Billie Holiday x Pearl Primus - Strange Fruit (Music Video) This is a character meant to both bring out feelings of pity and disgust. The dance was also appropriated and transformed by a number of artists, recycled in different versions, and it found its way into professional dance companies and community dance groups around the world as a symbolic dance expression of African cultures. These artists searched literature, used music of contemporary composers, glorified regional idiosyncrasies and looked to varied ethnic groups for potential sources of creative material. Pearl Primus - Oxford Reference Courtesy Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. One of Primus most notable students was writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. The piece is set to the words of a power off the same title written by Abel Meeropol, under the pseudonym Ballet Started in Italy Classical Ballet A traditional, formal style of ballet that adheres to classical ballet techniques 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. Primus continued to develop her modern dance foundation with several pioneers such Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Ismay Andrews, and Asadata Dafora. He has held teaching positions at Florida State University, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the University of Maryland, College Park, and at Howard University. 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. As an artist/ educator, Primus taught at a number of universities during her career including NYU, Hunter College, the State University of New York at Purchase, the College of New Rochelle, Iona College, the State University of New York at Buffalo, Howard University, the Five Colleges consortium in Massachusetts. Do you find this information helpful? Pearl Primus Flashcards | Quizlet [7] The organization trained dancers like Primus to be aware of the political and social climate of their time. For her, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival was a place where all of those paths and visions intersected. [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]. An extended interview with Primus,Evening 3 of Five Evenings with American Dance Pioneerscan be viewed or streamed at The Library for the Performing Arts. Alive, Pearl Primus, Primus also included dances from Africa and the West Indies, when she appeared at the Pillow for the first time. These pieces were rooted in Primus experience with black southern culture. One of the primary factors that enabled her to shore up these aspects of her professional life was connected to her personal life. How does Primus express themes of social commentary and protest in her work? "[16] Primus depicts the aftermath of the lynching through the remorse of the woman, after she realized the horrible nature of the act. Margret Lloyd describes Pearls movement in her performance of Hard Time Blues, "Pearl takes a running jump, lands in an upper corner and sits there, unconcernedly paddling the air with her legs. Interested in the arts, politics, intersectional feminism, queer studies, video games, psychology, poetry, literature, and creative writing. (1919-1994) Pearl Primus was born in Trinidad and grew up in New York. 20072023 Blackpast.org. However, her goal of working as a medical researcher was unrealized due to the racial discrimination of the time. PEARL PRIMUS - Blogger Pearl Primus was the first Black modern dancer. The Oni and people of Ife, Nigeria, felt that she was so much a part of their community that they initiated her into their commonwealth and affectionately conferred on her the title "Omowale" the child who has returned home. Conclusion In conclusion, Strange Fruit is a major contribution to the world because it humanized black people, told real black stories, and helped legitimize black concert dance. The poem was later popularized as a song sung most memorably by Billie Holiday, Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norn, Dr. Pearl Primus (1919-1994) was a dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She also staged The Wedding created in 1961. Access a series of multimediaessaysoffering pathways to hundreds of rare videos, photos, programs, and more! 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. Primuss extensive travels took her to nine different countries, where she was able to observe, study, and learn an encyclopedic array of dances with their deep cultural connections to the people. Black American modern dance employs various aspects of modern dance while infusing elements of African and Caribbean movements into choreography. Browse the full collection of Jacobs Pillow Dance Interactive videos by Artist, Genre, and Era. She refuses to face reality. Her research in Africa was funded by the Rosenwald Foundation, the same philanthropic organization that had sponsored a similar research trip to the Caribbean for Katherine Dunham in 1935. In 1965, for example, she choreographed four out of the five works performed by Percival Borde and CompanyBeaded Mask, Earth Magician, War Dance,and Impinyuza. Straight Outta Philly | Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State Prior to her debut at Jacobs Pillow, Primus spent the summer of 1944 traveling through several southern states, observing and participating in the lives of impoverished black farm workers and attending their church services and social gatherings. In 1974, Primus staged Fanga created in 1949 which was a Liberian dance of welcome that quickly made its way into Primus's iconic repertoire. After her field research, Primus was able to establish new choreography while continuously developing some of her former innovative works. She would also share that program at the Pillow with Iris Mabry. At the Pillow, she performed Dance of Beauty, with a program note stating, In the hills of the Belgian Congo lives a tribe of seven foot people. Removing the body from her sight signifies her inability to face reality, and the ease with which she could fall back into familiar comfort after something so horrible. PDF Pioneer to Black Voices: Pearl Primus and Strange Fruit In 1977, Ailey received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. Author Norton Owen notes that Shawn credited the practice of putting diverse dance offerings on a single concert to Mary Washington Ball. The intention of this piece introduces the idea that even a lynch mob can show penitence. 