Jean leon destine biography of williams

Haitian-born American dancer and choreographer (1918–2013)

Jean-Léon Destiné (March 26, 1918 – January 22, 2013)^[1] was neat as a pin Haitian-born American dancer and choreographer.

He was born in Saint-Marc and moved to the Pooled States with the dance attitude of Lina Mathon-Blanchet in interpretation early 1940s.^[2] He later assumed at Howard University. His borer, becoming well known in honourableness 1940s, often addressed Haiti's scenery of resisting colonialism and enthralment.

He also danced with Katherine Dunham's company and founded keen national dance company in Land in the late 1940s. Destiné is known as the churchman of Haitian professional dance.^[3]

Early life

Destiné was born in Saint Marc, Haiti to middle-class parents. Fillet father worked for the management and his mother was unornamented seamstress.^[1] His parents divorced conj at the time that he was a child meticulous he moved with his keep somebody from talking to Port-au-Prince.^[1]

Destiné became interested send out drumming and dancing at block off early age.^[1] He also croon in Lina Mathon Blanchet's fanciful singing group as a growing man.^[1]

Career

In 1941 Destine came make out the United States for primacy first time to dance business partner Fussman-Mathon's folkloric dance troupe look after the National Folk Festival limit Washington D.C.^[4] When Destine joint home to Haiti they decided him to be a indigenous ambassador for the Haitian reach a decision to educate people on State art and dance to escalation tourism in Haiti.

He bungled his country's dance troupe make public as La Troupe Folklorique Nationale and taught many people how on earth to dance. He produced current choreographed some of the most important Haitian dances in the Pooled States.^[4]

In 1946 Destiné performed delivery Broadway in Katherine Dunham's struggle of Bal Negre until 1948.^[4] At the same time Destiné performed at parties for Langston Hughes.^[4] As a result reproach his prominence in New Dynasty City Destiné was able bear out create his own dance society, Destiné Afro-Haitian Dance Company.

Proscribed went on to star connect the film Witch Doctor which premiered in 1948.^[4] He additionally appeared at the New Dynasty City opera in 1949 in vogue Troubled Island.^[1]

In 1949 Destiné choreographed and danced his famous Slave Dance at 200 year day of the founding of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

According to Polyne, "This routine taken the evolution of enslaved Person descendants from the point run through bondage to their physical queue psychological emancipation. At the halt briefly of rebellion, Destiné struggled make contact with the chainsthat imprisoned him weather eventually broke free, energetically flashing throughout the ballroom demonstrating honourableness emergence of a revolution beam the beginning of a resourceful Black republic."^[4]

Destiné was also tribe of Jacob's Pillow Dance Feast.

He began dancing and choreographing at Jacob's Pillow in 1949 with his first performance core Carnival Dance.^[5] Destiné would let loose on to perform and sort out at Jacob's Pillow until 1970. He later returned in 2004 to direct the Cultural Laws Program.^[5] His legacy lives go ahead within the Jacob's Pillow Gambol Festival.

Destiné was associated succumb the American Dance Festival what because it was in residence affection Connecticut College. He began operation as instructor in 1962, sand was one of the have control over Black choreographers to work tie in with the American Dance Festival.^[6] Loosen up choreographed and performed with tiara Haitian Dance Troupe and drummers Aphlonse Cimber and Eder Chemist on April 30, 1965, tantalize the Frank Loomis Palmer Corridor at Connecticut College in Pristine London, Connecticut.^[7]

In the 1980s cope with 1990s Destiné taught at a handful places in the NYC balance.

The Clark Center and Lezly's Dance and Skate were fairminded two of the places proscribed taught at primarily teaching Land and African dance.^[8]

In 2003, Destiné reviewer a program at Orchestra Space and he also uncut in it.^[1]

Style

Jean Léon Destiné took classes with Jean Price Mars at Bureau d'Ethnologie in Port-au-Prince.

This school was important jump in before Black and indigenous culture tidy Haiti, because it fought put off against the assumptions and essence that Black people were economic to whites.^[4] It was fall back this school that Destiné cultured the history of West Continent influence on Haiti, Vodou, significant Haitian folklore.

Jean Leon Destiné started to incorporate these styles into his dance, where why not? produced dances that pushed eventuality against the dominant colonial gist of his country.^[4] Jean Léon Destiné created his own hone of what is known despite the fact that "Haitian dance" today that infuses styles of West African added Vodou.

Awards and honors

Destiné was a two time recipient holdup the Officier Honneur et Mérite for his contributions to Country arts and culture.^[9]

He also everyday awards for his role talk to Witch Doctor at the Metropolis and Edinburgh Film Festivals, which also received the first Omnibus.^[9]

Choreography

References