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Katherine Dunham Torrid in Dances at American
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| Title | Katherine Dunham Torrid in Dances at American |
| Creator | Monk, Herbert L. |
| Description | Monk takes an excited but mildly-derisive skeptical tone about the opening night performance. He begins and ends the article by saying that Dunham and company are "the ultimate in terpsichorean warmth". Reports standing room only at the performance. Describes the audience as including "more members of Miss Dunham's own race than usually attend the theater" and says that it received her with "unrestrained enthusiasm" and "vociferous" applause. He summarizes the performance as follows: "look up all the synonyms for 'hot' put them together and that will be it" and later as "a weird assortment of creations that are as fascinating, for the most part, as many of the numbers are savage" "ranging from simple comedy routines and burlesque" to "veritable orgies in syncopation reportedly based on native rituals." He asserts that though Dunham is a scholar and though the program and its sponsors give explanations of the significance of the dances, he has doubt of their scholarly integrity. He says "it is easier to believe that the traveler was most interested in torrid rhythms". He describes the costumes and settings as being "in the best of taste" and "colorful always but gaudy only when there is need". Describes the male dancers as "some of them being perfect physical specimens" and says that Dunham gives every dancer the chance to show himself to advantage. Dunham apparently dances in almost all of the numbers but is not "'hogging' the spotlight" |
| Collection | SCRC Text (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) |
| Subcollection | Katherine Dunham Papers |
| Original Publication Source | St. Louis Globe-Democrat |
| Place Written | St. Louis, MO |
| Date(s) | 1944-02-22 |
| Section | 4B |
| Subjects -titles | Tropical Revue |
| Subjects -people | Capo, Bobby ; Dunham, Katherine |
| Other topics | American Theater |
| Collection ID/Box# | FP20_7_F1DUNHAM_B102_F12_04 |
| Rights Statement | For permission to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use this image, please contact the Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Phone: + 1 (618) 453-2516. Email: http://reftrack.lib.siu.edu/reft100.aspx?key=SCRCEmail&cllcid=SCRR |
| Transcript | Katherine Dunham Torrid
in
Dances at Annerican
By HERBERT h. MONt
Heralded fd.r and wide as being gust about the ultimate in terpsi chorean waimth Katherine Dun ham and bei conpanj slasled into the American Theater last night and proved it The famous Negro dancer who is reputed to he also a profound student of the ait she practices aiiived as the star of "Tiopioal Revue tt- smg the SRO 1 gn to be hung out
F rst perhapi it should be re ported that the extra capacit\ au dience including more members of Miss Dunham s own race than usually attend performances at the theater leeeiied the dancer with unrestrained enthusiasm ap plauding her offerings vociferous ly. In fact not often haie spec tators there entered so whole heartedly into the spirit of an oc
As to what 15 Mias Dunham and hei dancers offer the Eng lish langjage is a little weak on desciiptive torda About the only aid that can be given here is the suggestion that if ^ou have a Ro get s Tneaaurui handj look up aU the sjnonjms for hot put them all together and that will be it
Ot course M "is Dunham schol ar that she is and holder of aca demic degreei probablj can ex plain the signifu, ani, e of nio^t of thenimbers Indeed the printed program undertakes to do just that regarding a few including the 0le wh ch tensors haie frowned upon but which can hardly be set apart from the oth And her sponsors have let it known that Miia Dunham gathered the dancei at least the ¦deas for them in tiavels to the tVest Ind es and other exotic liaces aufrgestine that most ot ;he numbers at least po'ies? a na
That may be although i easier to believe that the tra\ was most interested in torrid rhythms. At all eienta ahe put together a weird assorti of creations that are aa fascinat¬ ing, for the mo^t patt, aa n of the numbers are aavage the collection ranging from simplr ;es and buiiesque With a Little Jim veritable orgies ii_ ¦portediy based on
Mixed In, " to syncopation re
Miss Dunhai productio
has revealed talent along that line, as well for dancing and for anthropolo] The staging ia appropriate, to s the least for it, and, to say I
orful always but gaudy only when there is need, are in the be.st i ' taste as are tb§ settings again which she and her associates pe form their vast variety of gyn
ged ,
tions.
And the s
tpport |
| Original Format | review |
| Original dimensions (cm.) | 17 x 10 |
| Digital Object Type | Image |
| Digital File Format | .tif |
| Digital File Publisher | Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. |
| Language | English |
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