
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. As An African American Woman, She Broke Barriers Of Race And Gender, Most Notably As The Founder Of An Important Dance Company. She Influenced Generations Of Performers For Years To Come, From Alvin Ailey To Marlon Brando To Eartha Kitt. Dunham Was Also One Of The First Choreographers To Conduct Anthropological Research About Dance And Translate Her Findings For The Theatrical Stage. Katherine Dunham: Dance And The African Diaspora Makes The Argument That Dunham Was More Than A Dancer-she Was An Intellectual And Activist Committed To Using Dance To Fight For Racial Justice. Dunham Saw Dance As A Tool Of Liberation, As A Way For People Of African Descent To Reclaim Their History And Forge A New Future. She Put Her Theories Into Motion Not Only Through Performance, But Also Through Education, Scholarship, Travel, And Choices About Her Own Life. Author Joanna Dee Das Examines How Dunham Struggled To Balance Artistic Dreams, Personal Desires, Economic Needs, And Political Commitments In The Face Of Racism And Sexism. The Book Analyzes Dunham's Multiple Spheres Of Engagement, Assessing Her Dance Performances As A Form Of Black Feminist Protest While Also Presenting New Material About Her Schools In New York And East St. Louis, Her Work In Haiti, And Her Network Of Interlocutors That Included Figures As Diverse As Ballet Choreographer George Balanchine And Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor. -- Provided By The Publisher.
This work investigates how Katherine Dunham utilized dance as a sophisticated intellectual and activist framework to challenge systemic racial and gender barriers throughout the twentieth century. Joanna Dee Das, a dance historian and scholar, synthesizes archival research, performance analysis, and biographical data to argue that Dunham’s choreography functioned as a form of Black feminist protest. The book positions Dunham not merely as a performer, but as a radical intellectual who integrated anthropological research with theatrical practice to advocate for social liberation.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and dance historians identify this text as a critical contribution to the study of Black performance art and the history of the African diaspora. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the prose and the depth of the archival research presented by the author.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2017-06-20
Publisher:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10:
019026490X
ISBN-13:
9780190264901
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