katherine dunham fun facts
Katherine Mary Dunham was born in Chicago in 1909. Inspiring dancers: Ms Katherine Dunham - (Un)popular Cultures 30 seconds. By 1957, Dunham was under severe personal strain, which was affecting her health. After he became her artistic collaborator, they became romantically involved. Name: Mae C. Jemison. Katherine Dunham | YourDictionary 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]. About Modern Dance - Jacqueline Burgess Jacqueline Burgess [6] After her mother died, her father left the children with their aunt Lulu on Chicago's South Side. It closed after only 38 performances. [15] Dunham's relationship with Redfield in particular was highly influential. Katherine Dunham, was mounted at the Women's Center on the campus. Katherine Dunham's long and remarkable life spanned the fields of anthropology, dance, theater, and inner city social work.As an anthropologist, Dunham studied and lived among the peoples of Haiti and other Caribbean islands; as a dancer and choreographer she combined "primitive" Caribbean dances with . 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. 1. About Miss Dunham - Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities [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. She . 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 company soon embarked on a tour of venues in South America, Europe, and North Africa. Initially scheduled for a single performance, the show was so popular that the troupe repeated it for another ten Sundays. 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. Video. . Glory Van Scott and Jean-Lon Destin were among other former Dunham dancers who remained her lifelong friends. Dunham technique is a codified dance training technique developed by Katherine Dunham in the mid 20th century. 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. [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. Short Biography. In the 1930s, she did fieldwork in the Caribbean and infused her choreography with the cultures . 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. He continued as her artistic collaborator until his death in 1986. Dunham Technique was created by Katherine Dunham, a legend in the worlds of dance and anthropology. Dunham was exposed to sacred ritual dances performed by people on the islands of Haiti and Jamaica. Katherine Dunham: The Artist as Activist During World War II. American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. Katherine Dunham's Biography - The HistoryMakers 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. Dunham was always a formidable advocate for racial equality, boycotting segregated venues in the United States and using her performances to highlight discrimination. Dunham's dance career first began in Chicago when she joined the Little Theater Company of Harper Avenue. Chin, Elizabeth. [6] At the age of 15, she organized "The Blue Moon Caf", a fundraising cabaret to raise money for Brown's Methodist Church in Joliet, where she gave her first public performance. Never completing her required coursework for her graduate degree, she departed for Broadway and Hollywood. Katherine Dunham. She also danced professionally, owned a dance company, and operated a dance studio. She also created several other works of choreography, including The Emperor Jones (a response to the play by Eugene O'Neill) and Barrelhouse. Numerous scholars describe Dunham as pivotal to the fields of Dance Education, Applied Anthropology, Humanistic Anthropology, African Diasporic Anthropology and Liberatory Anthropology. [59] She ultimately chose to continue her career in dance without her master's degree in anthropology. ", "Dunham's European success led to considerable imitation of her work in European revues it is safe to say that the perspectives of concert-theatrical dance in Europe were profoundly affected by the performances of the Dunham troupe. Jeff Dunham hails from Dallas, Texas. In her biography, Joyce Aschenbrenner (2002), credits Ms Dunham as the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance", and describes her work as: "fundamentally . Her the best movie is Casbah. [1] Dunham also created the Dunham Technique. Katherine Dunham: legendary dancer who founded the 1st American black In Boston, then a bastion of conservatism, the show was banned in 1944 after only one performance. Radcliffe-Brown, Edward Sapir, Melville Herskovits, Lloyd Warner and Bronisaw Malinowski. for teaching dance that is still la'ag'ya , Shange , Veraruzana, nanigo. 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. Photo provided by Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Morris Library Special Collections Research Center. Katherine Dunham, was published in a limited, numbered edition of 130 copies by the Institute for the Study of Social Change. Deren is now considered to be a pioneer of independent American filmmaking. In 1946, Dunham returned to Broadway for a revue entitled Bal Ngre, which received glowing notices from theater and dance critics. The recipient of numerous awards, Dunham received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1983 and the National Medal of Arts in 1989. 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 popular books are Island Possessed (1969), Touch of Innocence (1959), Dances of Haiti (1983), Kaiso! She was one of the first researchers in anthropology to use her research of Afro-Haitian dance and culture for remedying racist misrepresentation of African culture in the miseducation of Black Americans. In August she was awarded a bachelor's degree, a Ph.B., bachelor of philosophy, with her principal area of study being social anthropology. Her father was of black ancestry, a descendant of slaves from West Africa and Madagascar, while her mother belonged to mixed French-Canadian and Native . International dance icon Katherine Dunham (right,) also an anthropologist, founded an art museum in East St. Louis, IL. . The group performed Dunham's Negro Rhapsody at the Chicago Beaux Arts Ball. The living Dunham tradition has persisted. Her technique was "a way of life". 