DEL Celebrating Dr. Pearl Primus’ Legacy

As part of the 150th Anniversary of the 92NY, DEL is celebrating some of the key pioneers of modern dance whose iconic works were performed at the 92NY during the 1930s-1960s.

In this interactive, movement-based workshop, participants will learn about the artistic and pedagogical legacy of Dr. Pearl Primus whose work transformed the landscape of American concert dance and African dance in multiple ways. Kim Bears-Bailey, Artistic Director of The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO), will share her extensive knowledge of the Primus lineage and and teach segments of Primus’ iconic work, The Negro Speaks of Rivers.

Primus’ extensive research into African dance and cultural traditions informed her later work and scholarship and brought an Africanist perspective to American dance forms. Envisioning Primus’ impact on choreographers and educators today, Chanon Judson, Co-Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women and Visiting Associate Professor University at Buffalo, will introduce segments of Walking with Pearl, including Walking With Pearl: Africa Diaries, and Walking With Pearl: Southern Diaries, choreographed in 2006 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and inspired by Primus’ “Africa Diaries” and “Southern Diaries”: diary and journal entries from travels to Africa and the American South. Ms. Judson will lead participants through an embodied celebration of Primus’ philosophical vision.

The course also includes an asynchronous learning module, created by DEL Institute Director, Ann Biddle, which will introduce participants to the dance unit: The Essence of Pearl Primus through Photography and Poetry: The Negro Speaks of Rivers. Participants will also receive access to multiple resources linked to Dr. Primus’ extensive canon of work.

Must register by Wednesday, November 15, 2023.