Mel Alexander Tomlinson (born January 3, 1954) is an American dancer and choreographer. At the time of his debut with the New York City Ballet in 1981, he was the only African-American dancer in the company. Ballet choreographer Agnes de Mille referred to Tomlinson as "the most exciting black dancer in America." … [Read more...] about Wednesday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
Tuesday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
Nora Koito Kimball-Mentzos or simply Nora Kimball is a ballet teacher and former American ballerina, who is often overlooked for being one of the first African American female soloists—the second -- [at American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She danced with the ABT in the mid 1980's and as an African American who is also Asian American,preceded Misty Copeland, who is often credited as … [Read more...] about Tuesday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
Monday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
Debra Austin (born July 25, 1955) is an American ballet dancer who rose to prominence in 1982 as the first African-American female principal dancer of a major American ballet company. She was also the first African-American female dancer at the New York City Ballet. She currently serves as the ballet mistress for the Carolina Ballet. … [Read more...] about Monday Open Thread: African-American Ballet Dancers
Saturday Open Thread: Black Music Composers
Undine Eliza Anna Smith Moore (25 August 1904 – 6 February 1989) was a notable and prolific African-American composer of the 20th century. She was also a professor emeritus at Virginia State University. Moore wrote more than 100 compositions, although only about 26 of these were published in her lifetime. Much of her work was composed for choir or voice and many of these were … [Read more...] about Saturday Open Thread: Black Music Composers
Friday Open Thread: Black Music Composers
Margaret Allison Bonds (March 3, 1913 – April 26, 1972) was an American composer and pianist. One of the first black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States, she is best remembered today for her frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes. … [Read more...] about Friday Open Thread: Black Music Composers