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Article: The Great One: Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) Turning Anthropology Into Art.(tribute)(In memoriam)
- Article from:
- Black Issues Book Review
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Cox, Matthews & Associates. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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At the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, in 1997, Katherine Dunham was over 80 years old and using a wheelchair. Yet she held more than 200 aspiring young dancers and professionals spellbound as she graciously shared stories from her prolific career and answered questions during an informal gathering. It was the first time I met her, and she spoke in a soft yet powerful voice as we all sat quietly and as close to her as possible. One energetic young dancer blurted, "Ms. Dunham, I just want to dance. Why do I have to learn humanities, philosophy, languages and aesthetics as well as the Dunham Technique?"
Her response--one she made whenever ...