Primus, Pearl Eileen
1919-1994 · Contribution: 1943-1978
Dancer, Choreographer & Anthropologist
Pioneered the serious anthropological study and concert presentation of African dance in the United States; choreographed 'Strange Fruit' and 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' as direct artistic responses to lynching and racial injustice
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1919
- Active since
- 1943
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- "Strange Fruit"Concert African dance in the U.S."The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
Impact on the world
Primus turned dance into direct testimony against racial violence and elevated African dance to the concert stage as serious art. She joined scholarship and protest in movement.
An alternative history
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Sources
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