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]. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. Katherine Dunham on dance anthropology. [58] Early on into graduate school, Dunham was forced to choose between finishing her master's degree in anthropology and pursuing her career in dance. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers in African-American and European theater of the 20th . 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]. The committee voted unanimously to award $2,400 (more than $40,000 in today's money) to support her fieldwork in the Caribbean. A carriage house on the grounds is to . She Learned From Katherine Dunham. At 93, She's Teaching Her Technique Birthday : June 22, 1909. One of her fellow professors, with whom she collaborated, was architect Buckminster Fuller. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston, and Katherine Dunham". In particular, Dunham is a model for the artist as activist. New York: Rizzoli, 1989. Later in the year she opened a cabaret show in Las Vegas, during the first year that the city became a popular entertainment as well as gambling destination. Othella Dallas, 93, still teaches Katherine Dunham technique, which she learned from Dunham herself. 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. Fighting for Katherine Dunham's Dream in East St. Louis 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. Her fieldwork inspired her innovative interpretations of dance in the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. A Short Danceography: Katherine Dunham - YouTube 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. 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). They were stranded without money because of bad management by their impresario. Katherine Dunham's Mark on Jazz Dance | Jazz Dance: A History of the Claude Conyers, "Film Choreography by Katherine Dunham, 19391964," in Clark and Johnson. Anthropology News 33, no. Katherine Dunham - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help She was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small . She made world tours as a dancer, choreographer, and director of her own dance company. Dancer Born in Illinois #12. 6 Katherine Dunham facts. Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. [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. 35 Katherine Dunham Quotes | Kidadl Katherine Johnson | Biography, Education, Accomplishments, & Facts During this time, she developed a warm friendship with the psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm, whom she had known in Europe. Dunham accepted a position at Southern Illinois University in East St. Louis in the 1960s. Facts about Alvin Ailey talk about the famous African-American activist and choreographer. Most Popular #73650. Katherine Dunham, 1909-2006 - WWP [54], Six decades before this new wave of anthropological discourse began, Katherine Dunham's work demonstrated anthropology being used as a force for challenging racist and colonial ideologies. Beda Schmid. [3] Dunham was an innovator in African-American modern dance as well as a leader in the field of dance anthropology, or ethnochoreology. [22] 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. Katherine Dunham in a photograph from around 1945. Dunham, Katherine Mary (1909-2006) - Routledge . Dana McBroom-Manno still teaches Dunham Technique in New York City and is a Master of Dunham Technique. Johnson 's gift for numbers allowed her to accelerate through her education. She was instrumental in getting respect for Black dancers on the concert dance stage and directed the first self-supported Black dance company. [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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The PATC teaching staff was made up of former members of Dunham's touring company, as well as local residents. However, after her father remarried, Albert Sr. and his new wife, Annette Poindexter Dunham, took in Katherine and her brother. Writings by and about Katherine Dunham" , Katherine Dunham, 2005. Dunham and her company appeared in the Hollywood movie Casbah (1948) with Tony Martin, Yvonne De Carlo, and Peter Lorre, and in the Italian film Botta e Risposta, produced by Dino de Laurentiis. Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 May 21, 2006)[1] was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. There she met John Pratt, an artist and designer and they got married in 1941 until his death in 1986. 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 returnedto to the usa in 1931 miss Dunham met one of. The original two-week engagement was extended by popular demand into a three-month run, after which the company embarked on an extensive tour of the United States and Canada. At the height of her career in the 1940s and 1950s, Dunham was renowned throughout Europe and Latin America and was widely popular in the United States. 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. Choreographer. She died a month before her 97th birthday.[53]. But Dunham, who was Black and held a doctorate in anthropology, had hoped to spur a "cultural awakening on the East Side," she told . Dunham was always a formidable advocate for racial equality, boycotting segregated venues in the United States and using her performances to highlight discrimination. Despite 13 knee surgeries, Ms. Dunham danced professionally for more than . 