Katherine Dunham ( 1910 - 2006 ) received her B.A ( in social anthropology ).,
M.A., and Ph.D., in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and was artist
in residence at the University of Southern Illinois. Additionally, she received
fourteen Honorary Doctorates, and numerous other Honours, Awards, Medals,
and Distinguished Service Awards; details of which can be seen in the
Catalogue raisonné.
Katherine Dunham is, I believe, one of the greatest performing artists to
have ever appeared on the Australian stage.
Dunham, and her company, earned critical acclaim here in Australia, as well
as in over sixty other countries around the world. Her choreographical works
included: 'L'ag'ya' ( 1938 ), "Bal Negre," ( 1946 ) in which she featured "Shango,"
( 1945 ) an African-West Indies Yoruba tribal voodoo sacrificial ritual to Shango;
the thunder deity. 'Bal Negre' ( Revue ), and 'Rites de Passage' ( 1943 - 1944 ),
which portrays, the individuals exigent path - common to all mankind - through
birth, pubery, mating, malting and death.
Between 1941 and 1959, Dunham appeared in several European films as well
as nine American films including: 'Carnival of Rhythm', Warner Brothers
( 1940 ), 'Star Spangled Rhythm', Paramount Pictures( 1942 ), 'Pardon My Sarong'
( choreography ) Universal Pictures ( 1942 ), 'Stormy Weather', Twentieth Century
Fox, and 'Cabin in the Sky' ( 1943 ). 'Casbah', Universal Pictures, ( 1948 ). 'Botta e
Risposta', Teatri della Farnesina, Italy, ( 1949 ). 'Mambo', Paramount Pictures, Italy,
and 'Liebes Sender', Germany, ( 1954 ). 'Musica en la Noche', Alianza Cinematografica,
Mexico ( 1955 ). 'Green Mansions', Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( 1959 ). 'The Bible',
Dino de Laurentiis, Twentieth Century Fox and Seven Arts ( 1964 ). 'Free To
Dance', Documentary, Pan African Film & Arts Festival ( 2000 ).
Dunham has lectured, written articles, and six books which include: Kasamance: A
Fantasy (Okpaku Communications Corporation, 1974 ). Dances of Haiti (Center for
Afro-American Studies, 1983). Black Dance: From 1619 to Today with Lynne Fauley
Emery (Princeton Book Co. Publishing, 1991) A Touch of Innocence (University of
Chicago Press, 1994), Island Possessed (University of Chicago Press, 1994), and
Katherine Dunham's Journey to Accompong (Reprint Services Corporation, 1995).
Dunham married John Pratt ( theatrical designer ) in 1940. He was her artistic
collaborator during their forty-seven year marriage until his death in 1986.
For the past fifty years I have admired Katherine Dunham as a champion in
improving race relations in the United States, and for her role as protagonist
for introducing classical elements to primitive and ceremonial Afro-Caribbean
rhythms, music; and dance movement.
Katherine Dunham died last Sunday ( 21 May 2006 ) at the Manhattan assisted
living facility. She has left an indelible impression on me, since our encounters
backstage of the Melbourne Tivoli and Princess Theatres ( May 1956 ), as a person
of extensive intellectual stamina, a great artist, humanitarian, ethnologist,
anthropologist, authoress, academic, and a very attractive, compassionate human
being. She will be sadly missed throughout the artistic community. Her own words
sum up the total of her lifetime achievements: "I did it".
A synopsis of Katherine Dunham and her remarkable achievements can be seen
on line at:
