Carolyn Adams (dancer)

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Carolyn Adams
Born (1943-08-16) August 16, 1943 (age 81)
New York City, New York, United States
Education Sarah Lawrence College (BA), Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, Fordham University (MSW), Sorbonne University
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer, teacher
SpouseRobert Kahn
Relatives Julie Adams Strandberg (sister)

Carolyn Adams (born August 16, 1943) is an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher. In 1965, she joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC), being the first and only African-American member at the time, and she remained a dancer there until 1982. [1] [2] She is faculty at the Juilliard School in New York City since 1983.

Biography

Adams was born on August 16, 1943, in New York City, and raised in Harlem. [3] Her parents were Olive Arnold Adams, a writer and composer; and Julius J. Adams, a newspaper editor. [3] Her sister Julie Adams Strandberg also became a noted dancer in New York City. [1] [4] She attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and studied dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance (now Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance), with Martha Graham. [3]

Adams graduated with a B.A. degree in 1965 from Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York; and a M.S.W. degree in 2006 from Fordham University in New York City. [3] She also attended the Sorbonne University in Paris.

In 1965 joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC), while attending her final year at Sarah Lawrence College. [4] At her time of hire at PTDC, she was the first and only African-American dancer. [3] Adams married Robert Kahn, another dancer at the Paul Taylor Dance Company. [1]

Adams gained recognition as a dancer, and taught choreography workshops in London and Denmark. In 1973, while continuing her career as a dancer, she founded the Harlem Dance Studio and Foundation with her sister Julie Adams Strandberg. [3] She is a faculty member at the Juilliard School in New York City since 1983. [3] In May 2024, Adams was conferred a honorary doctorate degree from Juilliard School. [5] Adams is a curator at the American Dance Legacy Institute at Brown University, an organization founded by her sister. [3] She has also served as a panelist on the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kourlas, Gia (November 4, 2024). "A Taylor Dancer for the Ages, 'Unmannered and Wondrous'". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  2. ↑ Matthews, Nadine (2022-02-17). "Carolyn Adams on Carrying the Torch for the Next Generation of Modern Dancers". Dance Teacher. Archived from the original on 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Carolyn Adams's Biography". The HistoryMakers . Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  4. 1 2 Belt, Byron (1975-06-01). "Dancer teaches kids to love movement". Staten Island Advance . p. 26. Retrieved 2025-01-01– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Juilliard to Confer Honorary Doctorates Upon Carolyn Adams, Jessica Chastain, Emerson String Quartet, and Tania León At Its 119th Commencement Ceremony at The Juilliard School". Juilliard School. Archived from the original on 2025-01-04.
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