1. [21] This style of participant observation research was not yet common within the discipline of anthropology. Dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1910, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small suburb of . [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. Died: May 21, 2006. ..American Anthropologist.. 112, no. After the national tour of Cabin in the Sky, the Dunham company stayed in Los Angeles, where they appeared in the Warner Brothers short film Carnival of Rhythm (1941). Dunham turned anthropology into artistry - University of Chicago News With Dunham in the sultry role of temptress Georgia Brown, the show ran for 20 weeks in New York. Dunham's last appearance on Broadway was in 1962 in Bamboche!, which included a few former Dunham dancers in the cast and a contingent of dancers and drummers from the Royal Troupe of Morocco. In 1986 the American Anthropological Association gave her a Distinguished Service Award. Katherine Dunham, Dance Icon, Dies at 96 - The New York Times At this time Dunham first became associated with designer John Pratt, whom she later married. The family moved to Joliet, Illinois when her father remarried. While in Haiti, Dunham investigated Vodun rituals and made extensive research notes, particularly on the dance movements of the participants. Over the years Katherine Dunham has received scores of special awards, including more than a dozen honorary doctorates from various American universities. Barrelhouse. She also choreographed and appeared in Broadway musicals, operas and the film Cabin in the Sky. 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. About Miss Dunham - Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities [20] She recorded her findings through ethnographic fieldnotes and by learning dance techniques, music and song, alongside her interlocutors. Dunham became interested in both writing and dance at a young age. June 22 Dancer #4. 7 Katherine Dunham facts. April 30, 2019. Name: Mae C. Jemison. He was the founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Legendary dancer, choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham was born June 22, 1909, to an African American father and French-Canadian mother who died when she was young. 1910-2006. "Katherine Dunham's Dance as Public Anthropology. Her work helped send astronauts to the . In 1949, Dunham returned from international touring with her company for a brief stay in the United States, where she suffered a temporary nervous breakdown after the premature death of her beloved brother Albert. Dunham was exposed to sacred ritual dances performed by people on the islands of Haiti and Jamaica. 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. 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. Her many original works include Lagya, Shango and Bal Negre. Kaiso is an Afro-Caribbean term denoting praise. Digital Library. Her technique was "a way of life". Dunham's dance career first began in Chicago when she joined the Little Theater Company of Harper Avenue. [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. Dance is an essential part of life that has always been with me. Katherine Dunham in 1956. Katherine Dunham | Encyclopedia.com (She later took a Ph.D. in anthropology.) She also danced professionally, owned a dance company, and operated a dance studio. Radcliffe-Brown, Fred Eggan, and many others that she met in and around the University of Chicago. Katherine Dunham, was published in a limited, numbered edition of 130 copies by the Institute for the Study of Social Change. Both remained close friends of Dunham for many years, until her death. Subsequently, Dunham undertook various choreographic commissions at several venues in the United States and in Europe. Charm Dance from "L'Ag'Ya". Born Katherine Coleman in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia . All You Need to Know About Dunham Technique - Dance Spirit Members of Dunham's last New York Company auditioned to become members of the Met Ballet Company. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. Dunham early became interested in dance. Occupation(s): After the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Dunham encouraged gang members in the ghetto to come to the center to use drumming and dance to vent their frustrations. By 1957, Dunham was under severe personal strain, which was affecting her health. Decolonozing Anthropology: Katherine "the Great" Dunham She also continued refining and teaching the Dunham Technique to transmit that knowledge to succeeding generations of dance students. 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. 3 (1992): 24. Regarding her impact and effect he wrote: "The rise of American Negro dance commenced when Katherine Dunham and her company skyrocketed into the Windsor Theater in New York, from Chicago in 1940, and made an indelible stamp on the dance world Miss Dunham opened the doors that made possible the rapid upswing of this dance for the present generation." At an early age, Dunham became interested in dance. 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. Born in Glen Ellyn, IL #6. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) brought African dance aesthetics to the United States, forever influencing modern and jazz dance. According to the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, Dunham never thought she'd have a career in dance, although she did study with ballerina and choreographer Ruth Page, among others. 10 Facts about Alvin Ailey - Fact File International dance icon Katherine Dunham (right,) also an anthropologist, founded an art museum in East St. Louis, IL. Video. The Washington Post called her "dancer Katherine the Great." 