The legendary Katherine Dunham: still dancing to her own tune

During Katherine Dunham's heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, the sexy long legs of the dancer-choreographer-cultural icon were insured for $1 million. She held Hollywood and the world spellbound with her seductive beauty and pulsating dance style that combined African movement and rhythm with elements of classical ballet that was called the "Dunham Technique."

Dunham, who continues to be one of the most fascinating figures in Black history, was one of the original "va-va-va voom" bombshells. But underneath the beauty was a feisty, outspoken and intelligent social activist who fought injustices and racial prejudice, and she faced down personal tragedies.

Today, at 96, the living legend resides at her East St. Louis, Illinois, home, but continues to spend time in New York with the arts community. She also continues to speak out about world problems and offer words of hope to inspire the next generation of trailblazers.

"Be sure that your every breath, every thought, every movement, every deed is being helpful to someone or something," Dunham says. "Be sure that you are honest and true. Find ways to be stronger and wiser every day."

Dunham speaks from almost a century of experience. She has seen her life and achievement as a pioneering anthropologist, dancer and visionary chronicled and honored many times. At a 2003 tribute, Dunham told New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg: "There is one thing I would like to say; I am so tired of being considered a leader of Black dance. I am just a person who happens to be what in this country is called 'Black.' I will insist on being called, one, a person, and, two, a human being."

Since she was a child, Dunham has never been afraid to push boundaries. As the daughter of mixed-raced parents, she fought prejudice every day while studying dance in Chicago. In 1931, she launched her first dance school in Chicago and later a dance touring company in New York. Over the years, her students have included Eartha Kitt, Shelley Winters and James Dean. A young Marion Brando learned to play bongos at her school.

An outstanding student, Dunham became one of the first Black students to attend the University of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in anthropology. She combined her interest in anthropology with the study of indigenous dances of native cultures. She also landed a fellowship to research Caribbean dance among the descendants of slaves in Haiti, Jamaica and Martinique. While in the Caribbean, she immersed herself in the local cultures. In 1939, she married theatrical designer John Pratt. Despite controversy over the interracial marriage, the two remained devoted spouses and creative partners until Pratt's death in 1986.

While Pratt designed elaborate sets and many of Dunham's costumes, she focused on her exotic techniques that captivated wide audiences and Hollywood. Dunham landed roles in film musicals such as Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. In 1947, she published Dances of Haiti, considered to be the first serious study of ethnic dance.

Finally, African and African-American dance, which had been ignored by mainstream America, was elevated to a widely respected art form. "At the time, Black dance was associated mostly with tap dancing and minstrel shows," says Anya Person Royce, a professor of anthropology at Indiana University. "Ms. Dunham raised the legitimacy of Black dance and cultural expression."

Dunham never strayed from her commitment to stand up for justice. For example, in 1993, at age 82, she undertook a 47-day hunger strike to protest the ouster of Haiti's elected President Jean-Paul Aristide.

Today, Dunham is frequently feted with tributes, parades and parties honoring her legacy, and at home in East St. Louis, there is a museum filled with highlights of her extraordinary life. She remains active, but due to her physical condition, she has difficulty getting around in her home, so admirers have raised funds to make her home wheelchair-accessible.

In the midst of it all, Dunham still finds time to stay on top of the cultural vibe in America. "If you feel strongly about a cause," she says, "don't push it on people, but be willing to defend it when it is necessary."

COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning