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In 1619, twenty slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia. "The Africans who came to Virginia in 1619 had been taken from Angola in West Central Africa." ("The First Africans"). When these slaves were taken from their homes, they brought their dances from their rich culture to America. Eventually, their dances would be blended with European dances that would create social dances of today. This event, while horrible, laid the groundwork for many genres of dance that are performed today, such as social dances and contemporary dance.

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An illustration of Mary Ann Lee after graduating from the Hazard School.

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After training at the Hazard School, Mary Ann Lee trained in Paris. She then came back to America and was one of "the first Americans to dance Giselle in America and they toured the States for two years." (Andros). This helped introduce classical ballet to Americans, inspired training, and supported Americans to develop an identity within ballet.

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A portrait of Augusta Maywood, one of the famous dancers of the Hazard School.

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In 1835, Paul H. Hazard and his wife, both former dancers with the Paris Opera, opened the Hazard School of Ballet in Philadelphia. The opening of this school helped transition ballet into an American art form. "The Hazard School produced three American dancers who became famous: George Washington Smith, Mary Ann Lee, and Augusta Maywood" (1930s). Their performances and training from Hazard gained them recognition and exposure.

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Martha Graham performing "El Penitente". 

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"In 1926, Martha Graham founded her dance company and school, living and working out of a tiny Carnegie Hall studio in midtown Manhattan." (Martha Graham Dance Company). The founding of this company, the first modern dance company in America, fundamentally changed modern dance as we know it. She popularized modern dance, created a technique that is still studied today, and paved the way for creators after her such as José Limón and Alvin Ailey.

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Misty Copeland posing for a photoshoot. 

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In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first Black female Principle dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. "She has broken ground in roles from Clara to Juliet, published several books, pushed for more diversity in the arts, and is building a charitable foundation." (Beard) Copeland has changed dance history by breaking barriers and redefining what a ballerina looks like, which has inspired young dancers across the globe.

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A.I.M performing at the American Dance Festival.

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In 2005, Kyle Abraham created his company, A.I.M. Abraham has created numerous works and has diversified the world of contemporary dance by drawing "from Black history and culture as well as Abraham's personal experiences as a gay Black man." (Reed). Since the founding of this company, A.I.M has created various works, toured around the world, inspired young dancers, held workshops, and has provided community outreach programs.

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The Lion King on Broadway performing "Circle of Life". 

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In 1997, The Lion King made its Broadway debut at the New Amsterdam Theater. "Winner of 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and based on the beloved 1994 Disney film, The Lion King brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway." Since its debut, it has become one of the longest running shows on Broadway and has employed a diverse cast of dancers.

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The original Broadway production of "The Wiz".

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In 1974, "The Wiz" premiered on Broadway at the Majestic Theater. "The production played 15 previews and 1,672 performances before closing January 28, 1979. The musical earned eight Tony nominations, winning 7 including best musical." (Playbill Staff). This premiere changed dance history because it elevated Black voices within the world of musical theater. Additionally, George Faison became the "first African American choreographer to win a Tony Award for his choreography in The Wiz." (George Faison)

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A portrait of Jean-Georges Noverre, pastel on paper. 

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In 1759, French ballet dancer, Jean-Georges Noverre wrote and published his book, "Lettres sur la danse et sur les ballets", or "Letters on Dancing and Ballet". "The book set forth his ideas for the reform of ballet, ideas which were considered revolutionary in their day and were not fully implemented until more than a century later." (Ballet Arizona) The contents of this book advocated for 'ballet d'action' and would further change the way ballets were created.

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Ruth St. Denis with students at The Denishawn School.

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In 1915, Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn founded the Denishawn School of Dance. After the founding, "the activities of their Denishawn Company and School changed the course of dance history; most of today’s modern dancers trace their ancestry to Denishawn." (Ted Shawn) Located in California, this school became the first of its kind to produce a professional dance company and it has a tremendous legacy.

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Contemporary dancers at the American Dance Fesitval.

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In 1934, The American Dance Festival (ADF) was founded. Formerly known as the Bennington School of Dance, it was founded by Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman, and Helen Tamiris. (ADF History). Since its founding, the festival has grown and developed into a nurturing environment for dancers of all kinds and the selection of classes and master teachers have expanded.

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In 1946, Katherine Dunham opened her school, The Katherine Dunham School of Arts and Research. It was a revolutionary school for its time providing classes in "general anthropology, introductory psychology, scientific method and logic, ballet, modern dance, dance notation, history of drama, and Caribbean folklore." (Katherine Dunham, A Life in Dance). It was at this school where Dunham codified her technique.

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American Dance History Timeline Works Cited