She also choreographed Broadway musicals and the dances in O'Neill's play The Emperor Jones (1947). Primus' strong belief that rich choreographic material lay in abundance in the root experiences of a people has been picked up and echoed in the rhythm and themes of Alvin Ailey, Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, Dianne McIntyre, Elo Pomare and others. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. When Primus returned to America, she took the knowledge she gained in Africa and staged pieces for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Or is there a deeper reading to take on both this character, and of the southerners of Primuss day? Eventually Primus formed her own dance troupe which toured the nation. She often recounted how she had been taught Impinyuzaduring her travels in Africa, after being declared a man by the royal monarch of the Watusi people. Pearl Primus - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia Her new works were performed in a section of the program titled Excerpts from an African Journey. I highly recommend watching before reading. Internationally famous choreographer, dancer, anthropologist, Dr. Pearl Eileen Primus (1919-1994) was hailed by critics as one of the United States most spectacular dancers. Her interpretation of Black Heritage through the medium of dance was regarded as being without peer this of the Atlantic. Read more here: , Choreography: Physical Design for the Stage, Disability & Dance Research Circle Project, When Dancers Talk: Research Circle Project. Primus was a powerhouse dancer, whose emotions, exuberance, and five-foot-high athletic jumps wowed every audience she performed for. "[22] She has been unselfish in sharing the knowledge she has gained with others. She would also share that program at the Pillow with Iris Mabry. However, Primuss original works continued to be performed at the festival. CloseProgram, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. Selected awards: Rosenwald Foundation fellowship, 1948; Libertan Star of Africa, 1949; National Council of Negro Women . Primus, Pearl 1919- | Encyclopedia.com The first time, it had been her travels in the South. Then, she was asked to choreograph a Broadway production called Calypso whose title became Caribbean Carnival. For not even the entire mob is made up of people terrible by nature, because very few are. The solo seen here exemplifies the pioneering work of Pearl Primus, who titled it "A Man Has Just Been Lynched" at its 1943 premiere. She also taught at New Rochelle High School, assisting with cultural presentations. Hard Times Blues| Numeridanse tv She went on to study for a Ph.D. and did research on dance in Africa, spending three years on the continent learning dances. Primus began her formal study of dance with the New Dance Group in 1941, she was the group's first black student. Nimbus Dance Works: Strange Fruit - Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive This is a character meant to both bring out feelings of pity and disgust. Watch: ViewStrange Fruit and Hard Time Blues. Pearl Primus, (born November 29, 1919, Port of Spain, Trinidaddied October 29, 1994, New Rochelle, New York, U.S.), American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and teacher whose performance work drew on the African American experience and on her research in Africa and the Caribbean. But that is still no excuse for her behavior, and for ignoring what has happened because its easier. The New York Public Library is a 501(c)(3) | EIN 13-1887440, Click to learn about accessibility at the Library, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The 68-year-old dancer, choreographer and Ph.D. in anthropology (from New York University) is much honored (the latest honorary doctorate was from Spelman College last month). http://acceleratedmotion.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/stage_fruit_lg.flv But in reality, this capability for both decency and the terrible, for both empathy and forced apathy, is incredibly human. [13] These similarities show that Primus style, themes, and body type promoted the display of Black culture within the dance community. Primus explored African culture and dance by consulting family, books, articles, pictures, and museums. Comment on the irony of Americans fighting to liberate Europeans during World War II, while racism continued in America. Both drew on types of movement that are often found in the dances of Africa and its diaspora. Primus' approach to developing a movement language and to creating dance works parallels that of Graham, Holm, Weidman, Agnes de Mille and others who are considered to be pioneers of American modern dance. She refuses to face reality. Primus had studied and performed with McBurnie when the older woman was in New York City during the early 1940s, so Primuss research trip gave them an opportunity to reconnect. After gaining much praise, Primus next performances began in April 1943, as an entertainer at the famous racially integrated night club, Cafe Society Downtown. Pearl Primus A dancer, choreographer, and proselytizer for African dance, Pearl Primus (1919-1994) trained at the New Dance Group and worked with Asadata Dafora. She later included it in her performances at Barney Josephsons jazz club/cabaret Caf Society, which this photograph promoted. Posted 21st August 2015 by Mark Anthony Neal. In Strange Fruit (1945), the solo dancer reflects on witnessing a lynching. The second timeJuly 21 and 22, 1950she had returned from Africa several months earlier. In 1944, Dunham opened her dance school and taught students not only tap and ballet, but dance forms of the African Diaspora and percussion. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. 508 0 obj <>stream That performance is on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. CloseWalter Terry, Dance World: Hunting Jungle Rhythm, New York Herald Tribune, January 15, 1950, Sec. This blog, and the Political Cabaret exhibition,was informed byresearch by the Performing Arts Museum's summer interns: Brittany Camacho, Colorado College, and Kameshia Shepherd, Bank Street College of Education, Program in Museum Education. Billie Holiday x Pearl Primus - Strange Fruit (Music Video) In this performance, Dunham introduced audiences to a dance called Lagya, based on a dance developed by enslaved Africans ready to revolt against society. Primus would choreograph based on imagining the movement of something she observed, such as an African sculpture. Its intent is of activism, to show the North the reality, in hopes of creating a spark of change. She trained under the group's founders, Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow, and William Bates. Access a series of multimediaessaysoffering pathways to hundreds of rare videos, photos, programs, and more! Again, we come to one of the recurrent themes of these essays: It was importantduring the different decades of the 20th and 21st centuryfor black artists to create work that served a number of purposes that went far beyond the creation of art for the sheer pleasure of aesthetic contemplation. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Pearl discovered her innate gift for movement, and she was quickly recognized for her abilities. Move: Set up a movement experience that allows students to explore gestures and movement qualities present in Primuss work and that students might relate to contemporary protest. J z7005;09pl=*}7ffN$Lfh:L5g=OmM4 hrH^ B @A1" % t!L |`00\dIILj^PY[~@*F Iy In an interview from. Primus was also intrigued by the relationship between the African-slave diaspora and different types of cultural dances. Primus believed that when observing the jumps in the choreography, it was important to pay attention to "the shape the body takes in the air". Pearl Primus, trained in Anthropology and at NY's left-wing New Dance Group Studio, chose to use the lyrics only (without music) as a narrative for her choreography which debuted at her first recital, February 1943, at the 92nd St. YMHA. For example, her first performance at Jacobs Pillow was comprised of repertory works that drew upon the cultures of Africa, the West Indies, and the southern region of the United States. Primus chose to create the abstract, modern dance in the character of a white woman, part of the crowd that had watched the lynching. On July 7, 2011 University Dancers with Something Positive, Inc. presented several of her works on the Inside/Out Stage. Margaret Lloyd, the dance critic for the Christian Science Monitor, described Hard Time Bluesin words that underscored the airborne athleticism Primus became renowned for, Pearl takes a running jump, lands in an upper corner and sits there, unconcernedly paddling the air with her legs. Primus exposure to this newfound form of activism encouraged the themes of social protest found in her works. Strange Fruit (1945) Choreography by Pearl Primus A piece in which a woman reflects on witnessing a lynching used the poem (Links to an external site.) Primus died from diabetes at her home in New Rochelle, New York on October 29, 1994. Although born in Trinidad, she made an impact in many sections of the world. Psychology Undergrad Major at Kutztown University. Like the stories of so many of the artists discussed in these essays, Pearl Primuss story recounts the many paths she took on her way to accomplish her artistic vision, a vision that included her love of performing, her commitment to social and political change, and her desire to pass her knowledge and her artistry on to later generations. New York Times dance critic John Martinwho would become a devoted champion of the young dancer over the yearssingled Primus out as a remarkably gifted artist; and he went on to comment positively on her technique, her stunning vitality, and her command of the stage. Early in her career she saw the need to promote African dance as an art form worthy of study and performance. "[16] Primus depicts the aftermath of the lynching through the remorse of the woman, after she realized the horrible nature of the act. American dancer, choreographer and anthropologist (19191994), Pioneer of African dance in the United States, Primus, from the Schomburg Library: Primus File, 1949, "New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995," database, FamilySearch (, "(Up)Staging the Primitive: Pearl Primus and 'the Negro Problem' in American Dance", "The New Dance Group: Transforming Individuals and Community", "THE DANCE: FIVE ARTISTS; Second Annual Joint Recital Project of the Y.M.H.A. The Wedding [extract 1]| Numeridanse tv light/strong, fast/slow, direct/indirect? Soon after she began studying at the New Dance Group, Primus started to choreograph her own works and distinguish herself as a compelling solo performer with a distinctively visceral approach to movement that was full of explosive energy and emotional intensity. The New Dance Group's motto was "dance is a weapon of the class struggle", they instilled the belief that dance is a conscious art and those who view it