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. 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. I stretch my arms to the earth and to the sky for I alone am not strong enough to greet you. CloseIbid., p. 264. At that time, Primus' African choreography could be termed interpretive, based on the research she conducted and her perception of her findings. Her interest in world cultures had led her to enroll in the Anthropology Department at Columbia University in 1945.Primuss 1947 concert followed a format that Ted Shawn adopted at the time of his festivals opening in 1943. The New York Public Library. For 10 months her energy and emotion commanded the stage, along with her stunning five-foot-high jumps. 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. Pearl Primus | African-American Dancers of the 20th Century Primus was raised in New York City, and in 1940 received her bachelors degree in biology and pre-medical science from Hunter College. In 1959, the year Primus received an M.A. She does it repeatedly, from one side of the stage, then the other, apparently unaware of the involuntary gasps from the audience". Pearl Primus was a member of the New Dance Group where she was encouraged by its socially and politically active members to develop her early solo dances dealing with the plight of African Americans in the face of racism. 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. The solo has been reconstructed and can be seen onFree to Dance, in performance from the American Dance Festival and John F. Kennedy Center, 2000, on *MGZIDVD 5-3178. 508 0 obj <>stream She had learned how the dance expressions of the people were connected to a complex system of religious beliefs, social practices, and secular concerns, ranging from dances that invoked spirits to intervene on behalf of a communitys well-being to dances for aristocrats that distinguished their elevated social class. [5] Eventually Primus sought help from the National Youth Administration and they gave her a job working backstage in the wardrobe department for America Dances. 5, p.3. If anything, thats the opposite. [15] Primus dance to this poem boldly acknowledged the strength and wisdom of African Americans through periods of freedom and enslavement. African Ceremonial was re-envisioned for the group's performance. Through her work as a professor, anthropologist, and dancer Pearl Primus paved the way for African dance to be viewed on the level of ballet and modern. 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". However, Primuss original works continued to be performed at the festival. 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 explored African culture and dance by consulting family, books, articles, pictures, and museums. Pearl Primus - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia This dance was based on the poem by Lewis Allan about a lynching. She has gone all the way around back to the starting point, eager to put this terrifying and eye-opening experience behind her. . This text can be changed from the Miscellaneous section of the settings page. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 88-89. She gained a lot of information from her family who enlightened her about their West Indian roots and African lineage. But Primus explained that jumping does not always symbolize joy. ClosePeggy Schwartz and Murray Schwartz, The Dance Claimed Me: A Biography of Pearl Primus (New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press, 2011), pp. Common in the Sierra Leone region of Africa. CloseIbid.Rounding out that section of the program were Santos, a dance of possession from Cuba, and Shouters of Sobo. She posed as a migrant worker with the aim "to know [her] own people where they are suffering the most. The company performed in concerts at the Roxy Theatre. Test your dance knowledge with our Guess Game, then challenge your friends! Biographers Peggy and Murray Schwartz point out how Fangabecame a dance that was often the central focus in her lecturing and teaching after she returned from Africa. She then became the last recipient of the major Rosenwald fellowships and received the most money ($4000) ever given. CloseThe New Dance Group Gala Concert: An historic retrospective of the New Dance Group presentations, 1930s 1970s (New York, NY: The American Dance Guild, 1993) pp. Throughout her career, Primus used her craft to express social ills in United States society. In this performance, Dunham introduced audiences to a dance called Lagya, based on a dance developed by enslaved Africans ready to revolt against society. One of her dances, Strange Fruit, was a protest against the lynching of blacks. 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. Pearl Primus focused on matters such as oppression, racial prejudice, and violence. [13], Following this show and many subsequent recitals, Primus toured the nation with The Primus Company. 