Hidden Figures: Joan Myers Brown #BlackHERstoryMonth 15/28 (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Joan Myers Brown #BlackHERstoryMonth 15/28

Joan Myers Brown is an American dance instructor. Born in 1931, Brown grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and began studying dance as a child, attending the Sydney School of Dance in West Philadelphia. As a child she wished to shatter the social barriers prohibiting Black Americans from becoming famous in the world of dance. During a time where famous dance personalities were predominantly white, Brown worked hard to make sure that Black people acquired equal status in mainstream dance. In 1960, Brown founded the the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, at a time when most of the dance schools in the city were segregated, as a realization of that dream. Ten years later, in 1970, she founded the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO), which quickly became one of Philadelphia’s premier dance companies. In addition to (PHILADANCO) and The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, Brown serves as honorary chairperson for the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization she established in 1991. She also founded the International Conference of Black Dance Companies in 1988. Regionally and nationally, Ms. Brown has served a broad range of organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts; the Minority Arts Resource Council, Inc.; the Philadelphia Mayor's Cultural Advisory Council; the Philadelphia Dance Alliance; and Dance/USA. Ms. Brown also served as vice president (and co-founder) of the Coalition of African American Cultural Organizations. In 1997, Ms. Brown was honored as one of the "Dance Women: Living Legends" during a four-day series sponsored by New York-area presenters, in tribute to five African-American pioneer women who founded distinguished modern dance companies with deep roots in black communities around the country. In 2005, the Kennedy Center honored her as a Master of African American Choreography. In 2009 she received the prestigious Philadelphia Award, and November 7, 2010 was declared Joan Myers Brown Living Legacy Day. She has also received a host of other accolades throughout her lifetime, including awards from the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Her legacy has been documented in the 2011 publication of Joan Myers Brown & the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave), written by dance scholar and critic Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Joan Myers Brown's undisputed status as a leader in the national and international arts communities was acknowledged when she was selected to receive the 2012 National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest civic honor for excellence in the arts. President Barack Obama presented the prestigious honor at a ceremony that took place in July 2013 at the White House. President Obama cited Ms. Brown for carving out "an artistic haven for African American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create, and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities." #HiddenFigures #JoanMyersBrown ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Philadanco! http://www.philadanco.org/about/history.php Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9780230114081 Philadelphia Inquirer Industry Icons: Joan Myers Brown (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6afDDsQNM Joan Myers Brown Interview (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAqOT9NO3_A Interview with Joan Myers Brown, Dance Instructor (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BriyCSS32mg 'Philadanco’s Joan Myers Brown - Frontierswoman of modern dance:' https://www.danceinforma.com/2018/06/15/joan-myers-brown-philadanco/ 'Icon: Philadanco's Brown spends her blood and money to run her renowned dance company:' https://www.philly.com/philly/business/philadanco-joan-myers-brown-dance-alvin-ailey-harlem-kimmel-center-20171101.html A POSTCARD From Joan Myers Brown on PHILADANCO’s Joyce Season: https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/view/Postcard-Joan-Myers-Brown-Philadanco 'Mary Johnson and Joan Myers Brown (right) at a recital at the Sydney School of Dance, Philadelphia:' https://woodmereartmuseum.org/experience/exhibitions/john-mosley-photographs/mary-johnson-and-joan-myers-brown-right-at-a-recital-at-the-sydney-school-of-dance-philadelphia