Kariamu Welsh in the 1970s, when she became a choreographer of Afrocentric dance. Photo provided by estate for Welsh’s obituary. African American, Dance, Ethnography Kariamu Welsh (Asante) (1949-2021) Kariamu Welsh was a contemporary dancer and dance choreographer whose scholarship incorporated African and Diasporic aesthetics, sensibilities, and sensitivities, and was built on the belief that African […]
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Photo by Alan Govenar, 2006 Native Hawaiian, Dance, Cultural Activism George Na‘ope (1928-2009) Born in Kalihi, Hawaiʻi in 1928 and raised in Hilo, George Lanakilakeikiahialiʻi Naʻope was a foundational figure in the perpetuation, visibility, and celebration of Hawaiian culture. Affectionately and respectfully known as “Uncle George,” he was a revered kumu hula—a title that translates
Pearl Primus, Rock Daniel, 1944, Barbara Morgan Archives African American, Dance, Ethnography, Theater Pearl Eileen Primus (1919-1994) Dr. Pearl Primus was a dancer, choreographer, educator, and anthropologist whose pioneering work not only explored and celebrated African, Caribbean, and African American dance forms and folkways, but also called attention to social issues faced by people of
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Photo from kaainamomona.org. Kumu hula, educator, cultural activist Edith Kenao Kanaka‘ole (1913-1979) Born as Edith Ke‘kuhikuhiipu‘uoneonaali‘iokohala Kenao in Honomu, Puna, Hawai‘i, “Aunty Edith,” as she is respectfully and affectionately known, was a teacher, dancer, composer, chanter, ethnobotanist, activist, and entertainer who left an indelible impact on the Hawaiian cultural community. A revered and loved kumu
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Photo by Studio Iris. Katherine Dunham in a 1960s publicity photograph. Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200003727/ African American, Dance, Ethnography, Theater Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) Katherine Dunham, one of the first dance anthropologists and Black modern dance choreographers, was an accomplished teacher, dance scholar,
Photo of Mary Kawena Pukui taken when she worked at the Bishop Museum. She is working on the Hawaiian-language newspaper titled “Ka Na’i Aupuni.” Courtesy of Nanea Armstrong-Wassel and Kawena Pukui’s daughter, Patience Namaka Bacon. Native Hawaiian, Folklore, Narrative, Linguistics, Dance, Music Mary Abigail Kawenaʻulaokalaniohiʻiakaikapoliopelekawahineʻaihonua Pukui (1895-1986) Mary Abigail Kawenaʻulaokalaniohiʻiakaikapoliopelekawahineʻaihonua Pukui was born in 1895, during the
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Photo by James J. Williams. Hawaii State Archives. Call Number: PPWD-15-4.018 Native Hawaiian, Music, Dance, Cultural Activism King Kalākahua (David La‘amea Kamanakapu‘u MahinulaniNalaiaehuokalani Lumialani) (1836-1891) King Kalākaua reaffirmed Hawai`i’s sovereignty through advancing the island country’s international profile and promoting Hawaiian cultural revitalization after decades of suppression. Born David La‘amea Kamanakapu‘u Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani, King Kalākaua
King Kalākahua (David La‘amea Kamanakapu‘u Mahinulani
Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani) Read More »