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Born June 22, 1909, in Glen Ellyn, IL
Died May 21, 2006, in New York, NY
Katherine Dunham innovated the art of modern dance in the 1930s by introducing elements of African and Caribbean folk cultures. Dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, teacher, writer, and initiate of Haitian vodun, Dunham reached a broad audience. She performed in theatrical revues, the 1940 Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky, and in seven films, among them the 1943 production of Stormy Weather. During her tenure as artist-in-residence at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the late 1960s, she founded the Katherine Dunham Center for the Performing Arts. In 1983, she received the Kennedy Center Honors.