Carmen de Lavallade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carmen de Lavallade
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De Lavallade in 2017
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| Born | March 6, 1931 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | December 29, 2025 (aged 94) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Years active | 1948–2025 |
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| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Janet Collins (cousin) |
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Carmen de Lavallade (born March 6, 1931 – died December 29, 2025) was a talented American artist. She was an amazing actress, a creative choreographer, and a graceful dancer. For many years, she shared her life and work with Geoffrey Holder, a famous actor, dancer, and director who won a Tony Award. In 2017, Carmen de Lavallade was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors. This award celebrates people who have made huge contributions to American culture throughout their lives.
Contents
Carmen's Early Life and Dance Beginnings
Carmen de Lavallade was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 6, 1931. Her parents were from New Orleans, Louisiana, and were part of the Creole community. She grew up with her aunt, Adele, who owned a special bookshop. It was one of the first bookshops on Central Avenue that focused on African-American history.
Carmen had a famous cousin named Janet Collins. Janet was the very first prima ballerina (a lead dancer) of Creole and African heritage at the Metropolitan Opera. Carmen's family was Catholic.
When Carmen was 16, she started learning ballet from Melissa Blake. After finishing Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, she received a special scholarship. This allowed her to continue her dance studies with a famous teacher named Lester Horton.
Carmen's Amazing Career in Dance and Theater
In 1949, Carmen de Lavallade joined the Lester Horton Dance Theater. She quickly became a lead dancer. She stayed there until 1954 when she moved to New York City with Alvin Ailey. Lester Horton taught his students many art forms. Carmen learned painting, acting, music, and how to design sets and costumes. She also studied different types of dance, like ballet and modern dance. She learned dancing from Carmelita Maracci and acting from Stella Adler.
Broadway Debut and Marriage
In 1954, Carmen made her first appearance on Broadway. This is a famous theater district in New York City. She performed with Alvin Ailey in a musical called House of Flowers. A famous singer named Pearl Bailey also starred in it.
In 1955, Carmen married Geoffrey Holder. He was also a dancer and actor. They had met while working on House of Flowers. Together, Carmen and Geoffrey created a special solo dance for her. It was called Come Sunday and was set to a beautiful spiritual song sung by Odetta. The next year, Carmen was the main dancer, or prima ballerina, in two operas. These were Samson and Delilah and Aida at the Metropolitan Opera.
Television and Film Roles
Carmen also appeared on television. Her first TV role was in a ballet called Flight by John Butler. In 1957, she was in a TV show by Duke Ellington called A Drum Is a Woman. She acted in several plays that were not on Broadway, like Othello.
A famous singer, Lena Horne, helped Carmen get more acting jobs in movies. Between 1952 and 1955, Carmen appeared in films like Carmen Jones (1954) with Dorothy Dandridge. She also acted in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) with Harry Belafonte and Lone Star (1996).
Teaching and Later Dance Work
Carmen was also a special guest dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. She toured with them in Asia. Sometimes, the company was even called the de Lavallade-Ailey American Dance Company. She also danced with Donald McKayle and in Agnes de Mille's productions.
In 1970, a friend named John Butler encouraged her to teach. She started teaching at the Yale School of Drama. She worked there as a choreographer and performer. She helped create musicals, plays, and operas. Eventually, she became a professor at the Yale Repertory Theater. Some of her famous students included Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver. From 1990 to 1993, Carmen returned to the Metropolitan Opera. She worked as a choreographer for operas like Porgy and Bess.
PARADIGM Dance Collective
In 1996, Carmen de Lavallade helped start a dance group called PARADIGM. She created it with Gus Solomons jr. and Dudley Williams. This group was special because it was for dancers over 50 years old. Their goal was to show off the amazing talents of experienced artists on stage. PARADIGM traveled and performed new dances created by many different choreographers.
Solo Performances
Later in her career, Carmen continued to perform. In 2014, she presented her own solo show called As I Remember It. In this show, she shared her life story in dance. She used performances, films, and storytelling to look back at her incredible journey.
Carmen's Family Life
Carmen de Lavallade lived in New York City with her husband, Geoffrey Holder. Geoffrey passed away on October 5, 2014. Their lives together were even featured in a documentary film in 2005 called Carmen and Geoffrey. Carmen and Geoffrey had one son named Léo. Geoffrey's brother, Boscoe Holder, was also a talented artist.
Carmen de Lavallade passed away on December 29, 2025. She was 94 years old. She had been ill for a short time and was in a hospital in Englewood, New Jersey.
Awards and Recognitions
Carmen de Lavallade received many important awards throughout her life. These awards celebrated her amazing talent and hard work.
Major Awards
- In 2004, she received the Black History Month Lifetime Achievement Award. She also got the Rosie Award, which honors people for their great achievements in theater.
- She won the Bessie Award in 2006 and the Capezio Dance Award in 2007.
- She was given honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees. These came from the State University of New York in 2006 and the Juilliard School in 2008.
- In 2016, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Obie Awards. This was for her excellent work in off-Broadway theater.
Kennedy Center Honors
In December 2017, Carmen de Lavallade received one of the highest honors in American culture: the Kennedy Center Honors Award. This award celebrates artists for their lifetime contributions. She attended a special dinner at the U.S. State Department Headquarters. The event was hosted by Rex Tillerson and led by the famous actress Julie Andrews.
Other Recognitions
- In April 2017, she was honored at The New Jewish Home's "Eight over Eighty Gala" in New York City.
- On August 30, 2023, the Richmond Ballet gave her a Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award. This happened before a performance of John Butler's Carmina Burana.
