Joan Myers Brown (born 25 December 1931) is an American dance instructor.

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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[2]

Accomplishments

Brown's accomplishments were many:[1]

Recognition

References

  1. ^ a b 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 2 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Patri Warren, Charmaine. Dance Women/Living Legends, 1997.
  3. ^ "Joan Myers Brown", Philadanco.
  4. ^ "President Obama to Award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal", The White House, July 3, 2013.

External links

National Medal of Arts recipients 2010s & 2020s
Categories