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The schools she created helped train such notables as Alvin Ailey and Jerome Robbins in the "Dunham technique." Death . The Katherine Dunham Museum is located at 1005 Pennsylvania Avenue, East St. Louis, Illinois. 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. Dunham ended her fast only after exiled Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Jesse Jackson came to her and personally requested that she stop risking her life for this cause. Dunham's mother, Fanny June Dunham (ne Taylor), who was of mixed French-Canadian and Native American heritage. Classes are led by Ruby Streate, director of dance and education and artistic director of the Katherine Dunham Children's Workshop. Numerous scholars describe Dunham as pivotal to the fields of Dance Education, Applied Anthropology, Humanistic Anthropology, African Diasporic Anthropology and Liberatory Anthropology. She is known for her many innovations, one of her most known . As a dancer and choreographer, Katherine Dunham (1910-2002) wowed audiences in the 1930s and 1940s when she combined classical ballet with African rhythms to create an exciting new dance style. 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. [3] She created many all-black dance groups. Katherine Mary Dunham was born in Chicago in 1909. She wrote that he "opened the floodgates of anthropology" for her. 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). She also created several other works of choreography, including The Emperor Jones (a response to the play by Eugene O'Neill) and Barrelhouse. [21] This style of participant observation research was not yet common within the discipline of anthropology. Katherine Dunham or the "Matriarch of Black Dance'' as many called her, was a revolutionary African American anthropologist and professional dancer. Her work inspired many. Biography. Digital Library. used throughout the world choros, rite de passage, los Idies, and. [20] She recorded her findings through ethnographic fieldnotes and by learning dance techniques, music and song, alongside her interlocutors. Her many original works include Lagya, Shango and Bal Negre. She arranged a fundraising cabaret for a Methodist Church, where she did her first public performance when she was 15 years old. Dunham refused to hold a show in one theater after finding out that the city's black residents had not been allowed to buy tickets for the performance. Katherine was also an activist, author, educator, and anthropologist. Birth City: Decatur. Here are some interesting facts about Alvin Ailey for you: Facts about Alvin Ailey 1: the popular modern dance Katherine Dunham, pseudonym Kaye Dunn, (born June 22, 1909, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, U.S.died May 21, 2006, New York, New York), American dancer and choreographer who was a pioneer in the field of dance anthropology. Fun Facts. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. American dancer and choreographer (19092006). USA. theatrical designers john pratt. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200003840/. Many of her students, trained in her studios in Chicago and New York City, became prominent in the field of modern dance. (Below are 10 Katherine Dunham quotes on positivity. London: Zed Books, 1999. for teaching dance that is still la'ag'ya , Shange , Veraruzana, nanigo. Here are 10 facts about her fascinating life. Also Known For : . Katherine Dunham is credited Her dance troupe in venues around. 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". forming a powerful personal. American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. Her dance career was interrupted in 1935 when she received funding from the Rosenwald Foundation which allowed her to travel to Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad, and Haiti for eighteen months to explore each country's respective dance cultures. [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". They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Q. Katherine Mary Dun ham was an African-American dancer, choreographer, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist. The result of this trip was Dunham's Master's thesis entitled "The Dances of Haiti". 6 Katherine Dunham facts. Video. The program she created runs to this day at the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, revolutionizing lives with dance and culture. In the mid-1930s she conducted anthropological research on dance and incorporated her findings into her choreography, blending the rhythms and movements of . Johnson 's gift for numbers allowed her to accelerate through her education. Unlike other modern dance creators who eschewed classical ballet, Dunham embraced it as a foundation for her technique. Based on her research in Martinique, this three-part performance integrated elements of a Martinique fighting dance into American ballet. New York: Rizzoli, 1989. But what set her work even further apart from Martha Graham and Jos Limn was her fusion of that foundation with Afro-Caribbean styles. The Dunham troupe toured for two decades, stirring audiences around the globe with their dynamic and highly theatrical performances. One example of this was studying how dance manifests within Haitian Vodou. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Short Biography. When you have faith in something, it's your reason to be alive and to fight for it. Her mission was to help train the Senegalese National Ballet and to assist President Leopold Senghor with arrangements for the First Pan-African World Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar (196566). movement and expression. 1. When she was not performing, Dunham and Pratt often visited Haiti for extended stays. "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston, and Katherine Dunham". Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 - May 21, 2006) was an American dancer, choreographer, creator of the Dunham Technique, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist. This gained international headlines and the embarrassed local police officials quickly released her. 