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. 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. Please scroll down to enjoy more supporting materials. Updates? [6][10] While still a high school student, she opened a private dance school for young black children. 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. In addition, Dunham conducted special projects for African American high school students in Chicago; was artistic and technical director (196667) to the president of Senegal; and served as artist-in-residence, and later professor, at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and director of Southern Illinoiss Performing Arts Training Centre and Dynamic Museum in East St. Louis, Illinois. There, her father ran a dry-cleaning business.[8]. [20] She also became friends with, among others, Dumarsais Estim, then a high-level politician, who became president of Haiti in 1949. [18] to the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree. Katherine Dunham - Author, Career, Childhood - Katherine Dunham Biography 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. Dunham's mother, Fanny June Dunham (ne Taylor), who was of mixed French-Canadian and Native American heritage. Over her long career, she choreographed more than ninety individual dances. Search input Search submit button. Her mother, Fanny June Dunham, who, according to Dunham's memoir, possessed Indian, French Canadian, English and probably African ancestry, died when Dunham was four years old. She had incurred the displeasure of departmental officials when her company performed Southland, a ballet that dramatized the lynching of a black man in the racist American South. 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.". THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. In my mind, it's the most fascinating thing in the world to learn".[19]. Inspiring dancers: Ms Katherine Dunham - (Un)popular Cultures This gained international headlines and the embarrassed local police officials quickly released her. 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. [26] This work was never produced in Joplin's lifetime, but since the 1970s, it has been successfully produced in many venues. As one of her biographers, Joyce Aschenbrenner, wrote: "Today, it is safe to say, there is no American black dancer who has not been influenced by the Dunham Technique, unless he or she works entirely within a classical genre",[2] and the Dunham Technique is still taught to anyone who studies modern dance. However, she did not seriously pursue a career in the profession until she was a student at the University of Chicago. In 1992, at age 83, Dunham went on a highly publicized hunger strike to protest the discriminatory U.S. foreign policy against Haitian boat-people. Her world-renowned modern dance company exposed audiences to the diversity of dance, and her schools brought dance training and education to a variety of populations sharing her passion and commitment to dance as a medium of cultural communication. [13] University of Chicago's anthropology department was fairly new and the students were still encouraged to learn aspects of sociology, distinguishing it from other anthropology departments in the US that focused almost exclusively on non-Western peoples. From the beginning of their association, around 1938, Pratt designed the sets and every costume Dunham ever wore. She also developed the Dunham Technique, a method of movement to support her dance works. Katherine Dunham: The Artist as Activist During World War II. He continued as her artistic collaborator until his death in 1986. Dunham was born in Chicago on June 22, 1909. 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. She majored in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and after learning that much of Black . Katherine Dunham: The Artist as Activist | Center for the Humanities "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." 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. Katherine Dunham. most important pedagogues original work which includes :Batuada. One of the most significant dancers, artists, and anthropologic figures of the 20th century, Katherine Dunham defied racial and gender boundaries during a . Katherine Dunham - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family - Sticky Facts Katherine Dunham. Katherine Dunham or the "Matriarch of - Medium [5] She had an older brother, Albert Jr., with whom she had a close relationship. 52 Copy quote. With choreography characterized by exotic sexuality, both became signature works in the Dunham repertory. The company soon embarked on a tour of venues in South America, Europe, and North Africa. Some Facts. [11], During her time in Chicago, Dunham enjoyed holding social gatherings and inviting visitors to her apartment. Featuring lively Latin American and Caribbean dances, plantation dances, and American social dances, the show was an immediate success. 8 Katherine Dunham facts - Katherine dunham New York City, U.S. [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. Dunham technique is a codified dance training technique developed by Katherine Dunham in the mid 20th century. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) is revered as one of the great pillars of American dance history. She did not complete the other requirements for that degree, however, as she realized that her professional calling was performance and choreography.
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