Katherine Dunham combined her interests in dance and anthropology to develop her own unique style of dance that combined classical ballet and Black diasporic traditions.
Music: ‘Fantasie Nègre’ by performed by Samantha Ege and composed by Florence Price
She-Devils: Page and Dunham
Dunham collaborated with another famous Chicago dancer, Ruth Page, in her 1933 performance La Guiablesse.
Dunham starred as the ‘betrayed beloved’ in this ballet inspired by a Caribbean folktale.
Music: ‘La Guiablesse’ by William Grant Still
Dunham's Freedom
While dancing with Ruth Page and the Chicago Opera Company, Katherine Dunham pursued an advanced degree in anthropology at the University of Chicago.
She traveled throughout the Caribbean where she was inspired to create her own innovative style.