DANCER

Katherine Dunham

1909 - 2006

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Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 – May 21, 2006) was an African American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century and directed her own dance company for many years. She has been called the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance." While a student at the University of Chicago, Dunham also performed as a dancer, ran a dance school and earned an early bachelor's degree in anthropology. Receiving a postgraduate academic fellowship, she went to the Caribbean to study the African diaspora, ethnography and local dance. Read more on Wikipedia

Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Katherine Dunham is the 84th most popular dancer (up from 90th in 2019), the 8,563rd most popular biography from United States (down from 8,226th in 2019) and the 11th most popular American Dancer.

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Among DANCERS

Among dancers, Katherine Dunham ranks 84 out of 116. Before her are Birgit Cullberg, Frankie Manning, Natalia Dudinskaya, Joaquín Cortés, Avdotia Istomina, and Birju Maharaj. After her are Yvonne Rainer, Doris Humphrey, Rukmini Devi Arundale, Hryhorii Chapkis, Dušanka Sifnios, and Jin Xing.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1909, Katherine Dunham ranks 329. Before her are Hermann Paul Müller, Sabir Yunusov, Octacílio, Giuseppe Viani, Zellig Harris, and Roberto Battaglia. After her are Giovanni Palatucci, Ken Uehara, Bill Carr, Paul A. Baran, Petras Cvirka, and Carla Laemmle. Among people deceased in 2006, Katherine Dunham ranks 294. Before her are Francis Girod, Arthur Lee, Jane Wyatt, Iris Marion Young, Jan Twardowski, and Joseph Vissers. After her are Loyola de Palacio, Viktor Pavlov, Barnard Hughes, Mirko Sandić, Ferenc Machos, and Candy Barr.

Others Born in 1909

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Katherine Dunham ranks 8,565 out of 20,380. Before her are Warren Jeffs (1955), Jackson Scholz (1897), Robert Christgau (1942), Virgil Thomson (1896), Oliver Nelson (1932), and Norman Joseph Woodland (1921). After her are Saoirse Ronan (1994), Priscilla Cooper Tyler (1816), Vera-Ellen (1921), David Dastmalchian (1977), Gary Johnson (1953), and Anna Schwartz (1915).

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Among DANCERS In United States

Among dancers born in United States, Katherine Dunham ranks 11. Before her are William Forsythe (1949), John Neumeier (1939), Adam Darius (1930), Maria Tallchief (1925), Alvin Ailey (1931), and Frankie Manning (1914). After her are Yvonne Rainer (1934), Doris Humphrey (1895), Twyla Tharp (1941), Rachel Brice (1972), Agnes de Mille (1905), and Rozonda Thomas (1971).

American born Dancers

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