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House Honors Choreographer and Activist Katherine Dunham

On June 14, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 62) recognizing Katherine Dunham for her outstanding achievements in the arts and her contributions as an activist “striving for racial equality throughout the world.” Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) sponsored the resolution.

The resolution contains a number of findings, including:

  • Katherine Dunham revolutionized American dance by incorporating the roots of black dance and ritual, and by transforming these elements into choreography accessible to all through the Katherine Dunham Technique;
  • Ms. Dunham founded the first black ballet company in the United States in 1931, and was the first black choreographer at the Metropolitan Opera;
  • Having completed her bachelor’s degree in anthropology, Ms. Dunham was a pioneer in the use of folk and ethnic choreography, and one of the founders of the anthropological dance movement;
  • Ms. Dunham promoted opportunities for youth by founding the Dunham School of Dance and Theatre in Manhattan, and the Performing Arts Training Center in East St. Louis, Missouri;
  • As an artist, Ms. Dunham used her career to focus on the issues of segregation, the civil rights movement, and the plight of people in Haiti; and
  • Ms. Dunham received 10 honorary doctorates and numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Arts and the NAACP’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) praised Ms. Dunham, calling her “the matriarch of black dance.” He stated, “Her unprecedented blend of cultural anthropology with the artistic genre of dance in the early 1930s produced groundbreaking forms of movement and in the United States established black dance as an art form in its own right.” Rep. Castle noted, “She continues to be an activist, teacher and mentor to young people throughout the world.”

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) called Katherine Dunham an example for all Americans. “Katherine was dedicated to improving the lives of America’s youth and correcting the social injustices at home and around the world, using her fame to increase support for the civil rights movement and to fight injustices worldwide,” he said. “She is a good example of a person who has followed her passion and used her success for the greater good. We need more Americans to follow her fine example.”