Joan Myers Brown

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Joan Myers Brown
Born(1931-12-25)December 25, 1931
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Occupation(s)Director, educator, dancer
Years active1970-
Awards National Medal of Arts

Joan Myers Brown (born 25 December 1931) is an American dance company director and former dancer. In 1970, she founded PHILADANCO, a modern dance company in Philadelphia. [1] In 2012, she received a National Medal of Arts in recognition of her career. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Brown is the only child of Nellie Lewis, a nuclear scientist, and Julius Myers, a chef and restaurateur, born on 25 December 1931 in Philadelphia. Native to both Philadelphia and North Carolina, she grew up mainly on 47th Street and Paschall Avenue of Southwest Philadelphia. [3]

Brown's first dance instructors and role models were Essie Marie Dorsey, Sydney Gibson King, and Marion Durham Cuyjet. As a child she wished to shatter the social barriers prohibiting African Americans from becoming famous in the world of dance. [4]

During a time where famous dance personalities were predominantly light-skinned, Brown worked hard to make sure that people of color acquired equal status in mainstream dance. She dreamed of a school where African Americans could learn and develop through methods tailored specifically to their individual needs - a program that was specially created for ethnic bodies. [4]

Accomplishments

Brown's accomplishments were many: [3]

Recognition

References

  1. ↑ Warren, Charmaine Patricia (September 2, 2021). Moving Over: A Powerhouse of Black Dance Is Retiring (Mostly). Joan Myers Brown, the founder of Philadanco, is stepping back if not quite away from her duties. She still goes to the office every day. New York Times.
  2. 1 2 "President Obama to Award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal", The White House, July 3, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Gottschild, Brenda D. (2016). Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance. Palgrave Macmillan US. ISBN   978-1-137-51235-2 . Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Patri Warren, Charmaine. Dance Women/Living Legends, 1997.
  5. ↑ "Joan Myers Brown", Philadanco.
  6. ↑ Joan Myers Brown. The Philadelphia Award.
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