Ms. Katherine Dunham is known as one of the most influential African American woman who contributed a lot of her style and inspiration to the dance world. “ Katherine Dunham is a dancer, choreographer and educator she is known as the matriarch of black dance.” (Joanna Dee Das) When Dunham participated in dance she established the African-American dance as an art in its own. Katherine was born the youngest child in Chicago to Albert Millard Dunham and Fanny June. Her cultural background included Indian, French Canadian, English, Malagasy and African ancestry. According to Mandell while growing up Dunham was seen as the average African American girl, until her mother passed away in 1913 leaving her mothers family to care for Katherine and her …show more content…
brother. (Famous People, pg.1) After all of the bad experiences Dunham was experiencing in her life she took to non-formal dance to release some of her frustration. Katherine Dunham did not begin formal dance training until her late teens. After Dunham finished high school she went on to finish school at the University of Chicago with a full ride scholarship. Dunham graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. She became one of the first African American women to attend this college to earn a bachelor, masters and doctoral degree in Anthropology. Here, she was inspired by the work of many anthropologists who studied the importance of survival and ritual within the African culture, which gave her a better understanding of African-American culture. “While in college she taught much of the community youth dance classes and gave recitals in a Chicago until she departed after graduation for the West Indies to do field research in anthropology and dance. Dunham received a grant from the Julius Rosenwald Fund to study the dances of the West Indies.” (Library of Congress pg.1) With the money earned from her teaching dance classes Dunham got to send herself to on a trip overseas, Dunham spent most of the next two years in the Caribbean studying all aspects of dance and the motivations behind dance. Although she was able to travel throughout the entire Caribbean, including Trinidad and Jamaica, it was in Haiti where she found that special artistic appeal that was incorporated into many of her dances. From then on, Dunham found multiple ways to share her experiences and expand the traditional way of dance to what we know now as culturally “ethnic dancing” (Katherine Dunham Centers, pg. 1) Following graduation, she founded the Negro Dance Group, a common training ground for many young black dancers. This group often performed at the Chicago Arts Theater. Dunham was also recognized for starting the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, which appeared on Broadway and toured throughout the United States, Mexico, Latin America and Europe. Katherine Dunham has contributed a lot of choreography and technique to the dance world. Dunham paved the way today for African American girls to pursue their dreams in dance. Some techniques Dunham has contributed to the dance world was the first ever type of choreography to combine the artistic dance movements of the Caribbean and African cultures with some European-style ballet. Dunham influenced many dance categories but she is widely known as the founder of black concert dance within the United States and also a influencer on the techniques of both modern and jazz dance. She always put her anthropological research into her dance choreography by uniquely including social and cultural rituals into public performances.” (A Life In Profile, Pg.1) Following her life and career, Katherine Dunham has been a part of or created many works that implements her legendary figure in the dance world.
In 1938, she choreographed and produced “L’Ag’Ya” in the federal theater in Chicago. In 1939, the Katherine Dunham dance company performed for the Quadres Society. In 1941, her first film was released, “Carnival of Rhythm”. In 1942, she was a featured dancer in the patriotic film Star Spangled Rhythm and staged dances for the film, “Pardon My Sarong”. In 1947, One of Katherine Dunham Groups were able to present her choreography of “The Caribbean Backgrounds” at Howard University in Washington D.C. Something that Dunham can be remembered by is the title of an advisor, in 1966 Dunham was appointed by the president to be an adviser for the World Festival of Negro Arts held in Dakar. (Katherine Dunham Centers, pg. 1). In conclusion, the amazing life of Katherine Dunham and career can be seen as a miraculous one, and although she was not alone Dunham is perhaps one of the best and most influential pioneer of black dance in the world. To this day and age one can say that Katherine Dunham has done her job correctly, because all she wanted was to she wanted to do was make a statement that African-American and African-Caribbean dance styles are related and can be put together to form powerful choreography which she taught here in
America.
Throughout history, Black Americans have fought to reclaim their bodies and redefine ideas of Blackness. Much of this struggle can be attributed to the fact that Black people have not owned their own bodies for the vast majority of American history. The Black struggle to escape white labels and the fight for self-determination, Black narration, and the presentation of Black beauty are evident in dance and its evolution throughout history. In his article, "Simmering Passivity: The Black Male Body In Concert Dance," Thomas DeFrantz uses the career and choreography of Alvin Ailey to show how Black dancers in America have historically been forced to conform to White stereotypes. Conversely, Jason King and Ananya Chatterjea show in their articles “Which way is down? Improvisations on black mobility” and “Subversive Dancing: The Playful
Haskins, James. "Geoffrey Holder and Carmen De Lavallade." Black Dance in America. N.p.: n.p., 1990. 130-37. Print.
She never lost her touch with Haiti, where she was most inspired by to follow her dreams. Katherine explored and brought African dance to life and left her legacy behind. The Katherine Dunham Centers for the Arts and Humanities preserved “…Katherine Dunham’s legacy and fulfill her dream of showing the people of East St. Louis that “there is a larger world out there’” (O’Conner 99). Dunham’s dream came true because the “PATC has produced outstanding actors, dancers, percussionists, and a traveling company from among the native youngsters of East Saint Louis” (Dunham 558).
Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment provides visions into the many features of dance and inspires scholars to keep an open mind and think critically about the stimulating, bold, ever-changing and active world of dance. Learning about Dance is particularly useful for those who do not have a wide and diverse dance contextual, such as students in a preliminary level or survey dance course. This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter one dance as an art form focuses on the basic structures of dance. Dance is displayed through the human body, it has the control to communicate and induce reactions. Dance can be found in many different places, it enables the participants and seekers to touch and knowledge the joy of movement. Dance is discovered as being one of the oldest art forms worldwide. Dance existed in early cultures was recognized in a sequence of rock paintings portrayed dance. Since this discovery of rock paintings, several other forms of art have been found that depict dance. People used rituals in order to worship the gods and believed that the rituals held magical and spiritual powers. During the ancient period civilizations sentient decisions began to be made with regard to dance. Other periods that had an impact on dance were the medieval period, the renaissance period, and the contemporary period. Chapter two the choreographer, the choreographer is a person who comes up with the movements created into a dance routine. The choreographer expresses themselves through choreography because this is their way of communicating with the audience. In order to be a choreographer you must have a passion for dance. Each choreographer has their own approaches and ways of making up a routine. Choreographers ...
According to Katherine, “A creative person has to create. It doesn’t really matter what they create. If such a dance wanted to go out and build the cactus gardens where he could, in Mexico, let him do that, but something that is creative has to go on. (Katherine, Dunham, Dancing a life, 2002)”. It has been said that an idol is someone whom everyone looks up to because of the great things they accomplished throughout their life span. Acknowledged as an African American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, civil activist and writer. Katherine Dunham, not only normally known for the generous acts of kindness but also for the huge impact she had in incorporating different dance styles and creating them into her very own ballet pieces. An influential woman who supported African American culture and believed there shouldn’t be any divisions between people. Not completely another mother of modern dance but a women who greatly influenced modern dance to enhance it in many ways. Katherine is and was famous for her anthropology movement in the world of dance, her creativity and dedication.
Revelations is a contemporary style dance that tells the story of African-American faith and tenacity from slavery to freedom through a suite of dances set to spirituals and blues music.This choreographic work was first performed in New York City on January 31,1960 at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and later recognized to be a signature piece for the theater. Alvin Ailey is the original choreographer of the masterpiece titled “Revelations” and also the founder of the dance theater where the piece Revelations is mainly showcased, Ailey was an African-American born January 5,1931 in Rogers, TX , only 29 when he decided to develop this dance piece. There was a time where opportunities for male dancers like himself was severely limited, so that 's when he decided to establish his work, this dance performance was Ailey 's idea for African Americans to express their talents,cultural history, and experience and was also encouraged by his memories of living in the south and his understanding of human development.
In the dance world a staggering number of choreographers have made a lasting impact on the way dance is seen to its audience. Alonzo King’s exceptional oeuvre of work includes him in this great history of significant choreographers. He not only created the link between modern and ballet in the twentieth century, but he bridged the ...
Martha Graham following Mary Wigman choreographed to the “essentialized” body through using the breath, contractions, human emotion, and so on. Martha Graham believed the pulsation of life came from the breath (6). This breath represented the soul. Graham’s breath is controlled by the contraction and release upon which her choreography was based. Graham also went on to state, “Art is eternal for it reveals the inner landscape of a man” (4). Dancing from the inside of your soul out is what Graham wanted her dancers to do. In own opinion e access our soul through surrendering to the divine power of God, which starts by connecting to our breath. Isadora Duncan danced with a connectedness of her body and soul completely inspired by nature. Graham
...o his attempt to bridge over the conceptual gap between the "local" and the "global" within cultural studies with Deleuze-Guattarian concepts. His point-of-view of cultural studies, especially, is valuable in terms that he recognizes the danger within its becoming-discipline: "These geopolitical negotiations of 'forms and feelings' [in Cajun dance] are precisely the proper focus of a 'cultural studies' understood not in a limited, 'territorialized' sense of dueling disciplines between adjoining theoretical and conceptual articulations and strategies" (186-7). If one can keep his/her own distance in reading this book, it will serve as a great source book for further research on cultural studies.
Throughout her college career, Dunham continued to dance in various venues. In 1933, she opened the Negro Dance Group, her first dance...
Alvin Ailey played a large role in the diversification and cultural storytelling that can be seen in modern dance today. With the founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, his dance company stands strong as one of the most respected and prosperous dance companies because of its artistic representation of the beauty that is otherwise known as the African culture. His work absolutely changed the atmosphere of modern dance because he was able to provide the modern dance community with a wider variety of content that had otherwise not been popularized before. Not only did he draw his inspiration from the African culture, but he also amalgamated this with his personal experience growing up as a black child during times of segregation.
As the first African-American to create a multicultural, international concert dance company, Alvin Ailey’s dance company has been dubbed the “cultural ambassador of the world” (Gorman 36). Through his Alvin Ailey Dance Company, he addressed the racism and injustice faced by ethnic minorities across the globe. Ailey clearly revolutionized African American participation in 20th century concert dance as well as revived interest in modern dance. As an extremely talented dancer and choreographer, Ailey’s success is attributed to his dedication and passion for expression through dance, but what is often overlooked is his resilience to the hardships he faced, the mentors he had, and the opportunities
At eleven years old, she was discovered by Gus Edwards and performed in a dinner show called the Vaudeville Kiddie Revue. In her teenage years she could often be found dancing in clubs. Then, she started auditioning for Broadway shows. The reason she started tap dancing was because the fact that every audition she went to, she was asked to tap dance. So, she enrolled in the Jack Donahue School in New York. After her first class, she didn’t want to come back because she felt so behind. Jack called her and told her to come back, so she did. By her seventh lesson, she was finally getting good.
The fine art of modern dance is like many other fields in that it is based on the actions and deeds of those who were pioneers in the field. These pioneers helped to mold modern dance into what it is today. Of the many people who are partially responsible for this accomplishment is Isadora Duncan. Duncan, often referred to as the “mother of modern dance,” inspired many other dancers to the extent that the art of dance would not be the same today without her many contributions.
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.