced professionally for more than . Through much study and time, she eventually became one of the founders of the field of dance anthropology. For almost 30 years she maintained the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, the only self-supported American black dance troupe at that time. Decolonozing Anthropology: Katherine "the Great" Dunham As I document in my book Katherine Dunham: Dance and the . All You Need to Know About Dunham Technique. In 1986 the American Anthropological Association gave her a Distinguished Service Award. London: Zed Books, 1999. See "Selected Bibliography of Writings by Katherine Dunham" in Clark and Johnson. They were stranded without money because of bad management by their impresario. Tune in & learn about the inception of. It was considered one of the best learning centers of its type at the time. Here are some interesting facts about Alvin Ailey for you: Facts about Alvin Ailey 1: the popular modern dance Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) By Halifu Osumare Katherine Dunham was a world famous dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, social activist, and humanitarian. Othella Dallas, 93, still teaches Katherine Dunham technique, which she learned from Dunham herself. She was instrumental in getting respect for Black dancers on the concert dance stage and directed the first self-supported Black dance company. Updates? The next year, after the US entered World War II, Dunham appeared in the Paramount musical film Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) in a specialty number, "Sharp as a Tack," with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. It was a venue for Dunham to teach young black dancers about their African heritage. The restructuring of heavy industry had caused the loss of many working-class jobs, and unemployment was high in the city. Dunham is credited with introducing international audiences to African aesthetics and establishing African dance as a true art form. As a graduate student in anthropology in the mid-1930s, she conducted dance research in the Caribbean. There is also a strong emphasis on training dancers in the practices of engaging with polyrhythms by simultaneously moving their upper and lower bodies according to different rhythmic patterns. 8 Katherine Dunham facts. ", Black writer Arthur Todd described her as "one of our national treasures". Search input Search submit button. informed by new methods of america's most highly regarded. 7 Katherine Dunham facts. 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. In 1963, she became the first African American to choreograph for the Met since Hemsley Winfield set the dances for The Emperor Jones in 1933. You dance because you have to. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) is revered as one of the great pillars of American dance history. The Katherine Dunham Company toured throughout North America in the mid-1940s, performing as well in the racially segregated South. By 1957, Dunham was under severe personal strain, which was affecting her health. Kaiso is an Afro-Caribbean term denoting praise. [9] In high school she joined the Terpsichorean Club and began to learn a kind of modern dance based on the ideas of Europeans [mile Jaques-Dalcroze] and [Rudolf von Laban]. When she was not performing, Dunham and Pratt often visited Haiti for extended stays. This is where, in the late 1960s, global dance legend Katherine Dunham put down roots and taught the arts of the African diaspora to local children and teenagers. The company soon embarked on a tour of venues in South America, Europe, and North Africa. At the age of 82, Dunham went on a hunger strike in . Dun ham had one of the most successful dance careers in African-American and European theater of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. All You Need to Know About Dunham Technique - Dance Spirit The next year the production was repeated with Katherine Dunham in the lead and with students from Dunham's Negro Dance Group in the ensemble. ZURICH Othella Dallas lay on the hardwood . Katherine returnedto to the usa in 1931 miss Dunham met one of. Dunham saved the day by arranging for the company to be paid to appear in a German television special, Karibische Rhythmen, after which they returned to the United States. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology Through African American Dance Pedagogy. In particular, Dunham is a model for the artist as activist. Fighting for Katherine Dunham's Dream in East St. Louis Dunham was both a popular entertainer and a serious artist intent on tracing the roots of Black culture. [12] This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Dunham, The Kennedy Center - Biography of Katherine Dunham, Katherine Dunham - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Dunham was born in Chicago on June 22, 1909. Keep reading for more such interesting quotes at Kidadl!) [11], During her time in Chicago, Dunham enjoyed holding social gatherings and inviting visitors to her apartment. [1] Dunham also created the Dunham Technique. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers in American and European theater of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. The following year, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Dunham to be technical cultural advisera sort of cultural ambassadorto the government of Senegal in West Africa. Katherine Dunham (born June 22, 1909) [1] [2] was an American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She wanted to know not only how people danced but why they dance. Dunham was active in human rights causes, and in 1992 she staged a 47-day hunger strike to highlight the plight of Haitian refugees. This was followed by television spectaculars filmed in London, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, and Mexico City. [15] Dunham's relationship with Redfield in particular was highly influential. A photographic exhibit honoring her achievements, entitled Kaiso! Featuring lively Latin American and Caribbean dances, plantation dances, and American social dances, the show was an immediate success. [28] Strongly founded in her anthropological research in the Caribbean, Dunham technique introduces rhythm as the backbone of various widely known modern dance principles including contraction and release,[29] groundedness, fall and recover,[30] counterbalance, and many more. After running it as a tourist spot, with Vodun dancing as entertainment, in the early 1960s, she sold it to a French entrepreneur in the early 1970s. Many of her students, trained in her studios in Chicago and New York City, became prominent in the field of modern dance. 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. Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 May 21, 2006)[1] was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. . She also choreographed and starred in dance sequences in such films as Carnival of Rhythm (1942), Stormy Weather (1943), and Casbah (1947). Katherine Johnson | Biography, Education, Accomplishments, & Facts Katherine Dunham in 1956. International dance icon Katherine Dunham (right,) also an anthropologist, founded an art museum in East St. Louis, IL. ", Examples include: The Ballet in film "Stormy Weather" (Stone 1943) and "Mambo" (Rossen 1954). Choreographer. What are some fun facts about Katherine Dunham? TOP 25 QUOTES BY KATHERINE DUNHAM | A-Z Quotes All rights reserved. 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". Known for her many innovations, Dunham developed a dance pedagogy, later named the Dunham Technique, a style of movement and exercises based in traditional African dances, to support her choreography. This led to a custody battle over Katherine and her brother, brought on by their maternal relatives. Fun facts. [2] Most of Dunham's works previewed many questions essential to anthropology's postmodern turn, such as critiquing understandings of modernity, interpretation, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism. ", 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. Katherine Dunham - Wikipedia
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