How Katherine Dunham and Dance from the African Diaspora Change Lives | If Cities Could Dance

In the prime of her career (1930 - 1960s,) African American dance choreographer Katherine Dunham and her company toured over 60 countries, and she performed on Broadway and in Hollywood films. She created the Katherine Dunham Technique, bringing together elements of dances from the African diaspora -- including Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad -- with modern dance and ballet. The rigorous technique is credited for bringing Black dance to the classroom and to the stage, where it has mesmerized audiences globally and transformed the world of dance, but also the city of East St. Louis, which Ms. Dunham made her home later in life. 🔔Hit that SUBSCRIBE button! 🔔 https://bit.ly/SubscribeKQEDArts Our history. Our culture. Our moves. KQED Arts’ award-winning video series #IfCitiesCouldDance​ features dancers from across the country representing their city’s signature moves. Watch a new episode and how to's Wednesdays every other week. The rust belt city of East St. Louis, Illinois, may seem an unlikely city for the international superstar and high-demand choreographer (who died in 2006) to put down roots. But when Dunham, who lived in the Caribbean as a young anthropology student, encountered East St. Louis in 1967, it reminded her of Haiti. Residents of East St. Louis also experienced high unemployment and violence, and Dunham felt it was a place where she was needed. In a few short years, Dunham turned the city into an important hub of the Black Arts movement. By 1972, she had enrolled over 1,000 students in her program, started a student dance company, and opened a museum dedicated to African art. Her program opened doors into culture, pride and discipline that have been powerful forces for many, whether they’ve stayed with dance or gone on to other professions. The program Dunham created runs to this day at the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, and continues to revolutionize lives with dance and culture. Meet some of East St. Louis’ culture keepers, including Ruby Streate, one of Dunham’s most trusted teachers whom Dunham passed the baton to, and choreographer and educator Keith Tyrone Williams. Watch dancers Heather Beal and other Dunham program alums perform at the Mississippi River’s edge, in front of the Katherine Dunham Museum, and in downtown East St. Louis. #dancefilm #Blackart 📖 Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/ICCDxESTL ⬇ Download English transcript here: https://bit.ly/ICCDxEastStLouisxTrans... ****** 👍🏽 Join us on Instagram:   / ​   👍🏽 Like us on Facebook:   / kqedarts​   👍🏽 Follow us on Twitter:   / kqedarts​   👟Featured dancers: Heather Beal Keith Tyrone Williams Ta'Shayla Montgomery Jared Belk Venezia Manuel Myikala Smith Charis Railey Samantha Madison Montra Mumphard Featured Choreography: Excerpt from “The Ties That Bind” by Keith Tyrone Williams (This might be on YT Excerpt from “DNA” by Heather Beal Featured Murals: Andra Lang Jr. Mykael Ash 📖​ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Katherine Dunham and East St. Louis 00:48 Dunham technique as a vehicle for Black joy 01:30 Katherine Dunham, the mother of modern dance 01:42 The Katherine Dunham museum in East St. Louis 02:01 Katherine Dunham's legacy and anthropology work 02:38 Dunham technique, a modern Afro-Caribbean dance technique 03:16 Katherine Dunham's dance program in East St. Louis in the late 1960s 04:06 African diaspora and the connection to cultural identity 04:34 Ruby Streate of Katherine Dunham Children's Workshop and the impact of the program on generations of dancers in East St. Louis 05:56 Dance as a vehicle for social justice 06:30 Outro 📌Editor’s note: This episode was filmed under strict guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic. Safety parameters were followed to protect the health of the dancers and video production team. #KatherineDunhamTechnique #AfricanDiaspora #IfCitiesCouldDance