Black Swans Shattering the Glass Ceiling: A Historical Perspective on the Evolution of Historically Black Ballet Companies— From Katherine Dunham to Arthur Mitchell

Abstract

This thesis is an intervention in the ballet field, seeking to provide an Afrocentric historical perspective on the evolution and history of ballet in the United States. Drawing on the work of Brenda Dixon Gottschild, I explore African diasporic traditions and Africanist aesthetics in classical ballet, and I reconfigure Katherine Dunham and Arthur Mitchell to situate their works within the American ballet canon. I explore Katherine Dunham’s role as founder of Ballet Négre and Arthur Mitchell’s role in the evolution of the “Black Ballet Aesthetic.” I also examine the “Classic Black” era to document the histories of American Negro Ballet, First Negro Classic Ballet, and New York Negro Ballet. I give historical context leading up to the founding of Dance Theatre of Harlem. I analyze the emergence of the Black Ballet Aesthetic and how companies like Ballethnic Dance Company have taken the torch from Katherine Dunham and Arthur Mitchell to found a sustainable classical black ballet company and bring it successfully into the twenty-first century.

This thesis also documents original field research into the origins and history of five classical black companies. Field interviews with artistic directors, founders, and dancers from the “Classic Black” era reveal the challenges these companies and dancers faced even as they were determined to preserve their history, their art, and their legacy.