[altroots] Fwd: A Statement From Congressman Rangel On The Death Of Katherine Dunham

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michelle Murray <grouper42@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 25, 2006 5:18 PM
Subject: FW: Fwd: A Statement From Congressman Rangel On The Death Of
Katherine Dunham
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Melony McGant <melonymcgant@xxxxxxxxx>
To: melonymcgant@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 14:06:09 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: A Statement From Congressman Rangel On The Death Of Katherine
Dunham
*STATEMENT*
*CONGRESSMAN CHARLES RANGEL*
Contact: Emile Milne 202 225-4365     May 23, 2006
**
*KATHERINE DUNHAM: A DANCER AND FRIEND TO HUMANITY*
Katherine Dunham may have become famous for her extraordinary accomplishment
as a dancer, but it was her humanitarian contributions that truly made her a
legendary American.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1909, Ms. Dunham was once described
as "the hottest thing to hit Chicago since Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked the
bucket." From a very young age, her talent for dance was obvious. However,
she decided to heed her parents' wishes and began studies in social
anthropology at the University of Chicago during the 1930's. It was during
these formative years that she was awarded a Rosenwald Travel Fellowship to
study anthropology and native dance in West Indies. Forced by her advisors
to choose between the two, she went with dance and the rest, as they say, is
history.

Ms. Dunham's extensive knowledge of anthropology that inspired her style of
dance, now referred to as the Dunham technique, which she invented and
popularized. She brought African and Caribbean dance and ritual influences
to a dance world dominated by a European style, thus beginning the
anthropological dance movement, which made use of ethnic and folk
choreography. To Ms. Dunham, her methods were "more than just dance or
bodily executions." Instead, her style was "about movement, forms, love,
hate, death, life, all human emotions." She made her Broadway debut in the
late 1930's sporting an unorthodox costume, which included a bird cage on
her head and a cigar in her mouth. Her reasoning: such accessories were
typical of the women whom she saw while in the Caribbean during her
anthropological studies.

From the 1930's to the 1960's, Ms. Dunham revolutionized the worlds of
dance, theater, music and education, touring the world, visiting over 60
countries on six continents with dance companies and touring productions.
She introduced the art form of Black dance to Europe and was the first
person to expose elements of American modern dance to a foreign
country. James Dean, Marlon Brando and Eartha Kitt all became disciples of
her technique as they sought Katherine out as a teacher. With the permission
of King Hassan II, she first introduced the dancers of Morocco to an
American audience with her 1962 production of *Bamboche*. She formed the
first all Black dance company, Ballet Negre, which became the famous
Katherine Dunham Dance Company.

Throughout her career, Ms. Dunham's interest in culture and anthropology
never faltered. In 1965, she disbanded the Katherine Dunham Dance Company to
act as advisor to the cultural ministry of Senegal. She also authored eight
books, numerous articles and short stories and several essays on various
aspects of her cultural interests.

Following her retirement from dancing in 1967, Ms. Dunham continued her work
as a choreographer; however, humanitarian leanings became the focal point of
her efforts. She moved to East St. Louis, Illinois, a predominantly Black
community, to work with inner-city youth, using art and dance to keep them
out of trouble. She founded the Performing Arts Training Center and the
Katherine Dunham Museum and Children's school, where she taught subjects as
diverse as African hair-braiding, conversational Creole, martial arts, and
aesthetics. With the help of friends such as Harry Belafonte, she continued
these programs for the rest of her life, despite cuts in government and
private funding.

While touring the United States in the 1940's through the 1960's, Ms. Dunham
fought racial discrimination by refusing to allow her dance troupe to
perform in segregated theatres. In fact, she once refused to perform after
finding out that African Americans had been prohibited from buying tickets
to one of her shows. Her promotion of African and Caribbean values during
the peak of the Civil Rights movement helped to infuse a positive image of
Black culture in the public consciousness.

In 1992, she would once again take a stance in support of her humanitarian
and political beliefs, conducting a 47 day hunger strike to protest the U.S.
government's policy of repatriating Haitian "Boat People." Ms.
Dunham's involvement with Haiti did not stop there. A major supporter of
democracy in the country, she petitioned the U.S. government to support the
restoration of President Jean Aristide after he was ousted in a military
coup in 1991. She was a frequent visitor to Haiti, and eventually purchased
a home there.

Throughout her life, Katherine Dunham was many things to many people. To her
surviving daughter, Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt, she was a loving mother.
To her late husband, theatre designer John Thomas Pratt, she was a devoted
wife of 49 years. Yet, to all, she was an exemplary American. Ms Dunham
earned her celebrity status in a time when racial discrimination was at its
peak, revealing immense reservoirs of creativity and dedication. She used
her fame as a way to create positive change in the world. As every dancer
knows, actions speak louder than words, and it was clear that Katherine
Dunham lived by this doctrine. Her life was an inspiration to me and her
loss will be felt, not just by the dance community, but by all Americans.

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