These experiences provided ample material for the numerous books, articles and short stories Dunham authored. Katherine Dunham facts for kids. 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. Featuring lively Latin American and Caribbean dances, plantation dances, and American social dances, the show was an immediate success. It closed after only 38 performances. Fun Facts. 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. The school was managed in Dunham's absence by Syvilla Fort, one of her dancers, and thrived for about 10 years. Katherine Dunham got an early bachelor's degree in anthropology as a student at the University of Chicago. Dunham was both a popular entertainer and a serious artist intent on tracing the roots of Black culture. Katherine Dunham, June 22, Katherine Dunham was born to a French -Canadian woman and an African American man in the state of Chicago in America, Her birthday was 22nd June in the year 1909. . 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. By 1957, Dunham was under severe personal strain, which was affecting her health. 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. [12] The recipient of numerous awards, Dunham received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1983 and the National Medal of Arts in 1989. 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. [52], On May 21, 2006, Dunham died in her sleep from natural causes in New York City. Katherine Dunham Quotes On Positivity. 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. Dunham, Katherine Mary (1909-2006) By Das, Joanna Dee. Her mother passed away when Katherine was only 3 years old. 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. Jobson, Ryan Cecil. Pas de Deux from "L'Ag'Ya". Two years later she formed an all-Black company, which began touring extensively by 1943. One of her fellow professors, with whom she collaborated, was architect Buckminster Fuller. While Dunham was recognized as "unofficially" representing American cultural life in her foreign tours, she was given very little assistance of any kind by the U.S. State Department. Katherine Dunham (born June 22, 1909) [1] was an American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist [1]. Katherine Dunham. Dunham was born in Chicago on June 22, 1909. 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. She has been called the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance." As Julia Foulkes pointed out, "Dunham's path to success lay in making high art in the United States from African and Caribbean sources, capitalizing on a heritage of dance within the African Diaspora, and raising perceptions of African American capabilities."[65]. Book. Dunham is still taught at widely recognized dance institutions such as The American Dance Festival and The Ailey School. Each procession builds on the last and focuses on conditioning the body to prepare for specific exercises that come later. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) is revered as one of the great pillars of American dance history. Dunham continued to develop dozens of new productions during this period, and the company met with enthusiastic audiences in every city. Katherine Johnson, ne Katherine Coleman, also known as (1939-56) Katherine Goble, (born August 26, 1918, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, U.S.died February 24, 2020, Newport News, Virginia), American mathematician who calculated and analyzed the flight paths of many spacecraft during her more than three decades with the U.S. space program. 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". But what set her work even further apart from Martha Graham and Jos Limn was her fusion of that foundation with Afro-Caribbean styles. Dunham was always a formidable advocate for racial equality, boycotting segregated venues in the United States and using her performances to highlight discrimination. ", Black writer Arthur Todd described her as "one of our national treasures". American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. 2 (2012): 159168. In 1935, Dunham received grants to conduct fieldwork in Trinidad, Jamaica, and Haiti to study Afro-Caribbean dance and other rituals. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him. theatrical designers john pratt. A carriage house on the grounds is to . 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. [50] Both Dunham and the prince denied the suggestion. In September 1943, under the management of the impresario Sol Hurok, her troupe opened in Tropical Review at the Martin Beck Theater. [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. 288 pages, Hardcover. Dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1910, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small suburb of . Dunham is credited with introducing international audiences to African aesthetics and establishing African dance as a true art form. Initially scheduled for a single performance, the show was so popular that the troupe repeated it for another ten Sundays. 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. Such visitors included ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, Robert Redfield, Bronisaw Malinowski, A.R. Long, Richard A, and Joe Nash. [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. 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. It was a huge collection of writings by and about Katherine Dunham, so it naturally covered a lot of area. A dance choreographer. Dunham early became interested in dance. Katherine Dunham. 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. Chin, Elizabeth. 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. The show created a minor controversy in the press. She also continued refining and teaching the Dunham Technique to transmit that knowledge to succeeding generations of dance students. 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). 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. 30 seconds. "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology Through African American Dance Pedagogy. Katherine Dunham, a world-renowned dancer and choreographer, had big plans for East St. Louis in 1977. As a result, Dunham would later experience some diplomatic "difficulties" on her tours. Here are 10 facts about her fascinating life. [5] Along with the Great Migration, came White flight and her aunt Lulu's business suffered and ultimately closed as a result. There, he ran a dry cleaning business in a place mostly occupied by white people. Dunham, Katherine dnm . In 1950, while visiting Brazil, Dunham and her group were refused rooms at a first-class hotel in So Paulo, the Hotel Esplanada, frequented by many American businessmen. Dunham also created the well-known Dunham Technique [1]. "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,". A actor. [54] Her legacy within Anthropology and Dance Anthropology continues to shine with each new day. After noticing that Katherine enjoyed working and socializing with people, her brother suggested that she study Anthropology. katherine dunham fun factsaiken county sc register of deeds katherine dunham fun facts By drawing on a vast, never-utilized trove of archival materials along with oral histories, choreographic analysis, and embodied research, Katherine Dunham: Dance and the African Diaspora offers new insight about how this remarkable woman built political solidarity through the arts. Katherine was also an activist, author, educator, and anthropologist. Through her ballet teachers, she was also exposed to Spanish, East Indian, Javanese, and Balinese dance forms.[23]. Katherine Dunham, was mounted at the Women's Center on the campus. 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). She was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small . Her father was a descendant of slaves from West Africa, and her mother was a mix of French-Canadian and Native-American heritage. She was instrumental in getting respect for Black dancers on the concert dance stage and directed the first self-supported Black dance company. [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". Childhood & Early Life. 7 Katherine Dunham facts. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Anna Kisselgoff, a dance critic for The New York Times, called Dunham "a major pioneer in Black theatrical dance ahead of her time." 47 Copy quote. Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 - May 21, 2006) was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. 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. Chin, Elizabeth. Omissions? In 1986 the American Anthropological Association gave her a Distinguished Service Award. She did this for many reasons. Katherine Dunham. Our site is COPPA and kidSAFE-certified, so you can rest assured it's a safe place for kids . Fun Facts. [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. Name: Mae C. Jemison. As a choreographer, anthropologist, educator, and activist, Katherine Dunham transformed the field of dance in the twentieth century. In 1947 it was expanded and granted a charter as the Katherine Dunham School of Cultural Arts. 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. [3] Dunham was an innovator in African-American modern dance as well as a leader in the field of dance anthropology, or ethnochoreology. Upon returning to Chicago, the company performed at the Goodman Theater and at the Abraham Lincoln Center. Dunham created many all-black dance groups. Katherine Dunham (born June 22, 1909) [1] [2] was an American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. [22] 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. USA. Katherine Dunham always had an interest in dance and anthropology so her main goal in life was to combine them. Grow your vocab the fun way! 8 Katherine Dunham facts. However, after her father remarried, Albert Sr. and his new wife, Annette Poindexter Dunham, took in Katherine and her brother. Example. Gender: Female. 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. Katherine Dunham predated, pioneered, and demonstrated new ways of doing and envisioning Anthropology six decades ahead of the discipline. International dance icon Katherine Dunham (right,) also an anthropologist, founded an art museum in East St. Louis, IL. In 2000 Katherine Dunham was named America's irreplaceable Dance Treasure. ", Kraut, Anthea, "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 22:48. 52 Copy quote. [18] to the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree. [14] Redfield, Herskovits, and Sapir's contributions to cultural anthropology, exposed Dunham to topics and ideas that inspired her creatively and professionally. 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. When you have faith in something, it's your reason to be alive and to fight for it. 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. Unlike other modern dance creators who eschewed classical ballet, Dunham embraced it as a foundation for her technique. April 30, 2019. 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. London: Zed Books, 1999. (She later took a Ph.D. in anthropology.) Ruth Page had written a scenario and choreographed La Guiablesse ("The Devil Woman"), based on a Martinican folk tale in Lafcadio Hearn's Two Years in the French West Indies. Video. The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance. The impresario Sol Hurok, manager of Dunham's troupe for a time, once had Ms. Dunham's legs insured for $250,000. Another fact is that it was the sometime home of the pioneering black American dancer Katherine Dunham. Transforming Anthropology 20 (2012): 159168. ..American Anthropologist.. 112, no. In the mid-1930s she conducted anthropological research on dance and incorporated her findings into her choreography, blending the rhythms and movements of . As a student, she studied under anthropologists such as A.R. Katherine Dunham: The Artist as Activist During World War II. Dunham was exposed to sacred ritual dances performed by people on the islands of Haiti and Jamaica. But Dunham, who was Black and held a doctorate in anthropology, had hoped to spur a "cultural awakening on the East Side," she told . In 1963 Dunham was commissioned to choreograph Aida at New York's Metropolitan Opera Company, with Leontyne Price in the title role. Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 May 21, 2006)[1] was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. The troupe performed a suite of West Indian dances in the first half of the program and a ballet entitled Tropic Death, with Talley Beatty, in the second half. Luminaries like Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Katherine Dunham began to shape and define what this new genre of dance would be. Marlon Brando frequently dropped in to play the bongo drums, and jazz musician Charles Mingus held regular jam sessions with the drummers. On February 22, 2022, Selkirk will offer a unique, one-lot auction titled, Divine Technique: Katherine Dunham Ephemera And Documents. Based on her research in Martinique, this three-part performance integrated elements of a Martinique fighting dance into American ballet. Katherine Dunham, the dancer, choreographer, teacher and anthropologist whose pioneering work introduced much of the black heritage in dance to the stage, died Sunday at her home in Manhattan. The highly respected Dance magazine did a feature cover story on Dunham in August 2000 entitled "One-Woman Revolution". Despite these successes, the company frequently ran into periods of financial difficulties, as Dunham was required to support all of the 30 to 40 dancers and musicians. 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. Last Name Dunham #5. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. . She is best known for bringing African and Caribbean dance styles to the US [1]. Katherine Dunham Biography, Life, Interesting Facts. Her father, Albert Millard Dunham, was a descendant of slaves from West Africa and Madagascar. 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. In particular, Dunham is a model for the artist as activist.
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