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Alvin Ailey

Born on January 5, 1931 in Rogers, Texas. Growing up in the rural south inspired most of his choreography.

African-American Modern Dance

By: Alisha Weaver, Annie Hammer, Anne Bradford, and Bailey O'Gara

Ailey and Dance

Introduced to dance in L.A. by watching Katherine Dunham Dance Company perform Ballet Russe de Monte.

Carmen de Lavallade encouraged him to take classes with Lester Horton. Horton was the founder of one of the first interracial dance companies.

Ailey took over Horton's company in 1953 after Horton's death.

Between the 50's and 60's Ailey preformed in 4 Broadway shows.

Ailey and Dance

Ailey opened the the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in 1958, with the first performance on March 30, 1958.

In 1969, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (The Ailey School) was established.

In 1974 Ailey opened the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (Ailey II)

In 1988 he received the Kennedy Center Honor, one year before his death.

Choreography Style: angles, lines, contractions, large jumps, bending, lots of arm and hand movements.

Influences: African American Culture, life in the rural south.

Katherine Dunham

In 1960 Ailey choreographed Revelations, gaining international acclaims.

Pearl Primus

Born on June 22, 1909

Died on May 21, 2006

Known as the "matriarch and queeen of black dance"

Started studying Anthropology at the University of Chicago in 1928.

Katherine Dunham and Dance

Dunham's first dance teachers were Ludmilla Speranzera and Mark Turbyfill, she studied Ballet in Chicago.

Founded her first dance company, Ballet Negre, in 1931.

Studied the Anthropological roots of dance in Haiti, Jamaica, and other areas in the West Indies.

In 1937, the Negro Dance Group was founded.

In 1940, her company performs on Broadway.

Dunham appeared in 9 Hollywood films between1941-1959.

In 1963 Dunham becomes the first black choreographer featured at the Metropolitan in NYC.

Katherine Dunham

Primus and Dance

Works Cited

Choreography:

  • Blended African-American, Caribbean, and African influences with modern dance.
  • Used racial issues/black history & literature as influences.
  • Had a primitive style of dancing.
  • Used jumps, often jumping 5 feet in the air for emphasis.
  • http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/features/master-work/ailey-revelations
  • http://www.alvinailey.org/about/people
  • Dancing revelations Alvin Ailey's embodiment of African American culture by Thomas DeFrantz
  • Black dance in the United States from 1619 to 1970 by Lynne Emery
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/dunham.html
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/primus.html
  • http://www.danceheritage.org/primus.html

*Videos are linked in the bubbles where they are viewed.

Pearl Primus in Strange Fruit

Dunham and Dance

Dunham created a community based art center and education center as an outlet for youth in East St. Louis.

Dunham's technique is a combination of modern dance, ballet, African, and Carribbean styles of movement; her style includes: a flexible torso and spine, articulated pelvis and isolation of limbs, a polyrhythmic strategy of moving

Dunham and Dance

Pearl Primus

November 29, 1919-October 29, 1994

Born in Trinidad, raised in NYC.

Received an education to become a doctor but because of racism she changed her mind.

Taught courses in anthropology and ethnic dance.

"I dance not to entertain, but to help people better understand each other."

Primus and Dance

Her dance debut was in 1943 at 92nd Street YMYWHA

She received the Julius Rosenwald Fund Grant and spent a year in Africa learning historical African dancing.

Upon returning to NYC she opened the Pearl Primus School of Primal Dance

In 1961 she became the director of the African Performing Arts Center in Liberia.

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