Black History Month: Celebrating African American Choreographers and Dancers

Publish date: 2024-02-18

When you think of famous choreographers, one of the first people who probably comes to mind is Debbie Allen. Also a dancer, a director and an actress, she has done it all.

Allen made her Broadway debut in “Purlie,” but gained recognition as Lydia Grant in both the TV and film versions of “Fame.” She won three Emmy Awards for her work on “Fame” and the anniversary special “Motown 30: What’s Goin’ On!” She also choreographed the Academy Awards for 10 year, and most recently executive produced, directed and appeared on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Josephine Baker, Pearl Primus, Katherine Dunham and Alvin Ailey are among the dance pioneers who paved the way for Allen and others. Ailey established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 and combined Afro-Caribbean dance with modern and jazz dance techniques.

Related Stories

An Emmy statue with arrows going through it VIP+

‘Hacks’ Post-Emmys Boost Highlights Max’s HBO Problem

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 01: Christopher Ciccone poses for a portrait while promoting his new book "Life With My Sister Madonna" on August 1, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Christopher Ciccone, Artist and Brother of Madonna, Dies at 63

Donald McKayle, meanwhile, made his mark as the first African American to choreograph and direct a Broadway musical — “Raisin” (1973) and “Sophisticated Ladies” (1981).

Popular on Variety

Camille A. Brown is a dancer, choreographer and director. Her work on the 2012 play “Choir Boy” earned her a Tony Award for best choreography. Brown worked on Broadway’s “Once on This Island” and served as choreographer for NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” working with Sara Bareilles and John Legend.

Todrick Hall first came to attention during Season 9 of “American Idol” and has been dancing since he was nine years old. Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ariana Grande have all worked with Hall, who can often be seen on the judging panel of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” when he’s not working as the show’s choreographer.

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland earned her place in history when she became in 2015 the first African American woman to be promoted to a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. She began performing with them in 1999 and worked on numerous productions. Director Lasse Hallström created the role of the ballerina princess especially for her in the 2018 Disney film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.”

Countless others who have made a significant impact on the art form include John W. Bubbles, who started his career when he was a young child and fused jazz with tap dance. Brothers Fayard and Harold Nicholas, who danced their way through 1943’s “Stormy Weather.” There’s also Gregory Hines, who acted, danced and choreographed, promoting the art form of tap. He appeared in “The Cotton Club” and “Running Scared,” and was a regular on “Will & Grace.”

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN8jpqpraGjlru0e82erqxnkZu%2Fqq%2FAp2SapZWntqStzWaaoaeimryovsCpn56qo2KxorrCnqmsZZSar6O1xGaYpaSVo3pyfo9sbGluZmiDcA%3D%3D