Born: 22 June 1909, United States
Died: 21 May 2006
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Kaye Dunn
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) studied the African-based dances and rituals of the Caribbean area and based many choreographic works on that research. Dunham’s Bal Negre (1946) toured the United States for nine months before opening in New York. One of its most popular numbers was Shango (1946), based on Haitian vodun (voodoo) ritual.
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
1909, June 22 Born, Chicago, Illinois
1913 Fanny June Dunham, Katherine’s mother, died. Sent with her brother Albert Jr. to live with her father’s sister, Lulu
1915 Father [Albert Sr.] remarried; children rejoined him in Joliet, Illinois
1921 Published short story “Come Back to Arizona” in The Brownies’ Book, Vol. 2
1922 Joined high school Terpsichorean Club and learned modern dance based on Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and Rudolf von Laban
1928 Studied ballet with Ludmilla Speranzeva, who introduced Dunham to Spanish dancers La Argentina, Quill Monroe, and Vicente Escudero. Studied ballet with Mark Turbyfill and Ruth Page, exposed to East Indian, Javanese, and Balinese dance through Vera Mirova
1929 As a student at University of Chicago, attended lecture of Robert Redfield, professor of anthropology. Majored in anthropology and studied dances of the African diaspora
1930 Formed Ballet Nègre, one of the first black ballet companies in the United States
1931 Ballet Nègre gave first performance, Beaux Arts Ballet in Chicago. Married Jordis McCoo, postal worker who danced in some of her productions (divorced 1938)
1932 Speranzeva advised Dunham to focus on modern dance and develop her own style
1933 Opened her first dance school, the Negro Dance Group, Chicago
1934 Danced title role in Ruth Page’s ballet La Guiabless, or The Devil Woman. Revived Ballet Nègre by casting her students, choreographed Spanish Dance and Fantasie Nègre and appeared at Chicago World’s Fair
1935 Received grant from Julius Rosenwald Fund to study the dances of the West Indies. Conducted fieldwork in Accompong, Jamaica; Martinique; and Trinidad
1936 Completed grant-funded field work in Haiti. Received bachelor’s degree in social anthropology, University of Chicago
1937 Participated in “A Negro Dance Evening,” 92nd Street YMHA, New York City. Premiered Rara Tonga, Goodman Theater, Chicago. Premiered Tropics, Abraham Lincoln Center, Chicago
1938 Choreographed and produced her first full-length ballet L’Ag’Ya in Chicago. Appointed director, Negro Unit of the Chicago branch of the Federal Theater Project. Staged dances in Chicago FTP productions, Run Li’l Chil’lun and The Emperor Jones. Choreographed A las Montanas, a solo, and one of her earliest works of Americana, Barrelhouse, a duet
1939 Began film career with Carnival of Rhythm, includes Ciudad Maravillosa and early versions of Los Indios, Batucada, and Adeus Terras, all based on Brazilian themes. Choreographed Bahiana, which Katherine Dunham and Dance Company premiered, University of Cincinnati. Contributed choreography to the Broadway musical revue Pins and Needles, produced by the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union Players
1940 Staged and choreographed Tropical Pinafore, a parody of the Gilbert and Sullivan work. Second edition of Pins and Needles continued its run at the Windsor Theater, New York City. Dunham collaborated with Balanchine on choreography for Cabin in the Sky at the Martin Beck theater
1941 Dunham and her company toured United States in the Broadway production of Cabin in the Sky. Dunham married John Pratt, who would design sets and costumes for most of the Dunham company and all of Dunham’s costumes for stage and film (died 1986). Premiere of Rites de Passage, Curran Theater, San Francisco
1942 Choreographed and danced in a solo titled “Sharp as a Tack” in the film Star Spangled Rhythm. Staged dances for the Abbott and Costello film comedy Pardon My Sarong
1943 Sol Hurok presented Dunham company in Tropical Revue for 87 performances on Broadway, after which the company took the performance on a national tour. Dunham and her company appeared in the film Stormy Weather
1944 Premiered Choros, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto. Opened Dunham School of Dance and Theater in New York. Dunham and her company appeared in clubs in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Hollywood, and at Hanna. Theater in Cleveland and the Memorial Auditorium in Louisville
1945 Tropical Revue toured Los Angeles. The Dunham Dancers appeared in Blue Holiday, Belasco Theater, New York. Choreographed, directed, and starred in the musical Carib Song, Adelphi Theatre, New York. Wrote article “Goombay” for Mademoisellemagazine
1946 After a nine-month tour, Bal Negre opened, Belasco Theater, New York. Published Journey to Accompong. New York: Henry Holt. The Dunham School name changed to Katherine Dunham School of Arts and Research
1947 The Katherine Dunham Experimental Group presented Caribbean Backgrounds, Howard University, Washington, D.C.. Choreographed the musical play Windy City, which premiered at the Great Northern Theater, Chicago
1948 Bal Negre played at the Geary Theater, San Francisco. Choreographed Angelique, Blues Trio, and Veracuzana
1949 Dunham and her company appeared in the Italian film Botta e risposta. Dunham and company performed in Brussels, Paris, as well as Rome, where she choreographed Afrique and a new version of Adeus Terras. Adopted daughter Marie-Christine, age 14 months. Brother Albert died in Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, D.C.. Purchased Habitation Leclerc, an estate in Haiti
1950 Sol Hurok presented Dunham and company in a dance revue at the Broadway Theater in New York City
1951 Dunham and company toured South America, Europe, and North Africa (into 1953}. Against advice, Dunham permiered her ballet Southland in Chile, and under pressure from the U.S. Embassy, it was removed from the program
1952 Dunham School in New York is renamed the Katherine Dunham School of Cultural Arts
1953 Choreographed Afrique du Nord. Dunham and company toured the United States and Mexico
1954 Dunham and company toured Europe and South America (continued into 1955). Dunham and company appeared in two European films: Mambo and Die Grosse Starparade [also known as Liebessender
