born June 22, 1910, Joliet, Ill., U.S.
U.S. dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist noted for her interpretation of tribal and ethnic dances.
In 1931 she opened a dance school in her native Chicago. In 1940 she formed the U.S.'s first all-black dance company, for which she choreographed revues based on her anthropological research in the Caribbean; her early works included Tropics and Le Jazz hot . She later received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. Many well-known black dancers were trained in her studios in Chicago and New York City. In the 1950s she toured in Europe with her company. She also choreographed Broadway stage productions, operas, and movies.
Katherine Dunham in Tropical Revue (1945–46).
Courtesy of the Dance Collection, New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations