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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| Occupation | Actress, choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1948–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Janet Collins (cousin) |
| Awards | |
Carmen de Lavallade, born on March 6, 1931, is a famous American actress, choreographer, and dancer. She is known for her amazing performances and for being married to the talented actor and dancer, Geoffrey Holder. In 2017, she received a very special award, the Kennedy Center Honors, for her lifelong contributions to American arts and culture.
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Early Life and Dance Beginnings
Carmen de Lavallade was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Creole from New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up with her aunt, Adele, who owned one of the first bookshops focused on African-American history. Carmen's cousin, Janet Collins, was also a very famous dancer. She was the first Creole/African descendant prima ballerina (lead dancer) at the Metropolitan Opera.
When Carmen was 16, she started studying ballet. After finishing high school, she received a scholarship. This allowed her to study dance with a famous teacher named Lester Horton.
A Career in Dance and Acting
In 1949, Carmen de Lavallade joined the Lester Horton Dance Theater. She became a lead dancer there. In 1954, she moved to New York City with Alvin Ailey, another famous dancer.
Lester Horton taught his students many art forms. Carmen learned painting, acting, music, and costume design. She also studied different types of dance, like ballet and modern dance. She even studied acting with Stella Adler.
In 1954, Carmen made her first appearance on Broadway. She danced with Alvin Ailey in a musical called House of Flowers. The famous singer Pearl Bailey was also in this show.
In 1955, Carmen married Geoffrey Holder. They had met while working on House of Flowers. Together, they created a special dance solo for Carmen called Come Sunday. It was set to a black spiritual song sung by Odetta. The next year, Carmen was the lead dancer in two operas at the Metropolitan Opera: Samson and Delilah and Aida.
Carmen also appeared on television. Her first TV show was a ballet called Flight. In 1957, she was in Duke Ellington's TV production, A Drum Is a Woman. She also acted in plays off-Broadway, like Othello.
A famous singer, Lena Horne, helped Carmen get into movies. Between 1952 and 1955, Carmen acted in several films. These included Carmen Jones (1954) with Dorothy Dandridge. She also appeared in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) with Harry Belafonte, and Lone Star (1996).
Carmen de Lavallade was a special guest performer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. She toured Asia with them. In some countries, the company was even called the de Lavallade-Ailey American Dance Company. She also danced with Donald McKayle. In 1965, she performed in Agnes de Mille's ballets for the American Ballet Theatre.
In 1970, a friend named John Butler asked 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. She even became a professor at the Yale Repertory Theater. Some of her students became very famous, like 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.
In 1996, Carmen de Lavallade, Gus Solomons jr., and Dudley Williams started a dance group called PARADIGM. This group was for dancers over 50 years old. Their goal was to show off the talents of older artists on stage. PARADIGM toured and performed new dances.
In 2014, Carmen performed her own solo show called As I Remember It. In this show, she shared her life story through dance, films, and storytelling.
Personal Life
Carmen de Lavallade lived in New York City with her husband, Geoffrey Holder. He passed away on October 5, 2014. A documentary film called Carmen and Geoffrey was made about their lives in 2005. They had one son named Léo.
Awards and Honors
Carmen de Lavallade has received many awards for her amazing work.
In 2004, she received the Black History Month Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received the Rosie Award, which honors people who show great skill and dedication in theater.
In 2006, she won the Bessie Award. In 2007, she received the Capezio Dance Award. She also received honorary degrees from State University of New York in 2006 and Juilliard School in 2008.
In 2016, Carmen de Lavallade received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Obie Awards. This award celebrates excellence in off-Broadway theater.
In December 2017, she received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors Award. This award recognizes artists for their lifetime contributions to American culture.
On August 30, 2023, Carmen de Lavallade was given the Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award by the Richmond Ballet. This happened before a performance at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Images for kids
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De Lavallade in 2017
