[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 62 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 62
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 15, 2004
Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that Katherine Dunham should be
recognized for her groundbreaking achievements in dance, theater,
music, and education, as well as for her work as an activist striving
for racial equality throughout the world.
Whereas Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909, and began formal dance
training in her late teens;
Whereas, in the 1930s, Katherine Dunham revolutionized American dance by
incorporating the roots of black dance and ritual, and by transforming
these elements into choreography accessible to all through the Katherine
Dunham Technique;
Whereas Katherine Dunham completed her bachelor's degree in social anthropology
at the University of Chicago, was a pioneer in the use of folk and
ethnic choreography, and was one of the founders of the anthropological
dance movement;
Whereas Katherine Dunham utilized her dance career and public status to draw
attention to issues of segregation and the civil rights movement;
Whereas Katherine Dunham founded Les Ballet Negre in 1931, the first black
ballet company in the United States;
Whereas Les Ballet Negre became known as the Katherine Dunham Dance Company,
touring in more than 60 countries during the 1940s;
Whereas Katherine Dunham was a dancer, choreographer, and director on Broadway,
and was the first black choreographer at the Metropolitan Opera;
Whereas, in 1945, Katherine Dunham founded the Dunham School of Dance and
Theatre in Manhattan, thereby providing a centralized location for
students to immerse themselves in dance technique while also studying
topics in the humanities, languages, ethics, philosophy, and drama;
Whereas, in 1967, Katherine Dunham established the Performing Arts Training
Center in East St. Louis, Missouri, which enrolled high-risk youth into
its programs in fine, performing, and cultural arts;
Whereas Katherine Dunham founded the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and
Humanities in 1969, and the Katherine Dunham Museum and Children's
Workshop in 1977;
Whereas Katherine Dunham went on a 47-day hunger strike in 1993 to call
attention to the welfare of Haitians, thereby shifting public opinion
concerning the United States' relations with Haiti, and helping to
precipitate the return of Haiti's first democratically elected
president;
Whereas Katherine Dunham has received 10 honorary doctorates and numerous
awards, including the Presidential Medal of Arts, the French Legion of
Honor, the NAACP's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center
Honor's Award; and
Whereas Katherine Dunham continues to be an activist, teacher, and mentor to
young people throughout the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that Katherine Dunham should be
recognized for her work as a teacher, dancer, choreographer, and
actress, for her dedication to improving the opportunities in the arts
that are available to the Nation's youth, and for her lifelong
commitment to humanitarian causes around the world.
Passed the House of Representatives June 14, 2004.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.