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Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ReproducedReproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. Order Number 1S36782 Pearl Primus: Cross-cultural pioneer of American dance Glover, Jean Ruth, M.A. The American University, 1989 Copyright ©1989 by Glover, Jean Ruth. All rights reserved. U-M-I 300 N. Zecb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. -------- ReproducedReproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission_ without permission. PEARL PRIMUS: CROSS-CULTURAL PIONEER OF AMERICAN DANCE by JEAN RUTH GLOVER submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Dance Approved: C ? ' ) A _ . 1 < Chai rman: / / & — >./ ^ . Vta, 72^0— ^ Dean oS Arts and Sciences 73 May 1989 Date 1989 The American University t C\iA\ Washington, D.C. 20016 \p\ iW THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. @ COPYRIGHT BY JEAN RUTH GLOVER 1989 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATED to My parents, Jean and Edmund Glover, and to My sister, Lisa Lang Glover, for your love. You keep me moving forward and send me soaring beyond the places I believe initially possible. Your love, and all the fabulous support accompanying it, have preserved my spirit. Thank you. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PEARL PRIMUS: CROSS-CULTURAL PIONEER OF AMERICAN DANCE BY Jean Ruth Glover 7\ rj inmr> r. s*rr. n b o i n n v a Since 1943, Dr. Pearl E. Primus has been a leading advocate of the arts as an educational resource towards increasing appreciation and understanding of America's multicultural diversity. This work provides a biographical description of how Dr. Primus has used the art of dance to disseminate anthropological-based information about Africa, its culture and the heritage of black Americans. The first black dancer to study with modern dance seminal artists Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman and Hanya Holm, Pearl Primus was the first artist to successfully combine modern dance with dance material from Africa. Based on research conducted in Africa, the West Indies and the United States, her work expresses the social, political and racial experiences of black Americans, the traditions and values of black culture and above all, the inherent beauty of the human spirit. In 1943 when Pearl Primus began her career, black ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Americans were ignorant c\nd ashamed about their African roots and other groups did not understand its importance in the development of American culture. Today, the pioneer work of Dr. Pearl Primus can be seen as an important influence in developing a new understanding of the role of black culture and African heritage in American society. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following people have wisely and expertly directed ray research. Their advice, sensitivity and important questions, accompanied with that which is perhaps most important of all, their confidence, have propelled me through this thesis with energy, insight and a desire to go beyond the work presented in the following pages. These people share in my "passion” to help others discover the multi-cultural, educational and creative values of the art of dance. My sincerest thanks and gratitude to: Dr. Naima Prevots - for understanding how to unite my "passions" into one all-encompassing thesis topic. She nurtures, encourages and re-tracks stuck thought processes with rays and beams of invigorating positive energy. She sends these gifts into your soul as much as she does into your ideas. Professor Anne McDonald - for her enthusiastic support of my many layered ideas. The freedom to pursue these ideas through choreography and written expression have contributed to my growth as artist and scholar. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Professor Charles Crowder - for persistently demanding me to question, analyze and be sentiently aware of aesthetic values and written expression in relation to the dynamic forms of art. Mr. Joseph Nash - for his expertise on the contributions of black dancers to American dance; in particular the work of Pearl Primus. He transmits the spirit and empowering beauty of dance with love, passion, energy and a sparkling, twinkle in his eyes. Myrna Renaud - for introducing me to the spiritual essence of African dance and its heritage as transcribed in the dance of Puerto Rico, Cuba and South America. Her artistry as educator empowers students with confidence in their own integrity and unique abilities. Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival - for their trust and loan of a 1987 video recording with a pre-concert lecture by Dr. Pearl Primus. In particular, archivist Norton Owen, for his assistance in locating audio-visual materials and program copies of work Pearl Primus presented at Jacob's Piilow. Charles Reinhart - Director, The American Dance Festival, for permission to view a 1988 video recording with three works by Dr. Pearl Primus as presented at The American Dance Festival, 1988. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Jean and Edmund Glover - for the technological means to work at a maximum level of efficiency and productivity. Lisa Glover - for the steady supply of printer ribbons. Luci Dabney - for sending research materials from Houston. Grace Chow - for a warm, comfortable place to rest when conducting research in New York. Esther Gelabert - for being my Chinese sage. Aaron Prevots - for sharing his musical treasures with me. Listening to the great legends of the jazz age provided invaluable inspiration during the final stages of work. Jonathan Lipow - for caring and saying "just work on it two hours every day." Roberta Washington - for her faith in my work. To have someone so beautifully and sensitively accompany my spirit throughout the process has been an honor. And... To All of My Students - for it is they who continually make me seek the best in myself. vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................... iv CHAPTER I. FIRST IMPRESSIONS....... 1 II. TAKING A LEAP: SOCIAL DANCE TO MODERN DANCE............................... 6 III. THE NEW DANCE GROUP....................... 13 IV. DESTINY'S HOLD ON WELL LAID PLANS........ 33 V. PUTTING THE DANCE LAUREL AWARD IN PERSPECTIVE ........................... 39 VI. EMERGENCE OF A CONCERT ARTIST: 1943 - 1943............................... 57 VII. AN ARTIST FIGHTS PREJUDICE................ 79 VIII. 'LITTLE FAST FEET’ IN AFRICA........... 102 IX. OMOWALE TO AMERICA AND AFRICA............. 110 vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. X. ART AND ACADEMICS......................... 129 XI. PEARL PRIMUS: A WOMAN OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY..................... 151 APPENDIX A: CHRONOLOGY FOR PEARL PRIMUS..........