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SPEAKER_00: Today, we're talking about a pioneering, multi-talented woman who brought a unique celebration of Black culture to the public eye. She blended disciplines to create never before seen performances and even toured the world to show it off. Let's talk about the dancer, choreographer, teacher and anthropologist, Katherine Dunham. Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909 in Chicago to a Black father and a mother of both French Canadian and Native American descent. When Katherine was young, her mother passed away. Her father remarried a school teacher and moved the family to the mostly white city of Joliet and started a dry cleaning business. Katherine was passionate about dance and performance from an early age. She joined the dance club in high school where she studied freestyle modern forms of dance. At 15 years old, she arranged and starred in a cabaret party to raise money for a local Methodist church, much to the shock of her neighbors. She later admitted that she wasn't actually sure what cabaret meant. Despite her immediate interest in performance, Katherine initially stuck to her family's vision for her future and pursued a career in teaching. She followed her older brother, Albert Jr., to the University of Chicago. She would go on to get her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in anthropology. In 1930, at just 21 years old, Katherine co-founded one of the first Black ballet companies, Ballet Negra. Katherine then danced her first leading role in a ballet called La Guiablès in 1934 at the Chicago Civic Opera House. It was based on Martinique folklore about two lovers having their relationship interrupted by a monster. It also featured an all-Black cast. In the mid-1930s, Katherine caught the eye of Alfred Rosenwald of the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Alfred was taken with Katherine's outlook on how, inspired by her anthropology background, she believed dance could illuminate other cultures. After that, Katherine received the Rosenwald Fund Fellowship, allowing her to travel to the Caribbean to study dance. In 1935, while she was still a grad student, Katherine traveled to Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad and Haiti. But it was in Haiti where Katherine felt most at home. She would go on to become a priestess of the Vaudon religion, get a second home in the country and establish a medical clinic there later in her life. Katherine's studies in Haiti led her to write her books, The Dances of Haiti, Their Social Organization, A Classification, Form and Function, as well as Island Possessed. Her research was groundbreaking and a vital first step into what would become a discipline of its own, dance anthropology. Katherine returned to the United States seeking to perform and choreograph new dances that celebrated Black culture. While she didn't officially remain in academia, her anthropological work continued to inspire her art. She took various cultural motifs and adapted or abstracted them until they became statements of their own. In 1941, Katherine married John Pratt, an artist and designer who also acted as her manager. They had a daughter together and remained married until John's death in 1986. Katherine's dance company visited more than 50 countries, performing work that celebrated Black culture and brought injustices to light. One dance, called Southland, depicted a lynching. Katherine and her company frequently came face to face with racism in America. Whether it was in living accommodations that refused them service or segregated theaters that either separated or banned Black attendees. Katherine always pushed back against racist treatment. She refused to return to segregated theaters and even filed lawsuits against discriminators. Katherine once wrote, we weren't pushing Black is Beautiful. We just showed it. In her early 30s, Katherine also made popular appearances on Broadway, including playing Georgia Brown in Cabin in the Sky. This led to Hollywood appearances in films like Carnival of Rhythm, Star Spangled Rhythm, and Stormy Weather in the early 1940s. At this time, Katherine developed a fast paced choreography style that earned praise from critics. Her show, Tropical Review, premiered on Broadway in 1943 before touring the nation. Though it was mostly well received, it also drew complaints claiming the show was too sexual. This was a common note on much of her choreography. Katherine once said, judging from reactions, the dancing of my group is called anthropology in New Haven, sex in Boston, and in Rome, art. In 1944, Katherine founded the Dunham School of Dance and Theater. It offered classes in dance, acting, philosophy, design, and languages. Though it would close a decade later, Katherine continued to find opportunities to teach. She founded the Performing Arts Training Center near Southern Illinois University in 1967 and became known as a counselor and mentor to young people in need. Katherine was a passionate activist until late in life. In 1992, when she was 82 years old, she staged a hunger strike for nearly 50 days in solidarity with Haitian refugees. She also received many prestigious art awards like the Presidential Medal of the Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, and recognitions from the French and Haitian governments. Katherine Dunham died in 2006 at the age of 96. Since her passing, her style has continued to influence other choreographers and her techniques continue to be taught in dance schools. All month, we're highlighting prodigies. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast. You can order Horizon Troublemaker everywhere books are sold. Special thanks to creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for inviting me to guest host. Talk to you tomorrow.
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