Katherine Dunham Biography
(One of the Most Successful Dancers of the 20th Century)Birthday: June 22, 1909 (Cancer)
Born In: Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States
Advanced SearchKatherine Dunham, an American dancer and choreographer, was a trendsetter in African-American modern dance. She performed a confluence of both the cultures and combined classical American ballet with African rhythms to create an exciting new dance style. After losing her mother at a young age and going through a series of challenges in her personal life, she finally found freedom in college. With a keen interest in dance and literature from an early age, she delightfully accepted the fellowship to study the dances of the Caribbean Islands, where she spent 18 months. Upon her return, she completed her graduation and then decided to pursue a career in dance. She formed a dance troupe and performed on various platforms including Broadway musicals and movies. She also continued refining and teaching her techniques to transmit that knowledge to the next generation of students. She was also a social activist and continued to fight against racism and injustice all around the world throughout her life. She once refused to hold a show after finding out that the city's black residents had not been allowed to buy tickets for the performance. She was a groundbreaking visionary and her legacy of spirited dance, cultural acceptance, and social justice lives on. Quick FactsAlso Known As: Katherine Mary Dunham
Died At Age: 96
Family:Spouse/Ex-: John Pratt, Jordis McCoo
father: Albert Millard Dunham
mother: Fanny June Dunham
siblings: Albert Dunham
children: Marie-Christine Pratt
place of death: Manhattan, New York, United States
Ancestry: Malagasy American
Notable Alumni: Joliet Junior College
U.S. State: Illinois
Founder/Co-Founder: Performing Arts Training Center, Katherine Dunham Company
More Factseducation: University Of Chicago, Joliet Junior College
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American CelebritiesUniversity Of ChicagoFemale DancersAmerican DancersFemale Choreographers Childhood & Early LifeShe was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a small suburb of Chicago, to Albert Millard Dunham, a tailor and dry cleaner, and his wife, Fanny June Dunham.Her father was of black ancestry, a descendant of slaves from West Africa and Madagascar, while her mother belonged to mixed French-Canadian and Native American origin. Her mother was 20 years older than her father.She was the second child from her mother’s second marriage. She had one elder brother, Albert Jr., and three half siblings; Louise, Henry and Fanny June Weir. Her mother died following a long illness, when Katherine was three years old.After her mother’s death, she and her brother were sent to live with her father’s sister, Lulu Dunham, in Chicago. Later, due to Lulu’s financial instability, the children’s custody was granted to the family of her half-sister, Fanny June Weir.When she was five, her father remarried Annette Poindexter, a schoolteacher, and the children came to live with them. She loved her step-mother and the family used to run a dry cleaning business. Some years later, when Annette left her father because of his abusive behavior, she decided to live with her.She received her early education from Joliet Junior College, Illinois and later enrolled at the University of Chicago. In 1935, she received a travel fellowship to conduct ethnographic study of the dance forms of the Caribbean. She carried out extensive research by traveling for about 18 months to different parts of Caribbean.She eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago. But rather than continuing as a researcher, she decided to pursue a career in dancing and choreography.
