Dancing with a Star

A tribute to Katherine Dunham

Comments (0) By Alison Sieloff Wednesday, Oct 29 2008

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On May 21, 2006, St. Louis, and the world, lost a great visionary when Illinois-born Katherine Dunham passed away at the age of 96. Fortunately, her legacy and her contributions to dance still shine brightly. The Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue) honors this civil-rights activist and legendary choreographer — the Dunham technique blends classical ballet and traditional African dance — with the exhibition Katherine Dunham: Beyond the Dance, which opens on Sunday, November 2, and remains on display through Sunday, November 8, 2009. Featured in the show are many gorgeous costumes used by the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe, photographs, video, a re-creation of a stage, scrapbooks, artwork (like Werner Philipp's painting of Dunham pictured) and more. The museum not only hosts Beyond the Dance, but throughout the exhibition's run, there will also be many special events that pay tribute to Dunham. Admission to Beyond the Dance costs $3 to $7, but entrance is free on Tuesday. To learn more about the exhibition and its associated goings-on, call 314-746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.
Nov. 2-8, 2008