1955 Dunham and company toured Mexico. Dunham and company appeared in the Mexican film Musica en la noche. Sol Hurok presented Dunham and company in a dance revue at Broadway Theater, New York
1956 Dunham and company toured Australia and New Zealand (continued into 1957)
1958 Dunham and company toured East Asia. Provided choreography for the film Green Mansions
1959 Published A Touch of Innocence. New York: Harcourt, Brace. Company left for its third European tour
1960 Dunham company’s third European tour ended midway in Vienna. Company danced Dunham repertory in German television special titled Karibische Rhythmen. Company disbanded, marking the end of continuity of dancers trained by Dunham in the Dunham Technique and coached by her in her repertory
1962 Dunham with a few former company dancers and the Royal Troupe of a revue titled Bamboche!, her last appearance on Broadway
1963 Choreographed Aida, Metropolitan Opera, New York
1964 Became artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Provided choreography for dance sequences for the film The Bible, directed by John Huston. Published short story “The Crime of Pablo Martinez” in Ellery Queen’s Magazine
1965 Directed Albert Husson’s musical comedy Deux Anges Sont Venus, Theatre de Paris. Adapted Charles Gounod’s opera Faust, Southern Illinois University. Directed Ciao, Rudi in Rome
1966 Appointed by Senegal’s president to advise the first World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, in Dakur
1967 In Dakar, Senegal, completed manuscripts for Island Possessed and Kasamance
1968 Directed A Dream Deferred and Ode to Taylor Jones in East Saint Louis with the Youth Dance Group from her Performing Arts Training Center. Dunham received a Dance Magazine Award
1969 Published Island Possessed. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday
1971 American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation conferred the Dance Division Heritage Award
1972 Directed world premiere of Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha, Morehouse College, Atlanta. MacMurray College in Illinois awarded Dunham honorary doctorate of humane letters, and the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in Boston conferred the National Center of Afro-American Artists Award
1974 Published Kasamance: A Fantasy. New York: Odarkai Books
1975 Saint Louis chapter of the United Nations Association conferred the International Women’s Year Award on Dunham
1976 Engaged as visiting professor of Afro-American studies for the spring at University of California, Berkeley. Katherine Dunham Fund bought historic house in East Saint Louis to use as a museum, with a carriage house to be converted into a studio for the Children’s Workshop
1977 The Katherine Dunham Museum and Children’s Workshop opened in East Saint Louis. Atlanta University awarded Dunham an honorary doctorate of literature
1978 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater conferred the Dance Pioneer Award on Dunham. Published Kaiso! Katherine Dunham: An Anthology of Writings. Berkeley: University of California
1979 The Katherine Dunham Museum in East Saint Louis opened. Awarded the Albert Schweitzer Music Award at a gala at Carnegie Hall. Received three honorary doctorates: Westfield State College in Massachusetts, Brown University, and Dartmouth College
1980 WNET-TV recorded Dunham’s Rites de Passage for a program titled “Divine Drumbeats: Katherine Dunham and Her People” in the Dance in America series
1981 Washington University awarded Dunham an honorary doctorate of fine arts
1982 Retired from Southern Illinois Uiversity
1983 Dunham was one of five recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. Awarded honorary doctorate of fine arts from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Awarded the grande croix of the Legion d’Honneur et Merite by the Haitian Embassy
1984 Dunham Technique Seminar inaugurated to codify the Dunham Technique. Awarded honorary doctorate of fine arts by Howard University. Awarded honorary doctorate of laws by Lincoln University
1986 Honors conferred on Dunham included: Distinguished Service Award from the American Anthropological Association; Southern Cross Award of Honor and Merit from Brazil; Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award; and the Medal of Artistic Merit in Dance from the International Council on Dance, UNESCO
1987 The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater produced “The Magic of Katherine Dunham,” with Choros, L’Ag’Ya, Shango, Flaming Youth, 1927, Cakewalk, and other dances reconstructed for the program. Tufts University and Buffalo State College awarded Dunham doctorates of fine arts. National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, New York, named Dunham a Founder of Dance in America
1988 Haiti and France designated Dunham as an officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1989 Awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President George H. W. Bush
1990 Spelman College awarded Dunham an honorary doctorate of humane letters, and the government of Trinidad and Tobago conferred on her the Caribbean Award
1992 Began a hunger strike to bring international attention on Haitian refugees seeking asylum in the United States
1993 Haiti awarded citizenship to Dunham. Chicago State University awarded Dunham an honorary doctorate of humane letters
1994 Engaged as artist-in-residence and lecturer at the University of Hawaii
1995 University of Southern California awarded Dunham an honorary doctorate of fine arts
1999 Dunham students, dancers, friends, and community officials gathered in East St. Louis for her 90th birthday celebration. Received a Smith Award from the Smithsonian Institution
2000 Dance Heritage Coalition named Dunham one of America’s 100 Irreplaceable Dance Treasures
2002 Awarded honorary doctorate of fine arts from Harvard University. Library of Congress began documentation of Dunham Technique
2004 Taught masterclass at Baila USA, sponsored by the Ife-Ile Dance and Music Ensemble in Miami
2006 Published expanded version of Kaiso!. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press
2006, May 21 Died, New York City
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