should be impacted. All of the works except Statementhad been restaged two decades earlier as a part of an American Dance Festival project, The Black Tradition in Modern Dance, that had been initiated to preserve important works by black choreographers. In 1952, she led a group of female students on a research trip to her home island of Trinidad, where she met Percival Borde, a talented dancer and drummer who was performing with Beryl McBurnies Little Caribe Theatre. For that project, Primus taught the solos to Kim Bears, a young dancer from the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), and it was Bears who restaged them for the 2011 performance at the Pillow. She continued to amaze audiences when she performed at the Negro Freedom Rally, in June 1943, at Madison Square Garden before an audience of 20,000 people. Throughout her career, Primus used her craft to express social ills in United States society. Many viewers wondered about the race of the anguished woman, but Primus declared that the woman was a member of the lynch mob. During later years, there were other projects inspired by her choreography, such as a reimagining of Bushasche, War Dance, A Dance for Peace, a work from her 1950s repertoire. According to John Martin of The New York Times, Primus' work was so great that she was "entitled to a company of her own." Primus continued to study anthropology and researched dance in Africa and its Diaspora. These include grounded movement that privileges deeply bent knees, rhythmically percussive movement driven by highly propulsive energy, and the isolated articulation of different body parts, to name a few. Her performance of Strange Fruit, choreographed by the late Dr. Pearl Primus, is currently on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pearl Primus' debut performance predated Dr. King's March on Selma by over 20 years, however her work did much to dispel prejudice and instill and understanding of African heritage in American audiences. They also established a performance group was called "Earth Theatre".[20]. After his death Primus rarely performed although she continued to occasionally present African and African-American dances around the country. EXPLORE JOHN PERPENERS MULTIMEDIA ESSAY ON PEARL PRIMUS. In 1984, Primus taught the dance to students of the Five College Dance Department, where Peggy Schwartz was the director. endstream endobj 490 0 obj <>/Metadata 59 0 R/OCProperties<>/OCGs[501 0 R]>>/Outlines 81 0 R/PageLayout/SinglePage/Pages 485 0 R/StructTreeRoot 108 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 491 0 obj <>/Font<>/Properties<>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 492 0 obj <>stream Billie Holiday had already made Strange Fruit a hit when she first sang it in 1939. She gained a lot of information from her family who enlightened her about their West Indian roots and African lineage. Her interest in world cultures had led her to enroll in the Anthropology Department at Columbia University in 1945. [9] However, Marcia Ethel Heard notes that he instilled a sense of African pride in his students and asserts that he taught Primus about African dance and culture. A dancer, choreographer, and proselytizer for African dance, Pearl Primus (1919-1994) trained at the New Dance Group and worked with Asadata Dafora. Zollars project involving Primuss work revealed a number of remarkable connections between the artists. For what kind of human being could possibly do such evil? The point of this character, this southern white woman, is not to display only a sympathetic character. Explore a growing selection of specially themed Playlists, curated by Director of Preservation NortonOwen. She was able to codify the technical details of many of the African dances through the notation system she evolved and was also able to view and to salvage some "still existent gems of dances before they faded into general decadence. Choreographed pieces include Strange Fruit, Hard Times Blues, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Shouters of Sobo, and tmpinyuza. On February 14, 1943, her first major performance took place at the Ninety-Second Street YM-YWHA in New York City, where she appeared in a joint concert, Five Dancers, along with four other emerging young artists Nona Schurman, Iris Mabry, Julia Levien, and Gertrude Prokosch. The choreography for this piece, which was made in protest of sharecropping, truly represented Primus movement style. Compare: Can you isolate and describe the differences between Primuss and Grahams dance expressions of social commentary and protest themes? Pearl Primus " Watch: "Strange Fruit" About "Stange Fruit": Dr. Primus created socially and politically solo dances dealing with the plight of Black Americans in the face of racism. One of the primary factors that enabled her to shore up these aspects of her professional life was connected to her personal life. [32] She was the recipient of numerous other honors including: The cherished Liberian Government Decoration, "Star of Africa"; The Scroll of Honor from the National Council of Negro Women; The Pioneer of Dance Award from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre; Membership in Phi Beta Kappa; an honorary doctorate from Spelman College; the first Balasaraswati/ Joy Ann Dewey Beinecke Chair for Distinguished Teaching at the American Dance Festival; The National Culture Award from the New York State Federation of Foreign Language Teachers; Commendation from the White House Conference on Children and Youth.[1].