The living Dunham tradition has persisted. Intrigued by this theory, Dunham began to study African roots of dance and, in 1935, she traveled to the Caribbean for field research. These exercises prepare the dancers for African social and spiritual dances[31] that are practiced later in the class including the Mahi,[32] Yonvalou,[33] and Congo Paillette. A continuation based on her experiences in Haiti, Island Possessed, was published in 1969. Katherine Dunham, a world-renowned dancer and choreographer, had big plans for East St. Louis in 1977. Dunham considered some really important and interesting issues, like how class and race issues translate internationally, being accepted into new communities, different types of being black, etc. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. In the 1930s, she did fieldwork in the Caribbean and infused her choreography with the cultures . Dunham continued to develop dozens of new productions during this period, and the company met with enthusiastic audiences in every city. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [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 Technique was created by Katherine Dunham, a legend in the worlds of dance and anthropology. 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". She also created several other works of choreography, including The Emperor Jones (a response to the play by Eugene O'Neill) and Barrelhouse. 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. She built her own dance empire and was hailed as the queen of black dance. She was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small . A fictional work based on her African experiences, Kasamance: A Fantasy, was published in 1974. This was followed by television spectaculars filmed in London, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, and Mexico City. Jeff Dunham hails from Dallas, Texas. In response, the Afonso Arinos law was passed in 1951 that made racial discrimination in public places a felony in Brazil.[42][43][44][45][46][47]. Through her ballet teachers, she was also exposed to Spanish, East Indian, Javanese, and Balinese dance forms.[23]. But Dunham, who was Black and held a doctorate in anthropology, had hoped to spur a "cultural awakening on the East Side," she told . [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. 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. In 1937 she traveled with them to New York to take part in A Negro Dance Evening, organized by Edna Guy at the 92nd Street YMHA. He was the founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. 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. One of her fellow professors, with whom she collaborated, was architect Buckminster Fuller. However, one key reason was that she knew she would be able to reach a broader public through dance, as opposed to the inaccessible institutions of academia. 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. [4] In 1938, using materials collected ethnographic fieldwork, Dunham submitted a thesis, The Dances of Haiti: A Study of Their Material Aspect, Organization, Form, and Function,. Dunham created many all-black dance groups. Admission is $10, or $5 for students and seniors, and hours are by appointment; call 618-875-3636, or 618-618-795-5970 three to five days in advance. The school was managed in Dunham's absence by Syvilla Fort, one of her dancers, and thrived for about 10 years. The Katherine Dunham Company toured throughout North America in the mid-1940s, performing as well in the racially segregated South. She . Katherine Dunham introduced African and Caribbean rhythms to modern dance. Barrelhouse. Video. 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. [ ] Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909 (age 96) in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States. [21] This style of participant observation research was not yet common within the discipline of anthropology. The company soon embarked on a tour of venues in South America, Europe, and North Africa. In September 1943, under the management of the impresario Sol Hurok, her troupe opened in Tropical Review at the Martin Beck Theater. Genres Novels. 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. 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. Banks, Ojeya Cruz. 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." In her biography, Joyce Aschenbrenner (2002), credits Ms Dunham as the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance", and describes her work as: "fundamentally . most important pedagogues original work which includes :Batuada. [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. Birth Year: 1956. Katherine Dunham, it includes photographs highlighting the many dimensions of Dunham's life and work. As a choreographer, anthropologist, educator, and activist, Katherine Dunham transformed the field of dance in the twentieth century. She choreographed for Broadway stage productions and operaincluding Aida (1963) for the New York Metropolitan Opera. [52], On May 21, 2006, Dunham died in her sleep from natural causes in New York City. Her fieldwork inspired her innovative interpretations of dance in the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. Dancer, choreographer, composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Chicago. [6][10] While still a high school student, she opened a private dance school for young black children. [1] The Dunham Technique is still taught today. He continued as her artistic collaborator until his death in 1986. ", Examples include: The Ballet in film "Stormy Weather" (Stone 1943) and "Mambo" (Rossen 1954). - Pic Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images. 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. Her the best movie is Casbah. 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. 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. She made national headlines by staging a hunger strike to protest the U.S. governments repatriation policy for Haitian immigrants. Her work helped send astronauts to the . Born Katherine Coleman in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia . 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. Birth City: Decatur. The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance. 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. Her work inspired many. When she was not performing, Dunham and Pratt often visited Haiti for extended stays. During these years, the Dunham company appeared in some 33 countries in Europe, North Africa, South America, Australia, and East Asia. In 1963 Dunham was commissioned to choreograph Aida at New York's Metropolitan Opera Company, with Leontyne Price in the title role. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers in African-American and European theater of the 20th . Fun facts. 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. Throughout her career, Dunham occasionally published articles about her anthropological research (sometimes under the pseudonym of Kaye Dunn) and sometimes lectured on anthropological topics at universities and scholarly societies.[27]. Lyndon B. Johnson was in the audience for opening night. [26] This work was never produced in Joplin's lifetime, but since the 1970s, it has been successfully produced in many venues. Kaiso is an Afro-Caribbean term denoting praise. ", 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. 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. Text:. The schools she created helped train such notables as Alvin Ailey and Jerome Robbins in the "Dunham technique." Death . 