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Dance and Choreography Career

While Katherine Dunham was still in her undergrad, she studied ballet with Mark Turbyfill, Ludmilla Speranza, and Ruth page. In 1930, at only 21 years old, Dunham formed a group called Ballet Negres, which was one of a few ballet companies that black students were able to attend. Here, Dunham was both the leading choreographer and dancer. Because of finances her first company separated, but not shortly after, Dunham opened up her first dance school called The Negro Dance Group in Chicago. She did not forget about her dancers from the first group and much of her dance school was made up of the performers from Ballet Negres.

In 1937, Dunham and her group headed to New York to participate in the Negro Dance Evening at the YMCA with Edna Guy. After returning, she took on a few large choreographing jobs: Run Lil Chillun, Emperor Jones, and Barrelhouse. During this time she became partners with, future husband, John Pratt and arranged her first version of L’Ag Ya, which was based on her research in Martinique. This perfect duo made their first mark in the United States.

In 1939, they both headed to New York where both had jobs waiting for them. Dunham was the dance director of the Labor Stage of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union for Pins and Needles. That same year, to her surprise, she and her company performed in Tropics and Le Hot Jazz for a full 13 weeks. They thought that it was only going to be one night, but it kept showing until the popularity wore thin.
After being spotted with such success, from 1939-1941, the entire company entertained in Cabin in the Sky, a Broadway production. Dunham had a major role in this play as Georgia Brown.

In 1941, Dunham moved her company to Los Angelos for a short time then moved back to New York and a few years later had another huge success with her company in Tropical Review. 165 successful shows later, the group decided they wanted to tour and did so all through the United States and Canada. This was not so successful because of all the racism still present. One time in Boston her Revue was banned. The twenty years, Dunham and her troupes were touring all over the world.

Shortly after coming back to the United States, the Dunham Company had their last show on Broadway. Dunham headed to California worked with the orchestras there. She was noticed and soon became the first African-American to choreograph for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

1967, after her show in Apollo Theater, Dunham retired. She didn’t stop everything though and still continued to do amazing work through choreography.