cover image Kaiso!: Writings by and About Katherine Dunham

Kaiso!: Writings by and About Katherine Dunham

, . . Univ. of Wisconsin, $45 (698pp) ISBN 978-0-299-21274-2

Katherine Dunham, a legendary artist at 96, has traveled the world as a dancer, founded several dance companies and schools, pioneered the discipline of dance anthropology, developed a unique movement technique, fought segregation, and written short stories and nonfiction. The many facets of her creative life are illuminated in this anthology of essays, interviews, programs, reviews, photographs, short stories and autobiographical material. Some of the most compelling entries are written by Dunham herself, including excerpts from her unpublished memoir, "Minefields," which describes her development as an artist and her struggles against racism, poverty and debilitating arthritis. As glamorous as she was talented, Dunham rubbed shoulders with Igor Stravinsky, George Balanchine (in the groundbreaking Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky ) and Langston Hughes, yet was equally enthralled by the Afro-Caribbean dancers she studied. The myriad achievements of Dunham, whose dance company was one of the first African-American troupes to tour internationally, and the efforts to preserve her legacy are examined by an illustrious list of dancers, critics and scholars. Clark and Johnson, both academics at the University of California, have assembled an informative and entertaining resource. (Mar. 1)