Dunham 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. Katherine Dunham always had an interest in dance and anthropology so her main goal in life was to combine them. What may not be as well-known is that the renowned Katherine Dunham made 534 Katherine Dunham Place in East St. Louis her second home. School is renamed NEW YORK (AP) - Katherine Dunham, a pioneering dancer and choreographer, author and civil rights activist who left Broadway to teach culture in one of America's poorest cities . She was a choreographer who revolutinized American dance during the 1930s by going back to the roots of black dance and rituals, transforming them into choreography. Her mother Fanny June Dunham died when she became sick and her father Albert Dunham Sr., left to work as a salesman. Katherine Dunham claim to fame: Dunham School of Dance. She had an older brother named Albert Jr. 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. movement and expression. . Donate Now Open Menu Close Menu. Katherine returnedto to the usa in 1931 miss Dunham met one of. As a young man Albert Dunham moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Chicago to work as a tailor and drycleaner while also pursuing a career as a jazz guitarist. Katherine Dunham is an inspiration to teachers and dancers everywhere to use Mutiple cultures in their sources. It is a non-profit organization that continues the legacy of KATHERINE DUNHAM. until hia death in the 1986. Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. Later owned her own dance studio in 1931 (The Katherine Dunham School of Dance) in New York and had a group called the Katherine Dunham dancers who were one of the first all black female dance groups.Choreographed such Films as "Cabin in The Sky" in 1940 and "Stormy Weather" in . Dunham is a ventriloquist comedian and uses seven different puppets in his act, known by his fans as the "suitcase posse." His first Comedy Central Presents special premiered in 2003. forming a powerful personal. This book explores Katherine Dunham's contribution to anthropology and the ongoing relevance of her ideas and methodologies, rejecting the idea that art and academics need to be cleanly separated from each other. Sanders-Ward said Dunham was a brave trailblazer who understood her inner power and accepted the call. The same was true of the Katherine Dunham School of Dance, which she founded in 1944 in New York. It was a venue for Dunham to teach young Black dancers about their African heritage. Katherine Dunham, Controversial Pioneer. Dancer, choreographer, composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Chicago. Katherine Dunham and her company performing in the film Casbah (1948) Katherine Dunham and her company performing at the Cambridge Theatre, London (1952) "Choreographer and anthropologist who fought racial prejudice.". In the 1940s, she formed the Katherine Dunham Dance Company in NYC, and this troupe toured the world for two decades. She was a dancer and choreographer who is best known for her work in African-American theater. She then opened the famous Dunham School in New York. She and her brother went to go live with their aunt, Lulu. Additionally, the museum holds an extensive . Short Biography. Katherine Dunham was born in 1909 to an African American father (Albert Dunham Sr.) . ~ Katherine Dunham. Her . Katherine Dunham PhB'36. However, she did not seriously pursue a career in the profession until she was a student at the University of Chicago. She directed the Katherine Dunham School of Dance in New York, and was artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University. Adult Classes: Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Children's Classes (ages 5-18): Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm and Saturday from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909. Her "mixed-race" will influence her style of dance. BIOGRAPHY - KATHERINE DUNHAM (1909-2006) Anthropologist, Ethnologue, Choreographer, Producer . Katherine O. Dunham Award for Citizenship: Kennedy Morgan '22. She was born in 1909 and died in 2006 at 96 years old. As a dancer and choreographer, Katherine Dunham (1910-2002) wowed audiences in the 1930s and 1940s when she combined classical ballet with African rhythms to create an exciting new dance style. Her student body and faculty were both interracial and international; Dunham intended her school to be a model for racial equality. On the other hand, she was what Gregory S . Katherine Dunham. I used to want the words 'She tried' on my tombstone. In 1943, Miss Dunham established a base philosophy for a school, which opened in 1946 in New York City as the Dunham School of Arts and Research. Dunham came. Early Life. 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. The center is located in the former Morrison School building, at 630 N. 59th Street. The Negro Dance Group appeared with the Chicago Symphony and at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934. The program included courses in dance, drama, performing arts, applied skills . 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. She also appeared in the Broadway musicals "Bal . She has had a love for dance ever since she was young. Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909, in Chicago. Jeff Dunham hails from Dallas, Texas. Dunham's Data is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC AH/R012989/1, 2018-2022), under the direction of Kate Elswit (PI, University of London, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama) and Harmony Bench (CI, The Ohio State University). Katherine Dunham, dancer and anthropologist, was one of the first African American women to attend the University of Chicago, where she earned bachelor and doctoral degree in anthropology. Katherine Dunham. In 1940, Dunham established her own professional dance company and in 1943 she opened the Katherine Dunahm School of Arts and Research in New York in 1943. The Katherine Dunham School of Dance and Theatre ran classes in dance, Caribbean research, cultural studies and more, and had several famous students, including Eartha Kitt, James Dean, and Sidney Poitier. At an early age, Dunham became interested in dance. An innovator in African-American modern dance, a leader in the field of dance anthropology, she died on May 21. Katherine Dunham was an American dancer and choreographer, credited to have brought the influence of Africa and the Caribbean into American dance. As an African American woman, she broke barriers of race and gender, most notably as the founder of an important dance company that toured the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia for several decades. We have a full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and more! In 1945, Katherine Dunham moved her school to New York where it operated and flourished until 1957. Hundreds of volunteers, which included faculty, staff and students of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville . For Additional Information Contact: Ms. Ruby Streate at 618.477.3826 . The committee voted unanimously to award $2,400 (more than $40,000 in today's money) to support her fieldwork in the Caribbean. At fourteen, to help raise money for her church, she organizes a "cabaret party." She is the producer, director, and star of the entertainment. Dunham was a pioneer in folk and ethnic choreography and a founder of the anthropological dance movement. Katherine Dunham, pseudonym Kaye Dunn, (born June 22, 1909, Glen Ellyn, Ill., U.S.died May 21, 2006, New York, N.Y.), American dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist noted for her innovative interpretations of ritualistic and ethnic dances. At fourteen, to help raise money for her church, she organizes a "cabaret party." She is the producer, director, and star of the entertainment Click to Tweet. Born: June 22, 1909. His impressive height at 6 feet 6 inches, and his formal attire at a dance recital, attracted the attention of producer Arnold Saint Subber who arranged for him to play Samedi, a Haitian conjurer, in Harold Arlen's 1954 . . . Jan 1, 1952. Danielle Rodgers Katherine Dunham Timeline (1909-2006) 1909-Born on June 22, 1909 in Chicago 1928-Dunham begins to study ballet with Ludmilla Speranzeva in Chicago 1929-She attends the University of Chicago where she majors in Anthropology and focused on dances of the African culture 1930-Katherine Dunham forms her dance company, Ballet Ngre, which is one of the first Negro ballet companies . Katherine Mary Dunham, the second child of Albert Millard and Fanny June Dunham, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1909. A teacher lent her the money to get to New York . Dunham was a cultural advisor, teacher, Kennedy Center honoree, and political activist. described his role with the Dunham Company as technical advisor and consulting director of the Katherine Dunham School of Arts and Research. 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. She made world tours as a dancer, choreographer, and director of her own dance company. Donate Now We're back. 2006. She wanted to know not only how people danced but why they dance. , and was artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University. Dunham began her career as a dancer in the early 1930s, and soon became known for her innovative style. The Dunham Institute, Inc. was initially founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. Her company disbanded permanently in 1964, after sweeping success abroad and far less acceptance of her progressive work in her own country. 1928 Katherine Dunham founded the Dunham School of Dance at 220 West 43rd Street in 1945, and the school stayed here until 1957. Dunham and her older brother Albert Jr., were raised by their loving aunt Lulu on the ghetto side of Chicago. Katherine Dunham. Katherine Mary Dunham (also known as Kaye Dunn, June 22, 1909 - May 21, 2006) was an American dancer, choreographer, author, educator, and social activist. The Katherine Dunham Centers. She opened her first dance and theater school in the 1940's, whose approach was considered radical because it strayed from strictly European technique . . Dunham's original dance company, Ballet Ngre (founded in 1930 in Chicago), was one of America's first African American ballet companies, and in 1933 she founded the Negro Dance Group, a school for young black dancers. Dunham 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. The Katherine Dunham Museum houses Miss Dunham's outstanding collection of more than 250 African and Caribbean art objects from more than 50 countries. Now I want 'She did it.' ~ Katherine Dunham. Her original works include: Batucada, L'ag'ya, Shango, Veracruzana , Nanigo, Choros, Rite de Passage, Los Indios, and many more. It was purchased from East St. Louis School District 189 for $3,000 more than four years ago. She is known for not only creating a new style of dance but she is the founder for several dance companies that toured around the world for all cultures to see. Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, creator of the Dunham Technique, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist. . She was 96. In Dunham's shows, her dancers and musicians who came from many different countries, melding their various rhythmic sensibilities and cultural backgrounds together literally embodied the cosmopolitan, harmonious future she envisioned. Her student body and faculty were both interracial and international; Dunham intended her school to be a model for racial equality. 8 Katherine Dunham facts. We believe that each student should have a strong sense of personal honor and integrity and that these character qualities will be vital assets . Pratt described his designs for Miss Dunham as dynamic, and his main concern was that the costumes provided freedom . Here, Dunham cultivated her namesake techniquea modern dance style infused with ballet vocabulary and Caribbean folk movement. "She knew she had a greater purpose for what her art was supposed to be," Sanders-Ward . The exhibition sweeps aside the boundaries between theatre and museum as the visitor . She is credited for bringing these . He started doing stand-up comedy in the late 1980s. In 1945, she opened the Katherine Dunham School of Dance in New York City. 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 . Katherine Dunham, born on June 22, 1909 was an African American dancer. She . She is known for bringing Black dance and rituals into the Eurocentric American dance world, revolutionizing the art . 1922. In high school, Katherine Dunham joins the Terpsichorean Club and begins to learn a kind of free-style modern dance based on ideas of Jaques-Dalcroze and Rudolf von Laban. Dancer, choreographer, composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Chicago. World-renowned dancer and social activist Katherine Dunham believed that dance and the arts had the power to transform lives and improve communities. Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) By Halifu Osumare Katherine Dunham was a world famous dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, social activist, and humanitarian. In 1970, Katherine Dunham wrote about the "fragmentary" societies of today, where "art becomes more important than ever to answer man's need to participate, to experience total involvement, to . On the one hand, she was "Katherine the Great," the charismatic and technically precise Broadway and Hollywood dancer who appeared in Cabin in the Sky (1940), Stormy Weather (1943), and other popular black musicals. . Died: May 21, 2006. She directed the Katherine Dunham School of Dance in New York, and was artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University. Dunham's first school was in Chicago. Through this project, we explore the kinds of questions and problems that make the . Her father Albert was a descendant of enslaved people taken from Madagascar and West Africa. At the recommendation of her mentor Melville Herskovits, PhB'20a Northwestern University anthropologist and African studies expertDunham's calling cards read both "dancer" and .