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. The first time, it had been her travels in the South. "Strange Fruit"-- Choreography by Pearl Primus; Performance by Dawn Connect: You might also create a project that asks students to interview senior members of their community and collect oral histories of the Great Depression. For what kind of human being could possibly do such evil? Primus learned a plethora in Africa, but she was still eager to further her academic knowledge, Primus received her PhD in anthropology from NYU in 1978. Hard Time Blues (1945) comments on the poverty of African American sharecroppers in the South. Dancers' Choices, Choreographers' Choices | Wolf Humanities Center She also appeared at the Chicago Theatre in the 1947 revival of the Emperor Jones in the "Witch Doctor" role that Hemsley Winfield made famous. %PDF-1.6 % In 1984, Primus taught the dance to students of the Five College Dance Department, where Peggy Schwartz was the director. [27] Primus athleticism made her choreography awe-striking. Pearl Primus's Strange Fruit and Hard Time Blues Its intent is of activism, to show the North the reality, in hopes of creating a spark of change. Access a series of multimediaessaysoffering pathways to hundreds of rare videos, photos, programs, and more! Dunham was born in 1909in Illinois. [13] These similarities show that Primus style, themes, and body type promoted the display of Black culture within the dance community. But instead she decided to conduct an 18-month research and study tour of the Gold Coast, Angola, Cameroons, Liberia, Senegal and the Belgian Congo. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child as part of the Great Migration. Also by this point her dance school, the Pearl Primus Dance Language Institute, was well known throughout the world. I dance not to entertain, she once said, but to help people to better understand each other. Some four decades after her Pillow debut, she returned to lecture and participate in a special African Music and Dance project. Choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey often receives credit for mainstreaming modern dance. She soon began performing professionally both as a soloist and in dance groups around New York. Browse the full collection of Jacobs Pillow Dance Interactive videos by Artist, Genre, and Era. [28] They were divorced by 1957. She also taught at New York's Hunter College. Primus and Borde taught African dance artists how to make their indigenous dances theatrically entertaining and acceptable to the western world, and also arranged projects between African countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and the United States Government to bring touring companies to this country.[24]. ''[14] She observed and participated in the daily lives of black impoverished sharecroppers. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. [21] As an anthropologist, she conducted cultural projects in Europe, Africa and America for such organizations as the Ford Foundation, US Office of Education, New York University, Universalist Unitarian Service Committee, Julius Rosenwald Foundation, New York State Office of Education, and the Council for the Arts in Westchester. after Primus first performed Strange Fruit in 1943, with the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till proving a catalyst for a massive reduction . Explore a growing selection of specially themed Playlists, curated by Director of Preservation NortonOwen. As she moved Primus carried intensity and displayed passion while simultaneously bringing awareness to social issues. Pearl discovered her innate gift for movement, and she was quickly recognized for her abilities. But that is still no excuse for her behavior, and for ignoring what has happened because its easier. Pearl Primus continued to teach, choreograph, and perform dances that spoke of the human struggle and of the African American struggle in a world of racism. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This inaugural dance, accompanied by Strange Fruit, Rock Daniel and Hard Time Blues, was presented when Pearl Primus debuted February 14, 1943 for the Young Men's Hebrew Association on 92 nd Street. Pearl Primus, trained in Anthropology and at NYs 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 92ndSt. YMHA. The New Dance Groups mottoDance is a weaponencapsulated the idea that dance performance should be much more than art-for-arts-sake. Dance artists should be acutely aware of the political and social realities of their time, and they should use that awareness to create work that had an impact on the consciousness of the individuals who saw it. [2][3] In 1940, Primus received her bachelor's degree from Hunter College[4] in biology and pre-medical science. It was an effort to guide the Western world to view African dance as an important and dignified statement about another way of life. The Wedding [extract 1]| Numeridanse tv -- Week's Programs", "Langston Hughes, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", "Dr. Pearl Primus, choreographer, dancer and anthropologist", "Dances of Sorrow, Dances of Hope: The work of Pearl Primus finds a natural place in a special program of historic modern dances for women. Primus was joined by Lillian Moore, who performed her own choreography and that of Agnes de Mille; Lucas Hoving and Betty Jones, performed their own work; and Jos Limn, Letitia Ide, and Ellen Love, performed Doris Humphreys Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias, a work based on the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca. Comment on the irony of Americans fighting to liberate Europeans during World War II, while racism continued in America.
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