Direct Download: 20040609-katheri.mp3

Katherine Dunham has been called the "Matriarch of Black Dance." A pioneer in the use of folk and ethnic choreography, her unprecedented blend of cultural anthropology with the artistry of dance produced groundbreaking forms of movement and established black dance as an art form in its own right. Her professional troupe, formed in the 1940's, was a first for African Americans and led the way for future dance notables including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mary E. Edsall is the curator of the Philadelphia Dance Collection at Temple University.