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. [13], Dunham officially joined the department in 1929 as an anthropology major,[13] while studying dances of the African diaspora. Occupation(s): Additionally, she was named one of the most influential African American anthropologists. There she met John Pratt, an artist and designer and they got married in 1941 until his death in 1986. Dunham also created the well-known Dunham Technique [1]. Named Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt, she was their only child. Her technique was "a way of life". She majored in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and after learning that much of Black . See "Selected Bibliography of Writings by Katherine Dunham" in Clark and Johnson. Katherine Dunham, pseudonym Kaye Dunn, (born June 22, 1909, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, U.S.died May 21, 2006, New York, New York), American dancer and choreographer who was a pioneer in the field of dance anthropology. 2023 The HistoryMakers. 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. 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. [15] Dunham's relationship with Redfield in particular was highly influential. She felt it was necessary to use the knowledge she gained in her research to acknowledge that Africanist esthetics are significant to the cultural equation in American dance. Radcliffe-Brown, Edward Sapir, Melville Herskovits, Lloyd Warner and Bronisaw Malinowski. Omissions? 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. Alvin Ailey, who stated that he first became interested in dance as a professional career after having seen a performance of the Katherine Dunham Company as a young teenager of 14 in Los Angeles, called the Dunham Technique "the closest thing to a unified Afro-American dance existing.". Leverne Backstrom, president of the board of the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, still does. ", Kraut, Anthea, "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 22:48. This was the beginning of more than 20 years during which Dunham performed with her company almost exclusively outside the United States. He continued as her artistic collaborator until his death in 1986. Jobson, Ryan Cecil. Charm Dance from "L'Ag'Ya". 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. Facts About 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. Facts about Alvin Ailey talk about the famous African-American activist and choreographer. They had particular success in Denmark and France. ZURICH Othella Dallas lay on the hardwood . Some Facts. Beda Schmid. 2 (2020): 259271. Additionally, she worked closely with Vera Mirova who specialized in "Oriental" dance. In 1946, Dunham returned to Broadway for a revue entitled Bal Ngre, which received glowing notices from theater and dance critics. Pas de Deux from "L'Ag'Ya". Among her dancers selected were Marcia McBroom, Dana McBroom, Jean Kelly, and Jesse Oliver. Actress: Star Spangled Rhythm. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). At an early age, Dunham became interested in dance. Such visitors included ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, Robert Redfield, Bronisaw Malinowski, A.R. She is best known for bringing African and Caribbean dance styles to the US [1]. She has been called the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance."[2]. Search input Search submit button. Dunham created Rara Tonga and Woman with a Cigar at this time, which became well known. Katherine Dunham and John Pratt married in 1949 to adopt Marie-Christine, a French 14-month-old baby. Birth Year: 1956. 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. Claude Conyers, "Film Choreography by Katherine Dunham, 19391964," in Clark and Johnson. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, . [12] She was also consulted on costuming for the Egyptian and Ethiopian dress. 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's dance career first began in Chicago when she joined the Little Theater Company of Harper Avenue. 8 Katherine Dunham facts. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. Corrections? "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology through African American Dance Pedagogy." Died: May 21, 2006. In particular, Dunham is a model for the artist as activist. Katherine Dunham was a rebel among rebels. Beautiful, Justice, Black. She returned to graduate school and submitted a master's thesis to the anthropology faculty. Katherine Dunham facts for kids. teaches us about the impact Katherine Dunham left on the dance community & on the world. Born: June 22, 1909. Tropics (choreographed 1937) and Le Jazz Hot (1938) were among the earliest of many works based on her research. The Katherine Dunham Company became an incubator for many well known performers, including Archie Savage, Talley Beatty, Janet Collins, Lenwood Morris, Vanoye Aikens, Lucille Ellis, Pearl Reynolds, Camille Yarbrough, Lavinia Williams, and Tommy Gomez. [54] Her legacy within Anthropology and Dance Anthropology continues to shine with each new day. Her fieldwork inspired her innovative interpretations of dance in the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. "[48] During her protest, Dick Gregory led a non-stop vigil at her home, where many disparate personalities came to show their respect, such Debbie Allen, Jonathan Demme, and Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. In 1950, Sol Hurok presented Katherine Dunham and Her Company in a dance revue at the Broadway Theater in New York, with a program composed of some of Dunham's best works. Dunham's background as an anthropologist gave the dances of the opera a new authenticity. With choreography characterized by exotic sexuality, both became signature works in the Dunham repertory. Dancer, choreographer, composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Chicago. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers in African-American and European theater of the 20th . [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. Her the best movie is Casbah. "Kaiso! While in Haiti, she hasn't only studied Vodun rituals, but also participated and became a mambo, female high priest in the Vodun religion. Her father was a descendant of slaves from West Africa, and her mother was a mix of French-Canadian and Native-American heritage. [17] She was one of the first African-American women to attend this college and to earn these degrees. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him. 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. [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]. 1910-2006. Fun facts. Jeff Dunham hails from Dallas, Texas. [22] ", While in Europe, she also influenced hat styles on the continent as well as spring fashion collections, featuring the Dunham line and Caribbean Rhapsody, and the Chiroteque Franaise made a bronze cast of her feet for a museum of important personalities.".