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. (She later wrote Journey to Accompong, a book describing her experiences there.) 52 Copy quote. THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. 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). 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. This was followed by television spectaculars filmed in London, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, and Mexico City. Katherine Dunham - Author, Career, Childhood - Katherine Dunham Biography VV A. Clark and Sara E. Johnson, editors, Joliet Central High School Yearbook, 1928. Who Was Katherine Dunham??? by Adrianne Hoopes - Prezi She choreographed for Broadway stage productions and operaincluding Aida (1963) for the New York Metropolitan Opera. Over the years Katherine Dunham has received scores of special awards, including more than a dozen honorary doctorates from various American universities. Another fact is that it was the sometime home of the pioneering black American dancer Katherine Dunham. 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. Keep reading for more such interesting quotes at Kidadl!) Anthropology News 33, no. Her work helped send astronauts to the . Charm Dance from "L'Ag'Ya". Search input Search submit button. Omissions? 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. There she met John Pratt, an artist and designer and they got married in 1941 until his death in 1986. [60], However, this decision did not keep her from engaging with and highly influencing the discipline for the rest of her life and beyond. [16], After her research tour of the Caribbean in 1935, Dunham returned to Chicago in the late spring of 1936. 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. 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. "[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 September 1943, under the management of the impresario Sol Hurok, her troupe opened in Tropical Review at the Martin Beck Theater. Katherine Dunham : Dance and the African Diaspora - Google Books Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. Classes are led by Ruby Streate, director of dance and education and artistic director of the Katherine Dunham Children's Workshop. Some Facts. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Facts About Katherine Dunham. 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]. She was also consulted on costuming for the Egyptian and Ethiopian dress. 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. [1] She is best known for bringing African and Caribbean dance styles to the US. [61][62][63][64] During this time, in addition to Dunham, numerous Black women such as Zora Neal Hurston, Caroline Bond Day, Irene Diggs, and Erna Brodber were also working to transform the discipline into an anthropology of liberation: employing critical and creative cultural production.[54]. Tune in & learn about the inception of. Here are some interesting facts about Alvin Ailey for you: Facts about Alvin Ailey 1: the popular modern dance Pas de Deux from "L'Ag'Ya". [52], On May 21, 2006, Dunham died in her sleep from natural causes in New York City. [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. Katherine Dunham, 1909-2006 - WWP 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. 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. Gender: Female. She was a woman far ahead of her time. The restructuring of heavy industry had caused the loss of many working-class jobs, and unemployment was high in the city. Dunham was active in human rights causes, and in 1992 she staged a 47-day hunger strike to highlight the plight of Haitian refugees. Fun Facts. Banks, Ojeya Cruz. He had been a promising philosophy professor at Howard University and a protg of Alfred North Whitehead. ", 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.". A short biography on the legendary Katherine Dunham.All information found at: kdcah.org Enjoy the short history lesson and visit dancingindarkskin.com for mo. In 1967 she officially retired, after presenting a final show at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Katherine Dunham is credited Her dance troupe in venues around. 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 . This won international acclaim and is now taught as a modern dance style in many dance schools. Dunham Company member Dana McBroom-Manno was selected as a featured artist in the show, which played on the Music Fair Circuit. Dunham early became interested in dance. Cruz Banks, Ojeya. On one of these visits, during the late 1940s, she purchased a large property of more than seven hectares (approximately 17.3 acres) in the Carrefours suburban area of Port-au-Prince, known as Habitation Leclerc. However, fully aware of her passion for both dance performance, as well as anthropological research, she felt she had to choose between the two. ", 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. Tropics (choreographed 1937) and Le Jazz Hot (1938) were among the earliest of many works based on her research. [20] She also became friends with, among others, Dumarsais Estim, then a high-level politician, who became president of Haiti in 1949. Lyndon B. Johnson was in the audience for opening night. [6][10] While still a high school student, she opened a private dance school for young black children. Katherine was also an activist, author, educator, and anthropologist. 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. Katherine Dunham was a rebel among rebels. She majored in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and after learning that much of Black . [21] This style of participant observation research was not yet common within the discipline of anthropology. 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. "Katherine Dunham: Decolonizing Anthropology Through African American Dance Pedagogy. ", 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. One example of this was studying how dance manifests within Haitian Vodou. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