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. First Name Katherine #37. Additionally, she was named one of the most influential African American anthropologists. There, he ran a dry cleaning business in a place mostly occupied by white people. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. Please scroll down to enjoy more supporting materials. International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, First Pan-African World Festival of Negro Arts, National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame, "Katherine Dunham | African American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist", "Timeline: The Katherine Dunham Collection at the Library of Congress (Performing Arts Encyclopedia, The Library of Congress)", "Special Presentation: Katherine Dunham Timeline". 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. [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". Katherine Dunham was born on the 22nd of June, 1909 in Chicago before she was taken by her parents to their hometown at Glen Ellyn in Illinois. Later that year she took her troupe to Mexico, where their performances were so popular that they stayed and performed for more than two months. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) By Halifu Osumare Katherine Dunham was a world famous dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, social activist, and humanitarian. Search input Search submit button. Dunham became interested in both writing and dance at a young age. Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. Dunham was exposed to sacred ritual dances performed by people on the islands of Haiti and Jamaica. During this time, she developed a warm friendship with the psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm, whom she had known in Europe. Video. She is best known for bringing African and Caribbean dance styles to the US [1]. Luminaries like Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Katherine Dunham began to shape and define what this new genre of dance would be. Numerous scholars describe Dunham as pivotal to the fields of Dance Education, Applied Anthropology, Humanistic Anthropology, African Diasporic Anthropology and Liberatory Anthropology. 1. From the 40s to the 60s, Dunham and her dance troupe toured to 57 countries of the world. 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. One of the most significant dancers, artists, and anthropologic figures of the 20th century, Katherine Dunham defied racial and gender boundaries during a . This meant neither of the children were able to settle into a home for a few years. Dunham passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2006 at the age of 96. [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. Katherine Mary Dunham was born in Chicago in 1909. You can't learn about dances until you learn about people. Katherine Dunham (born June 22, 1909) [1] [2] was an American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She taught dance lessons to help pay for her education at the University of Chicago. The incident was widely discussed in the Brazilian press and became a hot political issue. They were stranded without money because of bad management by their impresario. [20] She recorded her findings through ethnographic fieldnotes and by learning dance techniques, music and song, alongside her interlocutors. The company was located on the property that formerly belonged to the Isadora Duncan Dance in Caravan Hill but subsequently moved to W 43rd Street. informed by new methods of america's most highly regarded. Claude Conyers, "Film Choreography by Katherine Dunham, 19391964," in Clark and Johnson. During her studies, Dunham attended a lecture on anthropology, where she was introduced to the concept of dance as a cultural symbol. Cruz Banks, Ojeya. She was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honors Award, the Plaque d'Honneur Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce Award, and a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Biography. She was also consulted on costuming for the Egyptian and Ethiopian dress. 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. The highly respected Dance magazine did a feature cover story on Dunham in August 2000 entitled "One-Woman Revolution". Dunham was born in Chicago on June 22, 1909. Katherine Dunham Quotes On Positivity. 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. She wanted to know not only how people danced but why they dance. Dunham technique is also inviting to the influence of cultural movement languages outside of dance including karate and capoeira.[36]. Katherine Dunham on dance anthropology. Unlike other modern dance creators who eschewed classical ballet, Dunham embraced it as a foundation for her technique. This was the beginning of more than 20 years during which Dunham performed with her company almost exclusively outside the United States. In my mind, it's the most fascinating thing in the world to learn".[19]. ", "Kaiso! [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. She also choreographed and starred in dance sequences in such films as Carnival of Rhythm (1942), Stormy Weather (1943), and Casbah (1947). 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. Nationality. Receiving a post graduate academic fellowship, she went to the Caribbean to study the African diaspora, ethnography and local dance. Through much study and time, she eventually became one of the founders of the field of dance anthropology. [13], Dunham officially joined the department in 1929 as an anthropology major,[13] while studying dances of the African diaspora. [15], In 1935, Dunham was awarded travel fellowships from the Julius Rosenwald and Guggenheim foundations to conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad studying the dance forms of the Caribbean. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, . Jobson, Ryan Cecil. Initially scheduled for a single performance, the show was so popular that the troupe repeated it for another ten Sundays. Her alumni included many future celebrities, such as Eartha Kitt. [15] Dunham's relationship with Redfield in particular was highly influential. The Dunham troupe toured for two decades, stirring audiences around the globe with their dynamic and highly theatrical performances. 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. In 19341936, Dunham performed as a guest artist with the ballet company of the Chicago Opera. 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. 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. She also choreographed and appeared in Broadway musicals, operas and the film Cabin in the Sky. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him. All You Need to Know About Dunham Technique. Example. Tropics (choreographed 1937) and Le Jazz Hot (1938) were among the earliest of many works based on her research. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. 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. [10], After completing her studies at Joliet Junior College in 1928, Dunham moved to Chicago to join her brother Albert at the University of Chicago. Dunham was always a formidable advocate for racial equality, boycotting segregated venues in the United States and using her performances to highlight discrimination. Named Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt, she was their only child. . A photographic exhibit honoring her achievements, entitled Kaiso! She majored in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and after learning that much of Black . 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.